It may not be Hurricane Isaac, but Mother Nature is messing with the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte. Rainy weather has forced organizers to move President Obama’s acceptance speech indoors.
The plan had been for the president to deliver Thursday night’s address at the Bank of America stadium instead of the arena where the rest of the convention is being held. The hope was to replicate the scale and maybe the Greek-columned magic of Obama’s acceptance speech at a packed outdoor stadium in Denver in 2008. But convention CEO Steve Kerrigan says the forecast is just too iffy. Those who secured tickets to the larger outdoor venue but don’t have access to the arena will be invited to join a conference call with the president on Thursday afternoon.
Republicans are calling the move indoors a “convention downgrade,” and some claim the real reason is a fear of empty seats. Regardless, those in the GOP who weathered disruptions from Isaac last week in Tampa are no doubt having a moment of schadenfreude.
