Donald Trump and his running mate both came to town, 4 summers ago

During the last presidential campaign, in August of 2016, Indiana Governor Mike Pence campaigned at UW-La Crosse as the new Republican vice presidential nominee.  Pence led a mid-afternoon rally at the Cartwright Center, saying that Hillary Clinton would continue policies that have run the U-S into an “economic ditch.”  He also claimed that the media were biased in favor of Clinton, suggesting it was as if the Packers played every football game on the road in front of hostile refs who favored their opponents.    

Pence was followed to La Crosse the next week by Trump himself.  The candidate arrived at the Charmant Hotel on the night of August 15th, and stayed there until about noon the next day, when he traveled to the Cargill Room at LHI to speak at a local fund-raiser.  Guests attending the luncheon were asked to donate at least $2700 to the campaign.  It was Trump’s second visit to La Crosse during the year, following an April speech at the La Crosse Center.  By August, Trump was 15 points behind Clinton in Wisconsin…but in November, he won the state by 23,000 votes, although Clinton took La Crosse County.  

The Trump and Pence visits to La Crosse occurred during the Summer Olympics, being staged in Rio.  And for most of the summer, the #1 song on the radio was “One Dance” by Drake, four years ago, 2016…yesterday in La Crosse.