The Moderates Assembled Like Some Sort Of Third-Rate Avengers For The Former Vice President Ahead Of His Super Tuesday Bid.
All photos by Carly May.
Thousands of people gathered at Gilley’s in Dallas on Monday night for a rally held by former Vice President and current Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden. Joining Biden were former Rep. Beto O’Rourke and Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar, both of whom ran unsuccessful campaigns for the nomination against Biden.
Biden supporters lined up en masse as early as 2:30 p.m. in the parking lots adjacent to the Gilley’s complex and Alamo Drafthouse on South Lamar. The room was at capacity at approximately 7:30 p.m., a half hour before the rally kicked off.
After a long string of speeches from more locally-prominent Democrats such as Texas Reps. Rafael Anchia and Victoria Neave, Klobuchar took the stage to address the elephant in the room — earlier the same day she abruptly suspended her presidential bid, not even a day after former South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg did the same.
“The most amazing thing was getting to know so many people across the country,” Klobuchar told rally-goers. “And I know the Vice President knows this as well.”
Though Klobuchar’s expected endorsement had been widely reported prior to her arrival, O’Rourke’s appearance and endorsement at his home state rally came as a bit of surprise to some Texans.
“Ladies and gentlemen, tomorrow, March 3, 2020, I will be casting my ballot for Joe Biden,” O’Rourke said.
After giving an energetic speech similar to those he was prone to do in his 2018 senate campaign against Ted Cruz, Biden joined him.
“I want to make something clear – I’m gonna guarantee you, this is not the last you’re seeing of this guy,” Biden said.
Biden said the same of Klobuchar earlier in the rally, as well.
Rally-goer Lisa Allibi, who was originally going to vote for former New York City mayor Mike Bloomberg, said the last minute endorsements of Biden swayed her vote.
“I just moved from Connecticut and I know [Bloomberg] from New York City,” Allibi said. “I changed my mind today as a result [of] Amy Klobuchar and Pete dropping out and endorsing Joe.”
Speculation of the sudden influx of endorsements began Monday morning and only escalated as reports of a private jet flight plan from South Bend, Indiana (Buttigieg’s hometown) to Dallas began to circulate on social media.
Though Buttigieg wasn’t present at the South Side Ballroom rally, he did attend a private fundraiser just before the rally, hosted at West Dallas bar The Foundry, with Biden, O’Rourke and Klobuchar present. Buttigieg’s absence, however, shouldn’t have been entirely unexpected. He couldn’t even make it to his own rally.
Of course the night couldn’t end without the Biden campaign’s document of a Whataburger run with O’Rourke, though. The former vice president ordered a milkshake and regular Whataburger with cheese.
At the risk of editorializing, we at Central Track simply would have gone with the patty melt.