What makes an effective campaign rally | Graphic by Rose Taylor | The Wright State Guardian
As election day approaches, Americans witness the efforts of both candidates to win over the country and make it to the finish line. One key component to capturing the votes of those currently undecided is through rallies.
The history of campaign rallies
Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump are in the midst of campaigning, battling to secure more voters as Nov. 5 fastly approaches.
A candidate’s ability to properly campaign, through winning over voters whilst informing the public on presidential plans and stances, is essential to securing the presidency. Much of a candidate’s job during the months leading to election day is making public appearances.
Throughout election seasons, voters can attend and watch rallies hosted by candidates in which candidates address crowds of voters from swing states to solidify that state’s vote and secure undecided individuals.
Campaign rallies give candidates a platform to inform voters about plans if elected, which include stances on several important issues and what will be done to handle those issues. Rallies are not meant to be boring, however. Candidates typically keep rallies uplifting, with motivational speeches and energy to get voters excited to go to the polls.
The origins of presidential campaigns recognized the importance of getting a candidate’s name out to the public but took a different approach than today.
“Presidential candidates initially did not travel to campaign: they were called to be the nominees but it was considered inappropriate to ask voters directly to vote for them,” an article from “See How They Ran!” stated.
This style of campaigning placed importance on supporters to uplift a candidate and speak on the individual’s behalf.
Contemporary campaigns have evolved to use social media and the internet in the campaign process. The use of social media allows candidates like Trump and Harris to interact with voters and relay important news to the public with hast.
This country's very early campaigns did not have this privilege. Media outlets such as newspapers and old-fashioned word of mouth are what candidates and supporters relied on.
As campaigns progressed in the 1800s and onward, rallies, parades and debates shaped the modern campaign approach. Today, voters can attend rallies or watch the event on the internet to not miss out on any important information.
With the internet, voters can even read candidates’ opinions posted about each other, which are made in attempts to sway voter opinions.
“If Donald Trump is so exhausted from the campaign trail, is he fit for one of the hardest jobs in the world: President of the United States?” Harris said in a recent X post.
With social media and more voters viewing candidates' every move, this changes the game for campaigns and opens the door for lots of criticism concerning the candidate. With this, much emphasis is placed on the importance of campaign rallies and hosting a successful one.
Successful rallies: elements and importance
Many elements go into what makes up a successful campaign rally; all of which may be crucial to winning over voters and securing the election.
According to Political Science Professor Lee Hannah, many aspects must be taken into consideration when holding and evaluating a successful rally.
Hannah claimed candidates can get free coverage of rallies and speeches held in each town, making the entire campaign very strategic regarding where a rally is held.
“They are thinking about the Electoral College, persuadable voters, the media market that they are in, and the visuals that they can create (signage, what types of people sit on the stage, etc.) to squeeze out as many votes as they can,” Hannah said.
While crowd sizes may not be a tell-tale indicator of the election results, the amount of people a candidate can draw into rallies remains important. Many news outlets even compare the sizes of crowds of rallies between each candidate.
According to the ASH Center’s website, the center analyzed 28 rallies held by Trump, and the average crowd size is about 5,600. Since Biden dropped out and Harris has become the newest candidate, the candidate’s average crowd size is about 13,400.
While the numbers may appear telling, Hannah urged that although having a full space is optimal, it does not determine the fate of the election. However, many elements of a rally can be advantageous for the candidate.
According to Hannah, candidates with high energy and excitement and valuable figures that endorse the candidate will be helpful.
“It also helps if you have good surrogates that may bring out their own crowd - so you'll often see candidates appearing with popular political figures like former presidents Clinton and Obama, media figures like Tucker Carlson and Elon Musk, or celebrities,” Hannah said.
Campaign rallies are not the most important aspect of a candidate’s campaign, but remain valuable.
Rallies aid in spreading important information, encouraging people to vote and can help raise money for the desired candidate’s campaign. These elements of getting crowd members involved contribute to the success of a candidate.
While a rally can bring much success to a candidate, if not done properly, the event may bring more harm than good.
Hannah explained that anything in front of a live crowd comes with risk and will be analyzed. As the events are meant to hold a pep rally-like energy, keeping the energy up and minimizing interruptions from opposing voters and protestors can be an obstacle.
Trump and Harris have both done much rallying this election season. Supporters of each hope to see that efforts both in and outside of rallies will help to get the candidate into the White House and focus on the important issues that arise in this election.
