Re Warren's welcome at NH convention: Her campaign had paid for hundreds of tickets for her

[highplainsdem]

Last edited Mon Sep 9, 2019, 11:37 AM - Edit history (1)

supporters, and gave them thunder sticks to make more noise for her.

I've seen some tweets saying the supporters were bused in, too.

Haven't seen any reports so far of other campaigns doing that.

Boston Globe article:

https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2019/09/07/convention-democrats-focus-electability/4e4yFxrYpsWa5yWrnOpX4O/story.html


Some tweets about this:

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

And the NY Times reported Warren supporters were bused in from neighboring states (editing 9/9 to add that you should see reply 83 below for more info on this):

Link to tweet

Editing to add that according to reply 33 below, the Harris campaign apparently paid for and gave away some tickets. No info on how many.

Possibly other campaigns did as well. I just don't have reports on them doing so.

If anyone has more info on what the other campaigns did re buying tickets and busing supporters in from other states, I'd welcome your posting it.

[BeyondGeography]

1. How cute, you put so much effort into this

Sorry for you that Warren’s supporters were apparently so motivated they’d give up a weekend just to cheer her on.

I hear the Biden campaign was still handing out signs when Joe was speaking.

[Cha]

8. It's not "cute" the way you're trying

to tear down highplainsdem's effort for getting the facts out.

[Bradshaw3]

15. Facts? Ha, is that what you call them

I've seen Warren smeared and lied about more times than I can count on here, and it's always by Biden supporters. Must be running scared.

[Cha]

18. Please get real.. She wasn't "smearing"

EW.. she doesn't do that and neither do I.

[Bradshaw3]

23. try reading my post again

Didn't say this poster was, or you either. You always seem like a reasonable poster. But plenty on here have and it is ironic that when Joe's many asffes, troublesome record on many issues and other FACTs are pointed out, Biden supporters yell "bashing" and smearing". Funny too how this has become such a trend as Warren has climbed in the polls while doing great at the debates. Just a coincidence I'm sure.

[Cha]

26. Yes, that's what I call "facts".. and I can't speak

for other Biden supporters how they respond.. good you weren't saying that about highplainsdem or me.

[Thekaspervote]

31. Hi Cha ... Bradshaw3 basic comment "you're smearing EW" hasn't got anything better.

Has told me several times I have smeared her... have yet to do that

[Cha]

39. Sigh.. It seemed like it was

trying to kill the messenger. No one I've seen has tried to "smear" EW.

Good for her bringing in supporters.. also good to know.

Thanks, kasper!

[Thekaspervote]

41. Right!! I do not see Biden supporters bashing EW.. not at all

And yes, if she wants to bring in buses of people to see her then that’s hers and her campaign’s call

[LanternWaste]

92. I'm sure you'll support your allegation with the data indicating its accuracy, yes?

Or will you simply be "running scared?"

[USALiberal]

109. LOL, ok! nt

[Demsrule86]

69. Sure...I have wondered about this 'momentum' which I don't see...Today we learn

free tickets and bussed in supporters from where I wonder? And that in the polls that are most favorable to EW...the pollsters included unregistered voters to make it look like a closer primary...can't fool us...and Biden will be the nominee and president.

[griffi94]

2. Maybe Joe or his supporters should call Shenanigans

Because another candidates supporters being loud and enthusiastic is obviously
some nefarious plot.

[Cha]

59. Why would we do that?! Good for

Warren.. it's still interesting to know.

[kcr]

63. What is so interesting about it?

[Mr.Bill]

3. Everyone knows that you lose the right to support your

favorite candidate if you arrived on a bus.

[Scurrilous]

4. ...

[JI7]

5. good for them

as long as they werne't being rude to others i don't see a problem with this. it probably helps with securing support.

[BlueMTexpat]

101. Thank you!

[blm]

6. The move of an organized campaign. No surprise some are getting madder

Last edited Mon Sep 9, 2019, 12:22 AM - Edit history (1)

and madder at her for even running. A highly organized campaign bodes well for the future, especially for the general election. The supporters weren’t paid, their tickets were provided by the campaign. Now we’re supposed to be upset by a well-organized campaign?

[highplainsdem]

7. It may have been well staged, but it didn't show grassroots support in NH if those supporters were

bused in from other states, as some reports say. It wasn't spontaneous applause from people who'd have been there without her campaign spending thousands on tickets and busing.

[griffi94]

9. I've always felt that exact same way about The Grateful Dead

The Grateful Dead concerts were always crowded with fans from all over
the country. They even traveled together in caravans. And The Dead encouraged fans to make bootleg recordings and trade them with other fans.
Drug use was openly encouraged.

That's not grassroots support. This proves that The Bay City Rollers were more popular.

[missingthebigdog]

12. S.A.T U R. D A Y NIGHT!

I had forgotten about the Bay City Rollers, lol. Thank you for that moment of levity.

[griffi94]

13. BCRs Forever

[blm]

11. Yeah, Warren doesn't have any real support, or real crowds, and shows no warmth,

and is actually not very well-liked. There were no NH supporters cheering for Warren at their Dem event.

There. Your strategy here is working perfectly. You must be so proud.

I’m just a notverybright loser, because it would never even occur to me to make this type of post against any of the other Dem candidates for something so petty. Heck, this primary my intention was to NOT attack any of our potential nominees, at all. But, you seem to be having such a good time doing it, I’m starting to feel like I’m missing out on all the fun.

[highplainsdem]

14. I didn't say she didn't have any real support. But so much has been made of that 2-minute ovation

by the media, and by her supporters. It's been held up as some sort of proof of how much more popular she is than the other candidates.

It seems a bit different if the backstory is that there were a lot more Warren supporters there than supporters of other candidates because her campaign paid for hundreds of tickets and bused them in from other states. And they could make so much noise for her because her campaign handed out noisemakers.

But again, it was well staged.

[BeyondGeography]

16. Joe had his moments, too

That pivot from his unsuccessful attempt to pronounce “existential” to “it’s not hypothetical” was masterful, eg.

[highplainsdem]

20. So was Warren's pivot from "first lerst" to "first lesson" in the first lines of her speech.

[BeyondGeography]

22. Plus who says Biden doesn't have any young supporters?

Both of them were at the rally.

[highplainsdem]

25. Jeez, what an odd comment. I didn't say anything about Biden not having any young supporters there.

I haven't heard of his campaign busing any in from out of state, or paying for tickets so they could get inside, but it's possible they did. I just haven't seen any reporting on it.

I did see that reporting on what the Warren campaign did.

Again, this was well staged by her campaign.

[Cha]

55. Nobody says that.. please Keep UP.

[blm]

19. Were they actors being paid? My Dem group takes buses to events we feel

will promote our cause and our Dem candidates, and even if it is in the next state. Heck, we took a bus to go see John Kerry in Columbia, Sc, and again to see Bidenin Greenville.

It’s normal not unusual. I thought you were supposed to know these things about campaigns and elections.

Don’t be afraid of organized Dem campaigns. Be glad for them.

[highplainsdem]

27. I didn't suggest they were actors being paid. I said the campaign paid for their tickets and

transportation.

And I'm not "afraid" of organized Dem campaigns.

Btw, since you think this is a great thing, why do you mind my pointing out what the campaign did?

[blm]

29. You wear your motivation on your post sleeve.

[Thekaspervote]

35. Thx highplainsdem dem for pointing out just the facts!! And doing it fairly

[Cha]

53. I'm really sorry some are trying to kill the messenger

here, highplainsdem... and getting all personal with you.

I don't think any less of EW for doing this.. but it's still good to know.

[Cha]

56. No one is "afraid".. why are you insulting

highplainsdem?

[qazplm135]

80. Oh stop

You do this all of the time, running around declaring that people are "insulting" highplainsdem.

If you REALLY think these are all insults then there's an easy solution. Alert. Then a random panel of folks will judge it.
You aren't needed to constantly declare insults, we have a whole system for that determination.

[Cha]

96. lol.. like I would do anything you tell me to do.

[qazplm135]

103. why are you insulting me?

Aren't you against insults?

Sad.

[melman]

106. +1

[questionseverything]

102. kinda of shows she is running a better campaign

organization is even more important than popularity

[usrbs]

33. I was there and the Kamala Harris campaign did the same thing

I wasn't bussed, (I drove from Massachusetts), and I didn't get a ticket but others did.
All standard politicking.

[highplainsdem]

34. Did they? Okay. The only reports I'd seen had been about the Warren campaign.

Do you have any idea whether the campaigns were all offered equal numbers of tickets to buy, or if they bought equal amounts?

[usrbs]

45. Sorry, I can't answer that.

I just know about the Harris campaign. I didn't see any thunder sticks but I may have missed that - it was pretty noisy and crowded..

[highplainsdem]

42. I've added to my OP to point out your reply here, and to ask anyone who knows what the other

campaigns did re tickets and busing supporters in to please post about it.

[Demsrule86]

70. I consider such actions somewhat deceptive and in the end not effective anyway.

I like Warren and she has my vote in the general but this combined with mixing registered and unregistered voters in her most favorable polls including ones against Trump...leads me to believe that my opinion she can't beat Trump is valid.

[Cha]

10. Mahalo, highplainsdem! Too bad for

anyone trying to tear you down because you have the audacity to post the facts.

[sheshe2]

17. I have said no derogatory words or attacks against your candidate.

I would appreciate you do the same with mine.

[highplainsdem]

24. This is not derogatory, since there are no rules against what the Warren campaign did.

It is, however, explanatory, because it provides some background on why her supporters could make so much noise for her.

I wouldn't be posting about this at all if the tweets I saw hadn't been backed up by stories in the NY Times and the Boston Globe.

I don't know if any other campaigns did the same thing as Warren's did -- bought hundreds of tickets and bused in supporters from out of state.

If they did, I'd welcome hearing about it.

Again, I'm not suggesting Warren used completely unheard-of campaign tactics.

I'm just explaining why that crowd might have made so much noise for her.

[blm]

28. Massachusetts Dems campaign all the time in N.H. because they share

the same media market. Sheesh...this is pretty standard stuff.

[sheshe2]

30. You say she paid people to be there, per the article.

Fact is you will never see me posting a negative about Biden. Nothing. Ever. I see four/five to be the top candidates. There is only one I have issues with.

I will not talk ill of any DEMOCRAT.

I want to win this for our future. If we don't...we are all going to die. Our planet will die. Boom. Gone.

I have no issues with you, highplanesdem.

Thank you.

[highplainsdem]

32. No. I said, per the reports, that her campaign paid for hundreds of tickets. And I've seen

people point out here and on Twitter that campaigns can do this. It isn't unheard of.

Again, I don't know whether any of the other campaigns did this. They might have, or they might have thought there were better ways to spend campaign money.

But since it was brought up in those news stories, and since it helps explain the loud and enthusiastic reception she got, I didn't see anything wrong with posting it here.

It isn't exactly secret if it's in the NY Times and the Globe.

Do you think that if Biden (or any other candidate) had received an especially loud, enthusiastic reception at that convention, and newspapers had reported his campaign had paid for hundreds of tickets and bused supporters in from out of state and given them noisemakers, that no one here would have mentioned that? We'd probably be seeing triplicate posts about it, with at least one subject line in all caps.

[sheshe2]

40. You say per the reports and I said per the article.

I do not want to fight with you. I have no issues with you.

I want trump gone and I want any Democrat that can do that.

I have a preference and that is all. Blue no matter who.

[highplainsdem]

46. I don't want to fight either, sheshe2.

I guess I posted this because there were at least three OPs posted here about the enthusiastic reception Warren got, and then I checked Twitter and saw lots of posts about that, and posts running Biden down, and then I ran across this background on how many Warren supporters had been given tickets by her campaign. And that info helped take away some of the sting of all the negative comments about Biden.

I check Twitter daily because it's a place where news about candidates shows up quickly.

But it can be a very rough slog for a Biden supporter just to skim through those posts.

So I found it encouraging to discover that there were possibly just more Warren supporters there, many of them brought in, than supporters of other candidates, and that helped explain the crowd noise for Warren.

Though it also raises the question of whether Biden's campaign and other campaigns should start spending as much on this sort of strategy as the Warren campaign spent.

She definitely got a media moment out of it.

[sheshe2]

107. ...

We're good.

[blm]

43. By a few DU supporters of other candidates.

Not me, or most other Warren supporters.

You did what YOU would do. Most Biden supporters here wouldn’t. They would have shown self-restraint over something so petty.

You know, highp, most Warren supporters here also support every other Dem, including Biden.

[highplainsdem]

48. I don't think it's "petty" to point out, after multiple OPs about a long, loud ovation, that the

candidate's campaign had brought in hundreds of supporters and given them noisemakers. Especially after the posts and news stories saying the loud ovation showed that there was more enthusiasm for Warren than anyone else.

[blm]

49. Yes. It is.

And you choose to double down because......

[Cha]

51. highplainsdem doesn't do "petty".

[Cha]

50. It's not "petty".. it's news. I don't think any

less of Warren for bringing in supporters.. but it's still good to know.

Mahalo, highplainsdem!

[BeyondGeography]

61. The same thing happened in LA

These people were so happy about their free bus tickets.

[CentralMass]

21. Smart idea.

[Jirel]

36. Good for them.

They’re on the ball. Apparently the Biden team isn’t. Can’t complain if your primary opponent’s campaign organizes better.

[Hekate]

37. The horror! The horror! The woman is organizing a political campaign!

Oh come on.

[sheshe2]

44. ...

[crazytown]

93. Next thing you know she'll have PAID staff

on the ground in Iowa

[Cha]

54. Yes, she is.. and it's great..

It's news.. nothing wrong with it.

[Demsrule86]

71. I have no problem with what she did,but let's not pretend the two minute applause or whatever it was

has any real meaning for her campaign.

[NCLefty]

38. Thunder sticks.

I Googled it because I've never heard of it (but I don't go to many sporting events).

The thunder starts at 40 seconds in:

&feature=youtu.be&t=40

As to the tactic, how else is she supposed to get more attention? Wait for the fabled Magic Debate Moment that crushes everyone else? What does any campaign do other than try to turn people out and jazz up the base for their guy?

If I thought it was dirty, I'd admit it. I'll also admit I'm currently leaning Biden or Warren.

[highplainsdem]

52. Re thunder sticks -- they've been banned at lots of sporting events. Re Warren getting more

attention -- I agree there probably wouldn't be any point in her waiting for the fabled Magic Debate Moment. But the loud, enthusiastic reception she got at that convention doesn't seem quite as impressive once you know how much preparation went into it. Just as Harris's "That little girl was me" moment in the first debate didn't look quite the same when people became aware that it was planned and rehearsed.

I hadn't thought at first that what Harris was saying was rehearsed.

And I hadn't realized that Warren's campaign had packed that venue with her supporters, and given them noisemakers.

I was concerned that she got that much more enthusiastic a welcome than the other candidates received, including Biden. So it helped to find an explanation for the noisy welcome.

And maybe ALL our candidates should try the same thing...though not, I hope, with thunder sticks.

[Thekaspervote]

47. Fivethirtyeight chimes in on crowd sizes, winning elections and poll numbers

don’t let a candidate’s s crowd size mislead you. Polls are a much more accurate indicator of candidate support

Just posting accurate information by the experts!!

More at the link

https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/dont-let-crowd-sizes-mislead-you/

[crazytown]

57. Not cool HPD.

at all.

[highplainsdem]

74. Another DUer brought this up in your thread about the ovation yesterday, pointing out

that you'd left out the part of the NYT article about all the tickets that were bought for her supporters, and the noisemakers they were given:

https://www.democraticunderground.com/1287269671#post7

You didn''t criticize that DUer for bringing it up, just said Warren doing that showed she had a good ground game.

I hadn't seen that reply in your thread.

And by the time I ran across this info on Twitter last night, there were multiple threads I'd've had to respond to separately, so it seemed simplest to post an OP about it.

If Warren supporters believe this just shows smart campaigning, why am I being attacked for bringing it up?

I also edited my OP last night to request that anyone with info about other campaigns doing the same thing please post about that.

[crazytown]

75. The tickets sell out in days

most if not all campaigns buy a block for their staff and volunteers. That what a good ground game does.

These people deserve your respect

The 1,280 party delegates who gave up their Saturday to cheer on their party are key to the ground game in New Hampshire: They’re some of the most willing Democrats in the state to make calls, knock on doors and plant lawn signs. They run town and county committees and are instrumental in the retail politicking of the first primary state.

[Cha]

58. I got your back, highplainsdem!

This is news.. why are so many trying to kill the messenger instead of addressing the OP.. I've seen "..it's common practice.." or ".. she has the best ground game going..". that addresses the news... there's absolutely no reason to personally insult you.

I don't think less of Senator Warren for this added information but it's still interesting to know what's going on.

[Blue_Adept]

60. I get the feeling that this is going to be the first real competitive primary a lot here have seen

2016 was not competitive in the way this one is with so many candidates.

And if you weren't old enough to be aware of 2008, well.

This is standard politics and campaigning. The shame goes on the other candidates that didn't engage in things and left opportunities on the table.

It's like the way Trump got all the morning cable TV time but other candidates didn't. He called in, nobody else did. You had hosts imploring candidates to call in. But they wouldn't. They lost.

You do everything you can to win. And perception-building is definitely a big part of it.

[Cha]

62. So time for the other candidates

to have no "shame" and bus in their supporters..

It's a thing.. they too can have standing ovations!

Oh and in case anyone is wondering if I'm serious.. I am.

[Blue_Adept]

65. There was plenty of shame in 2016 on candidates for not doing a lot of basics

Everyone complained about Trump being on Morning Joe every day.

But NOBODY from either party with candidates called in. Not Bernie, Not Jeb, Not Hillary, etc.

Shame on them for not doing so.

If candidates aren't going to do the hard work of creating the perception of inevitability, then shame on them. That's part of the job in creating the image.

[Cha]

66. Shame on the US m$$$media for

giving trump billions of $$$ of free ads.

Shame on the m$$$$media for But Her Emails!

[Demsrule86]

85. Yeah well if folks think it was staged...that kind of ruins the perception...did you ever think

she might have gotten the ovation without all this effort...we will never know.

[kcr]

64. The signs those polls weren't outliers are beginning to show.

[Demsrule86]

73. No they are not beginning to show...the polls sampled registered and unregistered voters...it is

worse than before...I predict...Warren won't do that well in Iowa not New Hampshire. She has my vote in the general if I am wrong...and no news source is saying the outlier polls are in anyway legitimate...they look really bad...the media does.

[brooklynite]

67. FWIW - nothing in the cites says people were bused in "from other States"

[highplainsdem]

76. I'll check the full NYT article later. I hit a "technical issue" error message when I tried to log

in to my account last night (just hit it again: "We're sorry, but we're having a technical issue right now. Please try again later." ), and went by a tweet that had the NYT link and had also cited the Boston Globe correctly.

After someone here mentioned the Harris campaign having done the same thing, I found an article last night confirming that Harris had bused supporters in from out of state:

http://indepthnh.org/2019/09/07/nh-democrats-host-19-candidates-and-go-wild-for-warren/

If this is standard campaigning, it's standard campaigning.

But if the Warren campaign had spent more money than the other campaigns to help ensure she had more supporters there than any other campaign had -- and to provide them with noisemakers -- then that is pertinent to the loud reception she got.

[HeartlandProgressive]

77. sure...

so you didn't check the facts before posting?

[highplainsdem]

79. I checked the facts as well as I could, given that technical issue. I'd seen multiple tweets

referring to some of her supporters being bused in from out of state.

And from the replies here, you know that isn't uncommon.

[highplainsdem]

84. See reply 83.

[highplainsdem]

83. Okay, just managed to get past that technical-issue glitch and found the

paragraph that tweet was apparently referring to:

An unknown number of Warren supporters came to the event from outside New Hampshire, judging from several social media posts of Democratic backers from Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island and elsewhere who came to the convention for her on Saturday. Out-of-state supporters for candidates including Mr. Biden and Senator Kamala Harris also attended the event, according to interviews and social media posts. Campaigns often bus in some supporters and allies for major events. It was not clear on Saturday night to what extent the different campaigns coordinated the importing of supporters. A Warren spokeswoman declined to comment.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/07/us/politics/democrats-new-hampshire.html


So the Times apparently asked the Warren campaign how many supporters were brought in from out of state, and the campaign "declined to comment." I imagine they did have at least some data on this.

[Gothmog]

72. K&R

[HeartlandProgressive]

78. another negative post about a Democratic candidate?

why?

[highplainsdem]

81. It isn't a negative post if you believe this is a good strategy and shows smart campaigning.

It's simply background information explaining part of the reason why she had such a loud reception.

[BeyondGeography]

82. Seems you feel compelled to "unskew" any positive news re Warren

Armchair observers of human nature could be forgiven for thinking that's because you see her as a threat to your candidate. Or are threads like these just a public service?

[Demsrule86]

87. You can't claim momentum without solid evidence...I don't see any.

I like Warren and while she may have taken votes from BS (not sure), no sign she is beating Biden.

[BeyondGeography]

89. It's good that you consistently reassure Warren supporters they have nothing to get excited about

I’m sure it’s having an impact.

[Demsrule86]

94. Well the same can be true for Biden supporters...goes both ways. I call them like I see them.

I don't see momentum.

[Demsrule86]

86. It is a primary and supporters of EW are always posting stuff about Biden.

[highplainsdem]

88. No kidding. Countless "His lead is only name recognition" posts. Or "He's too old (and

six-years-younger Warren is really youthful)" posts. Or the ever-popular "But his gaffes!" posts.

Sigh...

[Demsrule86]

95. Yes... attacks all the time.

[DrFunkenstein]

90. Next She'll Be Organizing People to Caucus For Her in Iowa

Or come up with some catchy chant like "big structural change."

[Andy823]

91. Really?

I just can't understand why you posted this.

[Demsrule86]

97. I can't understand why the 30 or so anti-Biden posts are up either...it is a primary.

[Andy823]

99. Well you know

I never understood the attacks on Harris either, but now the same people are going after Warren, and she hasn't done anything that I can see to deserve this.

I just think posting about positive things ones candidate will do the help this country recover would be much more worth while, don't you? We have some great candidates who can all beat trump, and in the end the nominee will be who I support.

[qazplm135]

104. they go after whomever is the largest threat to Biden

it was Bernie, then Harris, and now it's Warren.

[BlueMississippi]

98. k&r nt

[DrFunkenstein]

100. Not Really Sure That Biden Supporters Want to Bring Up Crowds

I hear that Biden was Obama's VP. Maybe talk about that more.

[Cha]

105. Oh that's all you heard.. that Biden was

President Obama's VP? Maybe you should brush up on your history and learn exactly what he did as his Vice President.

Link to tweet

[Desert Dem]

108. Criticism sounds familiar from 2016 NH primary news

accusing HRC of similar tactics. I mean this just sounds desperate.

I say to Biden campaign: “Come on now!”.