Barack Obama is trying to maximize his momentum by accepting the Democratic presidential nomination at the home of the Denver Broncos next door to the much smaller convention center where his speech was supposed to take place.
The Democratic National Committee announced Monday that Obama would abandon the Pepsi Center nearby in favor of Denver’s Invesco Field at Mile High Stadium, which seats roughly 75,000 people, as the setting for his speech. The Pepsi Center, which seats about 20,000, will be used for the first three days of the four-day convention in late August.
Committee Chairman Howard Dean told reporters Monday he was “thrilled” with the move, despite the potentially steep additional costs that will be involved.
“It’s going to be new, it’s going to be different, it’s going to be incredibly exciting and keeping with Senator Obama’s desire to bring change to America,” Dean said.
Political analysts agreed Obama was smart to make the move because it would allow him to capitalize on his talents as a public speaker.
Adding to the drama, his acceptance as the first black Democratic nominee will take place on the 45th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech.
“The conventions are a battle of images and framing, and Obama giving this speech before an incredibly large crowd reinforces this image that is central to his candidacy, that this is a movement and this is about taking the country in a new direction,” said Chris Kofinis, who served as communications director for John Edwards’ campaign.
The Democratic convention ends on Aug. 28, followed just days later by the Republican convention. The McCain campaign said there are no plans to move the location of his acceptance speech from the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn., which seats about 20,000.
Some political analysts, though, believe John McCain could benefit from Obama’s speech.
“Obama has built his success around great rhetoric and giving inspiring speeches, so in some ways the bar is going to be higher for Obama at the convention than it is for McCain,” said Fort Hays (Kansas) State University political science professor Chapman Rackaway. “No one is expecting energy, passion and so on out of McCain. If he goes out there and gives a really good, solid speech, it’s going to look like he was in the Lincoln-Douglas debates.”
Former McCain strategist Todd Harris said the McCain campaign will need to “create the expectation that they are not about flash and sizzle, but rather substance and that it’s not going to be with the same oratorical flourish as Obama’s, but unlike Obama, you can believe what McCain says.”
But even Harris gave credit to the Obama camp for moving the speech, “because Obama’s biggest asset is his speaking ability, and you might as well showcase that.”
