Last Wednesday, Sen. Rand Paul and Donald Trump brought their campaigns through the University of South Carolina campus. If you were at both events, you saw the difference between a front-running and a struggling campaign.
A main attraction of this primary season has been the back-and-forth between Trump and Paul, and Wednesday didn’t disappoint. Paul got the first shot in, calling Trump a “fake conservative” while speaking at Russell House. But it was Trump who was the most vocal, rhetorically pointing to the scoreboard during his press conference.
“Rand has got one percent in the polls. You know, the thing I’m most honored about … [is that] everybody that’s opposed me has gone down,” he said. While Trump may have been exaggerating the numbers, as he sometimes likes to do, he may have a point.
The most recent polls show Paul averaging around two percent support nationally, and close to four percent in the early primary states. Paul attributed the low numbers to his youth voter base and their low poll participation rates. Regardless of the cause, the fact remains that Paul is struggling.
These struggles manifested themselves in the atmospheric differences between the Paul and Trump events. Paul’s media availability before his rally was low-key, with Paul chatting about SAT scores and fantasy baseball. The room was mostly empty, aside from a few local news outlets and student media reporters.
During the rally, Paul was able to muster a few high-energy moments, but most students were checking their phones. He left the stage to a “President Paul!” chant being led with as much energy as the Students For Rand group could muster. But even his student supporters didn’t sound entirely convinced.
Trump entered his press conference as a celebrity. First came a round of bodyguards, then a posse of advisors and finally “The Donald” made his appearance.
During his rally, Trump didn’t need a group to lead his chants. Before the real estate mogul stepped on the stage, there were scattered “Trump!” chants. He was undoubtedly in his element, soaking up the attention from the friendly South Carolina crowd.
The format of the Koger Center appearance played in Trump’s favor as well. Sen. Tim Scott acted as a friendly daytime talk show host, lobbing prescreened questions in Trump’s direction. Trump was the perfect guest for the town hall. He was funny, he entertained with his impressions and from time to time he even threw some policy discussion into his routine.
Wednesday was a microcosm of the unique atmosphere of the 2016 primaries. The American people have spoken, and they have told us that traditional politics is dead. Being simply personable with a serious, well-defined platform won’t win you points. You need to be an entertainer, which certainly plays well for Donald Trump.
Chants of “Trump! Trump! Trump!” echoed through the Koger Center as the candidate left the stage. They were far more believable than the chants for Paul, and far more telling about Trump's support.