Trump Visits Burlington, Vermont

Presidential candidate, Donald Trump, made a visit to Burlington Vermont to hold a rally yesterday. One might think, in practical terms, that going to past-“blue” Vermont would be a huge waste of time; however, in watching the live stream, it was apparent that was simply not the case. The video on You Tube (here) is telling. The venue was small, holding 1400 people with 100 of those members of the press, and of course, being in a college town, there were more than the usual protestors mingled with the crowd. It was interesting to watch the manner in which he was at fist amused, but as the mini-bursts continued, his mood changed to one of apparent disgust, so he called them “rude”. It was the usual Trump rally, however, with more noise from supporters than from those students and professors who so rudely go into venues to protest.

Overall, what is always telling in his appearances is his connection to those supporters in the crowd, and his affection for them. In watching a half dozen of these event via streaming, and attending one in Worcester, MA with a crowd of 14,000, if one listens to his tone, watches his demeanor, one begins to understand he’s sincere, has a wicked sense of humor, and is having the time of his life, but, at the same time, feels compelled to be there out of a sense of duty.

Of course, this is a personal perspective, yet, six months ago, it was easy to dismiss the man, given who he was in the public eye, an entertainer, pure and simple.

What he has done to date is show the American people who are interested in listening to him, that there is hope and that as he can and will say exactly what they are thinking. He is a rare individual indeed, one willing to lose opportunities to enrich himself, in order to run for the Presidency – which is, sadly, not always the case.

Therefore, with a six weeks or so before the primaries begin, it is with a great deal of interest that one watches a candidate invest time in places where no one else has bothered to go, winning hearts, changing minds, and throwing the bums out who so rudely interrupt.