News broke yesterday about Donald Trump’s campaign coming to The Emporium in Patchogue, NY, next Thursday, April 14.
This leaves me asking one question: WHY?
By: Clay Darrohn
News broke yesterday about Donald Trump’s campaign coming to The Emporium in Patchogue, NY, next Thursday, April 14.
This leaves me asking one question: WHY?
I live and operate my business in the town of Patchogue. It’s a great town, currently being dubbed as “Brooklyn East” and “Suffolk County’s first city.” That being said, we’re approximately an hour and a half away from NYC and, depending on traffic, not that easy to get in and out of. Additionally, The Emporium, where Trump’s event is being held, can only hold about 1,000 people.
With a population of 12,000+ people residing in Patchogue, 30% of them are Hispanic. This number is almost double the Hispanic population in the entire US, which provokes the following debate: “Is this a media play which basically guarantees a large protest” or “Is Trump attempting to appeal to the Hispanic community in the 11th hour”?
Most believe Trump’s visit to a heavily saturated Hispanic town like Patchogue is just another well-planned media stunt. However, this will ultimately add more gasoline to an already existing inferno raging with anti-immigrant sentiment.
Back in 2008, Marcelo Lucero was racially targeted and murdered in almost the exact same spot where The Emporium currently stands. I haven’t offered my opinion yet, but I will say that I don’t think anyone would stoop this low or be this calculating to generate publicity considering the community is still sensitive to this, and Trump has been very vocal about his feelings towards the Hispanic community.
Locally, across many forms of social media, I have witnessed a major outcry for protest among Liberal millennials as well as the Hispanic community. Respectively, I have also noticed a fair share of Trump supporters who are excited about the Don’s trip to suburbia. Town officials are gearing up for the turnout from both supporters and protestors alike, and local businesses in Patchogue are expected to close their doors for security and logistical reasons. It goes without saying that the media will be all over this event.
America is getting ready to come into the home stretch of the 2016 Presidential election, and this is when we normally see the rhetoric really slow down and candidates take on a more “Presidential” stance. Some might argue that Trump is trying to “right the ship,” but why not pick a seaside Hispanic community to do so? Maybe Trump realizes that he needs the Hispanic vote in order to have a shot.
So I ask you, why Patchogue? What do you think? Do you even care? As someone who is fascinated by political marketing and marketing in general, I’m intrigued as to what both sides have to say.
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