According to his staff, Don Trump shifted his Tulsa political rally from June 19th to the 20th out of respect for the African American observance of Juneteenth, black independence day. We know that's a lie, because after dealing with El Don all this time--it seems like centuries now--it is common knowledge he doesn't respect anything.
No, this minor shift in dates, although a little surprising, has more to do with tactics and personal safety than respect. The Greenwood District of Tulsa, the site of the most deadly racial pogrom in American history, is planning major festivities on the 19th. That means thousands, if not tens of thousands, of black folks will be gathering just north of downtown and the BOK Center. Given what has happened lately in places like Minneapolis, Louisville, and Atlanta it doesn't take a genius to figure out all those attending the Juneteenth celebration aren't going to be in the mood to put up with nearly 20,000 screaming white fascists celebrating Trump's version of old fashioned law and order.
Not that Trump particularly cares about his supporters, but a full blown repeat of the battle of Ft. Wagner, complete with confederate battle flags, simply isn't the greatest campaign optic. Neither is an apocalyptic race war, which could be triggered by such an event. Obviously, Stephen Miller, the architect behind the reopening of Trump's mass rallies, realized it.
Besides who knows how many crazed thugs on both ends of the political spectrum are flooding into Tulsa even as these words are being typed. You know, people who don't give a shit if it is the 19th, or the 20th, they just want to rumble. Yes, because of the nature of recent civic unrest it wouldn't be surprising if Oklahoma's Governor, Kevin Stitt has units of the National Guard standing close by in places like Sapulpa, or Sand Springs.
Of course that's all speculative at the moment, but what isn't is the dark cloud of COVID-19 which hovers over everything. The President's campaign has been vigorously pointing out Oklahoma is one of the most, "open," states in the nation. The Big Orange Guy himself has said the state, "has done a very good job," containing the virus.
The stats might make it seem so, but only if you only compare the raw numbers in Oklahoma to other areas, like New York and California.
At the moment, Oklahoma has recorded, 8,417 confirmed cases of COVID-19. However, if you put the progression of the disease on a graph it rises from the bottom left corner to the top right at an unwavering 45 degree angle. There isn't a dip, or even a small plateau present. Since the number of ill is increasing without a pause, the word, "containing" seems a tad misleading, if not an outright lie.
Tulsa County, where Oklahoma's first official Coronavirus case was reported, currently confirms 1,653 people have come down with COVID-19. Yesterday the county health department announced that number includes 128 new cases in the last 24 hours. In other words there are signs the number of infected people in Tulsa is beginning to spike even before 20,000 shouting and chanting morons cram into the BOK Center for a rally which is politically unnecessary.
Hey, let's face it, Oklahoma isn't a swing state. Trump won here in 2016 with over 65% of the vote. He carried every county, including Tulsa. In fact the last time the state voted for a democratic nominee was in 1964 when Lyndon Johnson beat Barry Goldwater.
Indeed, this whole grotesque display Saturday night won't be because Trump feels there is a danger Oklahoma will swing blue, he just needs his massive ego stroked by a rabid mob. The truth is the campaign probably picked Tulsa not only because of the huge venue, but they felt the likelyhood of mass anti Trump demonstrations would be minimal thanks to Oklahoma's pedigree as a solid red state. Then his people, probably Miller, fucked up by scheduling the rally on exactly the wrong date.
Right now we know there will be demonstrations in the streets, we just don't know how large, or intense. We also know that along with Donald John Trump the Coronavirus will be in the building. The only question remaining at this moment is which will wreck more havoc.
6-15-20
Trump came here wanting an ego stroke and propaganda victory. Happily, he got neither.
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