[caption id=”attachment_137156″ align=”aligncenter” width=”3500″] Supporters of developer Donald Trump line the lobby of Trump Tower in New York, Tuesday, June 16, 2015, before his announcement that he will seek the Republican nominatin for president. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)
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If you have enough money, public support isn’t everything in politics. Not with services like Crowds on Demand that actually help politicians hire crowds.
While most of the company’s dealings are kept tightly under wraps, Crowds on Demand CEO Adam Swart recently revealed some of the details in a new interview.
The company has been hired by candidates for Congress, the U.S. Senate, and even the Oval Office.
“I have found our approach has led to increased poll numbers and, in many case made the margin of victory for a few reasons,” Swart said.
“Enthusiastic crowds bring more media attention and shift the narrative onto grassroots supporters. Press always want to understand why people support candidate x or candidate y. Giving them great footage of enthusiastic supporters speaking about their love for the candidate provides great quotations.”
Another reason he gave is that it “gives a sense of legitimacy for the candidate among their existing supporters. When they see lots of enthusiastic folks at rallies, they feel like they’re backing the right horse.”
Swart’s claim is that “10 of my guys are more effective than a 100 bodies.”
Swart’s company is not the only one around that creates this kind of crowd control and some 2016 candidates might want to consider their services.
Rick Santorum only found four guests awaiting him at an Iowa campaign event, the Des Moines Register reported.
And Hillary Clinton’s campaign relaunch in New York City was filled with a smaller than expected audience, the Washington Examiner pointed out.
Although these services can come back to bite you.
Donald Trump has been accused by liberal Media Matters for America vice president Angelo Carusone and by the Hollywood Reporter of paying people to show up to his campaign launch.
A since-deleted Instagram post showed two actors at the Trump event and the Hollywood Reporter obtained an email allegedly sent by a casting company on Trump’s behalf offering $50 for 3 hours of work at the rally.
No word on whether or not these paid rally attendees actually turn out to the polls.
