Everything you've heard about a Trump rally is true: it is a coming together of a broad swath of people who still believe in the Constitution and the promise of America.  They see Trump as someone who shares their views and, having made America great, can keep it great.

If you've watched rally videos, you already know what makes them so special: it's Trump himself.  He is exactly as you see him on the screen — a larger-than-life, uniquely American character, a showman who is nevertheless a person of tremendous substance and accomplishment.  He's also a comedian with the perfect timing of any performer who ever appeared on a Borscht Belt (AKA Catskills) stage.

Given how urban and, indeed, how Jewish Trump's humor is, you'd think it wouldn't sell well in South Carolina.  Wrong.  The audience loved it every bit as much as American audiences in mid-20th century America loved Jack Benny, George Burns, Milton Berle, Sid Caesar, and Danny Kaye.  Once you're in on the joke, you will always laugh.

What makes attending the rally special is the other attendees.  Sadly, it was a mostly white crowd, with only a small number of black, Asian, and Hispanic people present.  I say "sadly" because they would have been welcomed there.

When Trump spoke about outreach to the black community, the whole crowd roared its approval.  People there clearly believe that blacks have been enslaved by the Democrat party for too long.  It's time for them to break free and come to a community that welcomes them as fellow Americans who can enjoy this land's bounty, rather than as a victim class that can reliably be played for votes as needed.

While the crowd may have been mostly white, there was nothing else "mostly" about it.  Judging by looks, there were young families, retirees, current and former military, cops, blue-collar workers, white-collar workers, bikers, farmers, scads of "women for Trump," high school and college students, polished urban people, and rough hewn country people.  What bound them together was a shared love of country and, because he is serving this country well, love of Trump.

I spoke with several people and got some insights into their support for Trump.  Without exception, all had voted for Trump in 2016.  Despite his bombast and boasting, they believed he meant it when he made his promises.  It helped that he wasn't a career politician but was, instead, a businessman with a broad and deep record of success.

In 2020, they're supporting him more fervently than ever because he kept those promises.  That was the theme they came to over and over again: he kept his promises.

And they agreed with his policies: a controlled border protects us from criminals, job-takers, and disease; socialism is bad; the Second Amendment is good; law enforcement is good; Trump's economic policies are great; skin color shouldn't matter; and Israel deserves America's support.  They see only good coming from Trump having four more years — and, given how Congress and the press treated him during three of his first four years, they jokingly agree that he should get a do-over.

When Trump and others spoke, it felt like a revival meeting or an old-time silent movie, with the audience booing and cheering as Trump's speech paraded villains and heroes before them.  Indeed, sometimes the audience participation was so loud that it was hard to hear Trump.

This was a happy, friendly audience.  The people cheered when Trump castigated the media, but there was no heat, anger, or banked violence.  It was a fun ritual, not the warm-up act for an angry mob.  These people have watched America enjoy the best four years in their lifetimes, and they're joyously looking to four more years just like it.

The audience was also well informed.  Don Lemon and his MSNBC buddies may sneer at Trump voters, but they're just wrong.  The moment Trump started on a topic, whether foreign or domestic, you could hear the people around you start filling in the blanks or turn to their companions to make a comment.  They love talking about the Constitution and quite obviously know what it actually says, rather than what the emanations of penumbras imply.

Four years ago, astute people who attended Trump rallies said, "This man is going to win.  He has the people at his back."  Certainly, it's hard to imagine a Bernie rally as a joyous celebration.  Based on Bernie himself, one envisions a miserable meeting of angry people.  I'll bet my money on joy every time.