A poll counts heads. One way of doing that is to call people up and ask them about their political views. Another way is to see who shows up at rallies. Interesting data from New Mexico over the weekend.
The must-not-be-quoted AP reports that 10,000 people turned out to hear Sarah Palin in Roswell, New Mexico. She saw a member of the crowd holding a sign identifying himself as "Ed the Dairyman", and referred to Ed several times in her address, in much the same manner as Joe the Plumber has become a campaign icon. Meanwhile, Joe Biden spoke before a much smaller crowd in Mesilla, NM. Diana M. Alba of the Las Cruces Sun-News reports: Democratic vice presidential candidate Sen. Joe Biden asked supporters in Mesilla not to quit working for the Barack Obama campaign, with Election Day less than three weeks away and Obama climbing in the polls. [....]
Obama campaign officials estimated the rally drew about 2,500 people. Many waited two hours to see Biden, and several held Obama signs authorized by the campaign; other signs weren't allowed.
So we have one campaign keeping tight control over signage, and drawing one quarter the crowd of the open and freewheeling crowd that spontaneously generates its own slogans.
Now what does that tell you about momentum?
Hat tip: Susan L.
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