At least in this post, I’m not advocating for any particular political position; I mean for this to be a more generalized discussion.

I have never understood what prompts people to attend political rallies. None of the current US political candidates 100% align with my views, but I am very confident that I made the right choice in who I voted for. That is to say, I’d consider myself a strong supporter of [name here].

To me, it feels like attending a political rally is like attending a college lecture. You have a person giving you information, but you don’t gain anything by hearing it in-person as opposed to reading it or watching a recording. If I want to learn something, it’s much more comfortable for me to read and article or watch a video in the comfort of my own home. If I want to understand what a political candidate stands for, I’d much rather watch a recording of a town-hall meeting or read something she (oops) wrote rather than taking the time to drive to a rally, get packed in with a bunch of other people, and simply stand and listen.

I understand concerts. Hearing live music sounds vastly different than listening to a recording. Same with movies; most of us don’t have an IMAX theater at home. When you’re trying to gather information, though, what’s the draw in standing outside in a crowd at listening to it in person?

  • blackbrook@mander.xyz
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    2 days ago

    I’m with you in not getting this. I think the concert comparison is useful. What a lot of people get out of a live show is a connection with the crowd. A bunch of people around them all expressing energy about the same thing. I think it’s the same with a political rally. Personally I don’t get this–I just lack the gene for getting into crowd energy or something. But a lot of people really enjoy this, and people ramp each other up. I kind of think it’s a human instinct we’d be better of without.