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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsMedia Fixates On Near-Empty Stadium Rather Than Romney’s Speech
Media Fixates On Near-Empty Stadium Rather Than Romneys Speech
Benjy Sarlin
Mitt Romneys big speech in Michigan Friday was delivered before a crowd that organizers pegged at roughly 1,200.
<...>
In his opening remarks Romney referenced the size of the venue.
I guess we had a tough time finding a large enough place to meet, and this certainly is, he joked.
But humor didnt prevent people from picking up the story. On Twitter, reporters from across the spectrum seemed far more interested in the optics of the event than the substance of Romneys speech, in which he called for lower tax rates and entitlement spending as part of a broad reform package he released this week.
Conservative columnist Byron York of the Washington Examiner posted a brutal long distance shot of the 98% empty stadium. Neil King of the Wall Street Journal put up a photo of empty seats by Romneys stage as well.
Empty seats are never a good look for a presidential speech, let alone one billed as a major address, but in Romneys case the optics are made worse by the fact that hes competing to unseat a president who has a history of filling stadiums with enthusiastic supporters. John McCain ran into a similar media frenzy in 2008 after delivering a widely panned speech before a small audience in front of a lime green background the same night that Barack Obama celebrated clinching the nomination.
http://2012.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/02/media-fixates-on-empty-stadium-rather-than-romneys-speech.php?ref=fpa
Benjy Sarlin
Mitt Romneys big speech in Michigan Friday was delivered before a crowd that organizers pegged at roughly 1,200.
<...>
In his opening remarks Romney referenced the size of the venue.
I guess we had a tough time finding a large enough place to meet, and this certainly is, he joked.
But humor didnt prevent people from picking up the story. On Twitter, reporters from across the spectrum seemed far more interested in the optics of the event than the substance of Romneys speech, in which he called for lower tax rates and entitlement spending as part of a broad reform package he released this week.
Conservative columnist Byron York of the Washington Examiner posted a brutal long distance shot of the 98% empty stadium. Neil King of the Wall Street Journal put up a photo of empty seats by Romneys stage as well.
Empty seats are never a good look for a presidential speech, let alone one billed as a major address, but in Romneys case the optics are made worse by the fact that hes competing to unseat a president who has a history of filling stadiums with enthusiastic supporters. John McCain ran into a similar media frenzy in 2008 after delivering a widely panned speech before a small audience in front of a lime green background the same night that Barack Obama celebrated clinching the nomination.
http://2012.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/02/media-fixates-on-empty-stadium-rather-than-romneys-speech.php?ref=fpa
With Mitt, it's either or. Even conservative columnists are posting photos. From the TPM links.
Romney keeps offering up these "doing laundry moments, but it's not just the images, it's also his words.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1002347231
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1002347384
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Media Fixates On Near-Empty Stadium Rather Than Romney’s Speech (Original Post)
ProSense
Feb 2012
OP
Ruby the Liberal
(26,216 posts)1. Good. Only 2 takeaways here.
The empty stadium and Ann's "two cadillacs, actually".
JoePhilly
(27,787 posts)2. We get more people at my daughter's middle school PTA meetings.
qb
(5,924 posts)3. It's hard to fill a stadium when your audience is the 1%
hifiguy
(33,688 posts)10. That's definitely DUzy worthy!
Old and In the Way
(37,540 posts)4. I just don't get the conservative teapublican voter
In 2004, no one was showing up for Bush rallies...and Kerry was drawing huge crowds. Yet the election was close enough to steal again. This year, same thing. No one is showing up for Republican rallies or their primaries...yet, somehow they manage to turn out enough people to make their races competitive. Wisconsin has energized Democrats showing up, Walker doesn't...yet he is still going to be tough to kick out of office.
Either there is massive voter fraud happening or the typical Republican voter is totally uninterested in politics, yet manages to find their way to a voting booth every 2 years.
Vincardog
(20,234 posts)9. there is massive voter fraud happening
Enrique
(27,461 posts)5. it seemed like a good idea at the time
Earth_First
(14,910 posts)7. Oh come on! That American flag EASILY takes up 70 seats... n/t
Arugula Latte
(50,566 posts)11. What a diverse audience! And by that I mean one woman is wearing red
instead of blue and gray.