First, my apologies for an illustration that doesn’t quite fit the article. I just want to make a quick post and don’t have the time to make a drawing. So, you get this old cartoon idea I made a few years ago instead.
One thing that is missing from reports about President Trump’s recent rally in Wildwood, NJ, are any comparables to give us an idea how amazing the attendance was. Most recently, I am reading there were “nearly 100,000” people at the event, from ABC News, making it the largest political rally in NJ. What does that mean? How big do political rallies usually get?
I decided to ask Claude.
This is what it said:
Based on the information available to me, which may not be exhaustive, here are some of the notable political rallies held in New Jersey:
1. President Trump Rally in Wildwood, NJ (January 28, 2020) - Estimated 15,000 attendees, according to local officials. The venue, Wildwoods Convention Center, has a capacity of about 7,500, with several thousand more gathered outside.
2. Bernie Sanders Rally at Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ (May 8, 2016) - Estimated 6,000 to 8,000 attendees.
3. Barack Obama Rally at Fairleigh Dickinson University, Teaneck, NJ (August 25, 2010) - Estimated 1,500 attendees.
4. Mitt Romney Rally at Moorestown High School, Moorestown, NJ (November 4, 2012) - Estimated 3,000 attendees.
5. Hillary Clinton Campaign Event at Rutgers University, Newark, NJ (June 1, 2016) - Estimated 1,200 attendees.
Please note that these figures are estimates and may vary depending on the source. It's also important to consider that attendance numbers can be influenced by factors such as venue capacity, location, and the nature of the event (rally, town hall, campaign stop, etc.).
There may have been other significant political rallies in New Jersey's history that I don't have reliable attendance figures for. The information provided here is based on the available data I could find from reputable sources.
Next, I asked it to list the best attended concerts from New Jersey’s history:
1. The Rolling Stones at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford (1981) - approximately 90,000 attendees.
2. The Grateful Dead at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford (1978) - approximately 80,000 attendees.
3. Bruce Springsteen at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford (2003) - approximately 55,000 attendees per show during a 10-night stand.
An event with 100,000 attendees would be remarkable, considering that Wildwood has a population of about 5,000 residents and the entire Cape May County has a population of around 92,000 as of the 2020 census.
I then asked Claude to provide a list of the best attended events of any kind. This is what it came up with:
1. The Rolling Stones at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford (1981) - Approximately 90,000 attendees.
2. The Grateful Dead at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford (1978) - Approximately 80,000 attendees.
3. Bruce Springsteen at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford (2003) - Approximately 55,000 attendees per show during a 10-night stand.
4. Live Earth Concert at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford (2007) - Approximately 52,000 attendees.
5. Bon Jovi at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford (2010) - Approximately 55,000 attendees per show during a 4-night stand.
6. WrestleMania 29 at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford (2013) - Approximately 80,676 attendees.
7. Super Bowl XLVIII at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford (2014) - Approximately 82,529 attendees.
8. Pope John Paul II Mass at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford (1995) - Approximately 82,948 attendees.
9. New Jersey Nets vs. Detroit Pistons at Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford (2004) - Approximately 20,049 attendees, the largest crowd in the arena's history for a basketball game.
10. Fugees at Liberty State Park, Jersey City (1996) - Estimated 60,000 attendees.
Please note that these figures are based on available reports and estimates, and actual attendance numbers may vary slightly. Additionally, there may be other well-attended events in New Jersey's history that I don't have reliable data for.
With all this in mind, if the estimates are accurate to within 10,000 attendees, Trump just shattered every attendance record of every kind for the state of New Jersey. He is a bigger draw than the Pope (a more popular pope than the current one), the Rolling Stones, Springsteen, the Nets, Superbowl, and a host of other top draws. Trump isn’t just a “rock star”, he’s bigger than the biggest rock stars.
After President Trump called out the media for not turning the cameras around to picture the crowd, Fox caved and did so. Incredible attendance!
No apology needed here for the illustration. I admire and study the illustrations and then, of course, read. Thank you! I am a bit shocked that Claude said, "...reputable sources". Sounds a tad subjective. However, the main point of the record attendance is extremely important because the majority of people know that President Trump will have to report to a NY City courtroom on Monday. Having that fact within the context of the other highly attended events is something to consider, in my opinion.