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SunsetDreams

(8,571 posts)
Fri Feb 24, 2012, 01:40 PM Feb 2012

LOL Romney’s Stadium Speech Today Dwarfed By Obama Stadium Speech In 2008



At this very moment, Mitt Romney is holding an event at Ford Stadium which has failed to attract enough people to come even close to filling it up (in fact, you could fit Romney’s 1,200 person crowd in the 65,000-seat stadium 54 times over). His campaign scrambled to make the event look as full as possible, but largely failed.

Contrast to this:


Obama speaks at the massive XL Center in Hartford February 4th, 2008

http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2012/02/24/432150/romney-versus-obama-speec/



On edit: Cue the Price is Right Epic Fail Horn
18 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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FSogol

(45,360 posts)
1. While good to see Romney failing, comparing a football stadium to
Fri Feb 24, 2012, 01:44 PM
Feb 2012

a basketball stadium is pretty weak sauce. The XL Center only holds about 16k people. The story should be on how Mitt is failing.

karynnj

(59,475 posts)
10. It does suggest that the Romney team thought that they could get a far more impressive crowd than
Fri Feb 24, 2012, 02:30 PM
Feb 2012

they did. There have been many "back stage" articles written of candidates' teams wanting locations just big enough that they are near overflowing - to generate the type of photos wanted. There are stories of conference rooms being quickly reconfigured to reduce the capacity if needed.

However, picking the football stadium - on a week day is very likely to have a crowd that looks insignificant in it - but it is highly likely to allow anyone who does want to see Romney attend.

I do think the comparison of the numbers - not the % of the venue they filled is interesting. Obama's 2008 appearance was a Monday and what is impressive is that it looks likely he was at or near max at the 16000 stadium. Romney from the account has 1200. The fact is there was incredible excitement in 2008 - and there is not now for the Republicans in 2012.

Even when compared to 2004, Kerry rallies broke records in town after town at this point in the primaries. Romney with the crowd sizes he is getting is likely nowhere near John McCain in 2008 - and McCain's was not the most energized campaign.

FSogol

(45,360 posts)
11. Romney made the Ford Field plan before Newt and then Santorum's rise in poularity.
Fri Feb 24, 2012, 02:37 PM
Feb 2012

Romney expected to have the nomination wrapped up by this point.

Why didn't they change the venue or bus in supporters?

Hubris? Egotism? So out of touch that he doesn't realize he is losing? Take your pick.

rocktivity

(44,555 posts)
12. According to Michigan Republican Party Chairman Bobby Schostak
Fri Feb 24, 2012, 03:05 PM
Feb 2012
...(A) planned Romney speech to the Detroit Economic Club on Feb. 24 was moved from a hotel ballroom to Ford Field. The event, he said, “sold out in two hours.”
ABC News.com, 2/8/2012

It sold out, and PRIOR to early February? Then why so many no-shows? Detroiters aren't strangers to sitting outdoors in bad weather. Was Mr. Schostak misinformed?


rocktivitiy

karynnj

(59,475 posts)
14. Good explanation and even better questions
Fri Feb 24, 2012, 04:13 PM
Feb 2012

It does seem that maybe he did want the MI win to be kind of the official start of a GE race started in his "home state" - right in the middle of a rust belt of swing states.

It is interesting that in my life, I saw the Anybody but Carter and Anybody but Clinton efforts get more media than any real life. It was true that more people preferred a set of the other candidates, but they never coalesced behind one alternative - suggesting the aversion was really not great enough. Here, it seems the aversion is sufficiently great, but all the alternatives have been found to be incredibly lacking.

I wonder if it was almost unwillingness to tell the candidate that the graphics of this would be not all that good - where a 1200 crowd could look pretty good elsewhere.

Ian David

(69,059 posts)
2. Barack Obama isn't the only one who can fill a stadium. Republicans can fill a stadium, too!
Fri Feb 24, 2012, 01:49 PM
Feb 2012

Barack Obama isn't the only one who can fill a stadium. Republicans can fill a stadium, too!
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x6466448


 

Motown_Johnny

(22,308 posts)
15. LOL @Rmoney's crowd. I have seen larger marching bands
Fri Feb 24, 2012, 04:15 PM
Feb 2012

I wonder if they had to turn on the heat for that entire stadium for that tiny little crowd.

Earth_First

(14,910 posts)
16. I wonder how much this blunder set the campaign back...
Fri Feb 24, 2012, 04:27 PM
Feb 2012

Can you imagine the pit in his stomach walking into a room of that size with that reception.

 

Dokkie

(1,688 posts)
17. The guy was against the bailout of GM
Fri Feb 24, 2012, 04:30 PM
Feb 2012

Did he really expect to see a huge turnout? most of those people are probably at their jobs working and making some money thanks to ......?

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