--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The one thing I noticed retroactively was…" description: "\"The one thing I noticed retroactively was that the energy at those Trump rallies was off the charts compared to the Hillary Clinton rallies. The Bernie..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d9e/george-saunders-317_bernie-sanders_the-one-thing-i-noticed-retroactively-wa_3225463.jpg" --- # The one thing I noticed retroactively was that the energy… ![“The one thing I noticed retroactively was that the energy at those Trump rallies was off the charts compared to the Hillary Clinton rallies. The Bernie Sanders energy was as good, gentler, but there was a real passion there.” quote by George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d9e/george-saunders-317_bernie-sanders_the-one-thing-i-noticed-retroactively-wa_3225463.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d9e/george-saunders-317_bernie-sanders_the-one-thing-i-noticed-retroactively-wa_3225463.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d9e/george-saunders-317_bernie-sanders_the-one-thing-i-noticed-retroactively-wa_3225463.jpg) > “The one thing I noticed retroactively was that the energy at those Trump rallies was off the charts compared to the Hillary Clinton rallies. The Bernie Sanders energy was as good, gentler, but there was a real passion there.” [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Trump rallies felt unusually intense, while Clinton rallies were less energetic; Sanders rallies were passionate yet calmer. **In simple terms:** Different political events generate distinct energy levels. Key Takeaway Recognize how crowd dynamics affect perception. Themes politics energy crowd behavior Mood analytical curious Type observational comparative When to use this quote - campaign volunteering - political debates - media analysis Key Concepts emotional contagion public sentiment Questions to Reflect On - What factors amplify rally energy? - How does calm passion differ from high‑octane excitement? A Different Perspective Energy spikes can be fleeting and may mask underlying issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bernie sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bernie-sanders/) [Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clinton/) [Clinton Rallies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clinton-rallies-6080547/) [Compared Hillary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compared-hillary-6080546/) [Energy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/energy/) [One thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/one-thing/) [Passion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/passion/) [Rallies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rallies/) [Rallies Bernie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rallies-bernie-6080545/) [Real](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real/) [Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trump/) [Trump Rallies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trump-rallies-581612/) ## Related quotes > [I don't see any violence at Trump rallies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-hannity/i-don-t-see-any-violence-at-trump-rallies/) [Sean Hannity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-hannity/) > [I spoke at, I think, four of the Trump rallies that were in Florida, and these were not highly coordinated events. I would often…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-gaetz/i-spoke-at-i-think-four-of-the-trump-rallies-that-were-in-florida-and/) [Matt Gaetz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-gaetz/) > [From the start, Trump's rallies had the air of the tent revival, that same hot thrum of militant exorcism and ecstasy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-fountain/from-the-start-trump-s-rallies-had-the-air-of-the-tent-revival-that/) [Ben Fountain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-fountain/) > [The Establishment on both the Left and the Right, who want to disenfranchise the millions of Republican voters who support Donald Trump, have blamed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-stone/the-establishment-on-both-the-left-and-the-right-who-want-to/) [Roger Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-stone/) > [The weird thing was that I went to Trump rallies thinking I was going to run into militant, right wing, racist people and mostly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/the-weird-thing-was-that-i-went-to-trump-rallies-thinking-i-was-going/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [So many people mentioned this at these rallies. You go to these things and it's kind of like an oldies concert. I mean, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/so-many-people-mentioned-this-at-these-rallies-you-go-to-these-things/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [“Journalists who cover Trump without being in the room will sometimes say that Trump’s crowd isn’t with him. But I can tell you, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katy-tur/journalists-who-cover-trump-without-being-in-the-room-will-sometimes/) [Katy Tur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katy-tur/) > [The hardest-hit taxpayers in our disgraceful tax system are those folks who pack Trump's rallies, especially in hard-hit Rust Belt states like Ohio and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-beckel/the-hardest-hit-taxpayers-in-our-disgraceful-tax-system-are-those/) [Bob Beckel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-beckel/) > [ Both \[Donald\] Trump and Bernie \[Sanders\] got to this idea of the vanishing middle class sooner and with more passion than more mainstream politicians,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/both-donald-trump-and-bernie-sanders-got-to-this-idea-of-the/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [I'm proud to say I was part of a movement in which we sang 'All You Need Is Love' at political rallies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/i-m-proud-to-say-i-was-part-of-a-movement-in-which-we-sang-all-you/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [I like to watch rallies. Every time I go, I park the car where the fans park - I don't have any special tickets…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kubica/i-like-to-watch-rallies-every-time-i-go-i-park-the-car-where-the-fans/) [Robert Kubica](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kubica/) > [You can watch Chanel fashion shows and watch the news. Fortunately you don't have to choose. I always vote, I go to rallies, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maiwenn/you-can-watch-chanel-fashion-shows-and-watch-the-news-fortunately-you/) [Maiwenn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maiwenn/) > [It is important to show up. Showing up at marches and rallies and town halls and protests.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-lieu/it-is-important-to-show-up-showing-up-at-marches-and-rallies-and-town/) [Ted Lieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-lieu/) > [People have got to show up, showing up at meetings, rallies, marches, City Council, courtrooms. You've got to show up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-nader/people-have-got-to-show-up-showing-up-at-meetings-rallies-marches/) [Ralph Nader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-nader/) > [There is nothing that dies so hard and rallies so often as intolerance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-borah/there-is-nothing-that-dies-so-hard-and-rallies-so-often-as-intolerance/) [William Borah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-borah/) ## More by George Saunders > [Success is like a mountain in front of you that keeps growing. If you're not careful, it will take up your whole life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/success-is-like-a-mountain-in-front-of-you-that-keeps-growing-if-you/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [“Wow wow wow is all I can say! Remember how I always buy lunchtime Scratch-Off ticket? Have I said? Maybe did not say? Well,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/wow-wow-wow-is-all-i-can-say-remember-how-i-always-buy-lunchtime/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [“None of it was real; nothing was real. Everything was real; inconceivably real, infinitely dear. These and all things started as nothing, latent within…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/none-of-it-was-real-nothing-was-real-everything-was-real/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [“We must see God not as a Him (some linear rewarding fellow) but an IT, a great beast beyond our understanding, who wants something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/we-must-see-god-not-as-a-him-some-linear-rewarding-fellow-but-an-it-a/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [America, to me, should be shouting all the time, a bunch of shouting voices, most of them wrong, some of them nuts, but please,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/america-to-me-should-be-shouting-all-the-time-a-bunch-of-shouting/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [In my case, when I am trying to be "kind" I often default in a sort of toothless loving-all stance that is, actually, not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/in-my-case-when-i-am-trying-to-be-kind-i-often-default-in-a-sort-of/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [Whatever your supposed politics are - left, right - if you put it in a human connection, most people will rise to the occasion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/whatever-your-supposed-politics-are-left-right-if-you-put-it-in-a/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [“A Clinton staffer tells me his theory. Think about Frank Sinatra, he says: born to sing. Think about Willie Mays: born to play ball.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/a-clinton-staffer-tells-me-his-theory-think-about-frank-sinatra-he/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [We try, we fail, we posture, we aspire, we pontificate - and then we age, shrink, die, and vanish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/we-try-we-fail-we-posture-we-aspire-we-pontificate-and-then-we-age/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [“You were torturing a cat," she says. "With a freaking prod." "A prod I built myself in metal shop," he says. "But of course…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/you-were-torturing-a-cat-she-says-with-a-freaking-prod-a-prod-i-built/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [“Rachel got up and did this happy little shuffle, like she was some cheerful farmer chick who'd just stepped outside to find the hick…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/rachel-got-up-and-did-this-happy-little-shuffle-like-she-was-some/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [What America is, to me, is a guy doesn't want to buy, you let him not buy, you respect his not buying. A guy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/what-america-is-to-me-is-a-guy-doesn-t-want-to-buy-you-let-him-not/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [What good the prophet in the wilderness may do is incremental and personal. It's good for us to hear someone speak the irrational truth.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/what-good-the-prophet-in-the-wilderness-may-do-is-incremental-and/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [We're in the transition between birth and death. But the one that people often know about is the transition between the moment of death…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/we-re-in-the-transition-between-birth-and-death-but-the-one-that/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [You don't want to be that parent - the one who dresses his kid in a cloth sack when all the other kids are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/you-don-t-want-to-be-that-parent-the-one-who-dresses-his-kid-in-a/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) [Explore all 690 George Saunders quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) ## More Bernie sanders quotes > [Have you seen Bernie Sanders rallies? I haven't seen that many white voters since the Oscars. You know - oh, we have some Hollywood…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/killer-mike/have-you-seen-bernie-sanders-rallies-i-haven-t-seen-that-many-white/) [Killer Mike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/killer-mike/) > [ Look at what I am proposing, and we \[wih Bernie Sanders\] have a vigorous agreement here. We both want to reign in the excesses… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/look-at-what-i-am-proposing-and-we-wih-bernie-sanders-have-a-vigorous/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [“It's almost hard to imagine anything more undemocratic than the view that political officials should not debate American wars in public, but only express…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/it-s-almost-hard-to-imagine-anything-more-undemocratic-than-the-view/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [A clothing company is making T-shirts inspired by Bernie Sanders with messages like 'Feel the Bern.' They were gonna make them for Lincoln Chafee…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-fallon/a-clothing-company-is-making-t-shirts-inspired-by-bernie-sanders-with/) [Jimmy Fallon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-fallon/) > [ The debate was a chance for senator \[Bernie\] Sanders to have a game-changing moment to recapture the news cycle and build momentum going into… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-harris-perry/the-debate-was-a-chance-for-senator-bernie-sanders-to-have-a-game/) [Melissa Harris-Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-harris-perry/) > [ Remember, Bernie \[Sanders\] was the guy. He was the one guy that could win this, and head-to-head he could go against \[Donald\] Trump and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/remember-bernie-sanders-was-the-guy-he-was-the-one-guy-that-could-win/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [I think that on the Democratic side, Bernie Sanders talks about income inequality and poverty alleviation, and those issues are so important.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-kennedy/i-think-that-on-the-democratic-side-bernie-sanders-talks-about-income/) [Kerry Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-kennedy/) > [I'm going to tell my contestants: Be Bernie Sanders. Be the person people want and love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miley-cyrus/i-m-going-to-tell-my-contestants-be-bernie-sanders-be-the-person/) [Miley Cyrus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miley-cyrus/) > [51 years ago, when Hillary Clinton was working on the Goldwater campaign, Bernie Sanders was getting locked up for my rights. 50 years later…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/killer-mike/51-years-ago-when-hillary-clinton-was-working-on-the-goldwater/) [Killer Mike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/killer-mike/) > [I understand what's going on in people's minds, and I think the political leaders better be asking themselves 'why is it, that Donald Trump,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trent-lott/i-understand-what-s-going-on-in-people-s-minds-and-i-think-the/) [Trent Lott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trent-lott/) > [Bernie Sanders is the only politician who, consistently for 50 years, has taken that social justice platform into politics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/killer-mike/bernie-sanders-is-the-only-politician-who-consistently-for-50-years/) [Killer Mike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/killer-mike/) > [I noted, though, that other strong critics of Donald Trump did attend the inauguration. Hillary Clinton went. Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders went. I saw…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-martin/i-noted-though-that-other-strong-critics-of-donald-trump-did-attend/) [Michel Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-martin/) > [Bernie Sanders has inspired millions of people in this country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viggo-mortensen/bernie-sanders-has-inspired-millions-of-people-in-this-country/) [Viggo Mortensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viggo-mortensen/) > [There's kind of a Tom Harkin aspect to Bernie Sanders, even though Harkin is supporting Secretary Clinton.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dickerson/there-s-kind-of-a-tom-harkin-aspect-to-bernie-sanders-even-though/) [John Dickerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dickerson/) > [ The terrible trade deals that Bernie \[Sanders\] was so vehemently against - and he was right on that - will be taken care of,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/the-terrible-trade-deals-that-bernie-sanders-was-so-vehemently/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) [Browse all 285 Bernie sanders quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bernie-sanders/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The one thing I noticed retroactively was that the energy at those Trump rallies was off the charts compared to the Hillary Clinton rallies. 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