Since the first Republic every keen observer would come to the conclusion that a President is not an ordinary person. He or she travels with the eyes of the whole nation on the trip. He or she must be welcomed by all officials in a region and overzealous officials must do everything they can to show that they have power to mobilise people in their area. This is compounded by political supporters who use such occasion to mobilise those who wish to get close to state power to enable them to get access to some gain.
The fact that any president who assumes office could have tens of thousands receiving him during tours should confirm that the presidency does carry its own attraction and weight.
Hence there is a weight of the Presidency and the weight of the sitting president. The weight of the sitting president could only be known in an election. Prior to elections even opponents could pretend to be behind a president to protect gain or enhance the chances of securing gains. People should therefore focus on the words of a president during a tour rather than the crowd that receives him. A crowd may be drawn by the importance of the presidency or signify the approval of the person sitting as president.
