75K
The Democratic National Committee will announce later this morning that the final day of the party's convention will be held at INVESCO Field at Mile High, which can accommodate more than 75K people. So Barack Obama will give his nomination speech outdoors and in front of a massive audience.
Convention activities 8/25 through 8/27 will continue to be held at the Pepsi Center, which seats approximately 19K.
Howard Dean and KS Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, the convention co-chair, will speak with reporters later this morning about the switch.
Readers -- Does the move reinforce GOP complaints that Obama is all flash, no substance? Or will the enormity of the event speak volumes about the movement created by the IL senator's campaign and the power of his message? Will it diminish John McCain's big MN moment, or allow him to look the more modest, reliable and safer choice?
(JS)
Why would this reinforce the idea that Obama is "all flash, no substance"? Where is the "no substance" in this move?
Yeah, there's flash. But I will lay you 100-1 odds that McCain couldn't pull it off. People support Obama and filling a 75,000 seat stadium will be a cakewalk for him.
What this reinforces is the idea that there is an enthusiasm gap, with the Democrats loving their guy and the Republicans just OK with theirs.
I have it on good authorty that the McCain brain trust are negotiating to have John's acceptance speech moved to the Minnesota Valley Country Club's annual member/guest banquet. I haven't been really paying attention, but is McCain's staff on the Obama payroll? These are the biggest dopes I've ever seen. Will someone please tell them the election is THIS November, not 2009.
Does the move reinforce GOP complaints that Obama is all flash, no substance?
Yes--this is the process of selecting a nominee, not "American Idol." Why doesn't he just land a jet on deck and emerge dressed in costume with a banner behind him? Or maybe he'll cap off his speech by leading the Broncos to victory.
People support Obama and filling a 75,000 seat stadium will be a cakewalk for him.
Since a maximum 50,000 people are expected to attend the convention, where will the other 25,000 people come from? It's the Thursday before Labor Day, televised college football will be starting and Denver locals will be avoiding downtown like the plague. This isn't the story of loaves and fishes.
What this reinforces is the idea that there is an enthusiasm gap, with the Democrats loving their guy and the Republicans just OK with theirs.
Well then why doesn't Obama give his acceptance speech in St. Paul at the Republican convention?
The media amaze me sometimes - you're seriously suggesting that the McCain camp can spin the fact that Obama can draw 75K people as a BAD thing for his campaign?
This is a very minor example of why people get frustrated with the banality of political coverage these days. I've learned over the last few years watching and reading the news, that no matter what happens, it's bad news for Democrats!
I heartily agree with Katy. C'mon! Like it or not, stage presence and compelling oratory are important elements of the modern presidency. They should not overshadow substance, but nor should they be minimized.
I have an alternative question. Is the effort of the McCain campaign and its media enablers to suggest otherwise (a) attempting to make lemonade from lemons, or (b) intellectually dishonest?
The correct answer is a and b.
You keep up those positive thoughts, Corinne, Corinne. Given time, I am sure America will come around to supporting a senile, war-mongering, homophobic mysogynist.
The question of does this mean Obama is all style misses the point. Normally, a convention hall filled with balloons, signs, funny-hat wearing delegates beaming, crying, and clapping make excellent TV.
But why wouldn't Obama want this? Because about 48% of those delegates will be wearing Obama and Clinton buttons. He won't be getting excited support and applause, but instead typical, though unexcited support from the Clinton delegates. The TV will remind us of how split things were in the primaries. Now if Obama has this football stadium acceptance speech, he gets to crowd in more supporters than normally would be allowed in the convention hall given that he only won about 49% of the delegates.
It's all about making it look like the DNC is less divided than it actually is. That's the story.
Also, a tea leaf? Does this mean Hillary Clinton as VP isn't happening? If Obama-Clinton for the ticket, that DNC hall would be rocking with enthusiasm. But if it is Obama and someone else, who could imagine a few disgruntled Hillary delegates making frowns for the cameras if it were in the conventional hall? But how likely will the camera catch the disgruntled Hillary delegates in a sea of 75k faces? I'm interested in where the actual delegates will get to sit. Will he put the Hillary delegates in the nose bleeds?
It is yet another - though unreported by the media - slap in the face to Hillary Clinton and her delegates. It is marginalizing the extent of support that Hillary Clinton actually received by moving the speech venue to a place that Obama can pack with his supporters.
People from across America will clamor to get into Invesco Field on the historic anniversary of "I Have A Dream". 76,000 will be easy.
It will make far better TV, with a much bigger audience, than a convention hall acceptance speech.
The Obama campaign has already started using it to stimulate interest and contributions on its website ("Be one of ten supporters to greet Barack...").
I feel a bit sorry for McCain sometimes, who is whipsawed between trying to hold his conservative Republican base and offering policies that appeal to the majority of moderate voters he needs.
There is nothing McCain's hyperactive spinners can do to offset the advantages Obama has in this situation.
David said "It will make far better TV, with a much bigger audience, than a convention hall acceptance speech."
I just don't buy this. A convention hall will make better TV in some ways because everything in the convention hall is controlled and loads of media will be there. Conventions always make good TV, unless half the crowd doesn't really want to be there. That's why he's doing it. A basketball stadium vs. a football stadium: both make excellent TV.
He is avoiding sad faces from Hillary supporters, that is what he is doing.
True O'Reilly-style "No Spin Zone" comments here. You GOP people are frigging nuts.
Hint: Barack Obama is already the first "Most Important Person" in the 21st Century.
Face it, GOPers: generations of children will be taught that he was one of the most important people in modern American History, if not THE most important.
Do you want to be one of the whiny pathetic people who opposed civil rights and Martin Luther King Jr -- or opposed a national holiday in his honor ala John McCain -- or do you want to restore the inspiring message of "Ask not what your country can do for you" ..... "Nothing to fear but fear itself" ..... the American Dream?
Cmon people. This is easy.
As political stagecraft the move is great. In the modern media world, it isn't a question of being "controllable" like an indoor event. It's just as good to appear in the center of the field, where the video directors in the truck can pick and choose. The element of chance ("oh, will it snow?") just adds to the mystique.
The downside is that it smacks of theatrics. No other way to put it.
But, so what? Conventions, by definition these days, are totally empty of anything but theatrics. If you're in a convention, you already have rabid fans; they're just droning on in predictable fashion inside. Outside, you'll have rabid fans, and the speechs will be just as predictable.
Here's the real interesting angle, though:
While Obama's convention will be pretty much predictable emptiness, McCain's convention offers the possibility of disagreement on substantive points. If the conservative wing of the Republican Party actually wants to battle the moderate wing (and wingnuts aside, there are significant differences in the GOP these days), then St. Paul's platform debates offers a unique opportunity for substantive confrontation.
And the most interesting possibility? That out of the confrontation will come a viable compromise that brings out reconciliation. McCain's true problem, described in a variety of ways, is that most Republicans don't like the guy. But if chance or competence brings the Republicans together, then there'll be a real horse race down to November.
It would be a convention where something actually got done. But the key factor wouldn't be the venue for a routine speech; it would be the kind of horse-trading which has traditionally formed American party politics. And wouldn't that make for interesting politics in this modern age?
>>>While Obama's convention will be pretty much predictable emptiness
Hilarious.
>>>St. Paul's platform debates offers a unique opportunity for substantive confrontation
You heard it here first, folks. Democratic convention EMPTY. GOP convention substance.
Pining exhibits Type A example of Republican fantasy-world "analysis". Classic.
The funniest part of it is the opposite is more likely the case with the Democrats focusing on solutions to energy, health care, the War in Iraq, the economy, restoring civil liberties, etc etc etc... While the GOP argues about whether we should drill everywhere for oil, or whether we should drill everywhere for oil.