Campaign Trains

by Pa Rock
Citizen Journalist

Joe Biden is comfortable on trains, and, in fact, he loves riding the rails.  For most of his political career Biden has riden the Amtrak from his home in Delaware to his work in Washington, DC.  He was a fixture on the route and moved about the cars smoozing with the other commuters.  Yesterday Biden and his wife, Jill, got back on an Amtrak and rode for ten hours through eastern Ohio and western Pennsylvania where they spoke with voters in many communities along the way.  It was the type of campaigning that Biden relishes.

This week I noticed an article in our local newspaper which focused on a "Trump Train" that will be wending its way through the eastern Ozarks this Saturday.  No, it isn't an actual train, and no, Donald Trump will not be making a personal appearance down in the Ozarks hills, but it still seemed to be a valiant effort to capture the excitement of a whistle-stop train campaign.

This Ozarks version of a train campaign will consist of private automobiles parading along rural highways and through several small towns in southern Missouri.  It will begin at a real estate office in Ava, Missouri, at 11:00 a.m. and then make its way to Norwood, Mountain Grove, Cabool, Willow Springs, and finally West Plains where all of the participants will gather at the Southern Hills Shopping Center (basically the Walmart parking lot) for a "rally."  After the rally the participants will drive through the town of West Plains  before hitting the road for home.

The parade organizers are encouraging people to join the parade at every stop, but to arrive early so that they can get their cars decorated with flags and stickers and other campaign paraphernalia.   Undoubtedly many of our local right-wing politicians will join in the spectacle as well.  Participants in the event are being referred to by the organizers as "patriots."

One major difference between this local event and the train ride that Biden took yesterday in Ohio and Pennsylvania is that our local endeavor will not feature an actual presidential candidate.    Donald John Trump has never been in our beautiful Ozark hills, and as long as this area does not have a world class golf course, Trump would have no reason to visit.

So if you live in South-Central Missouri and are looking for something to do this weekend, you can always pack a picnic basket, grab your gun and Bible and beer cooler, and join the Trump Train as it ties up traffic from Ava to West Plains.  Trump won't be here, but others who are just as ill-informed and obnoxious will be - so plan now to attend and be a part of the show.

Masks are optional but certainly not encouraged - and social distancing is unlikely to be observed.  This is, after all, a Trump event.