Obama's Convention Speech Moved To Stadium

Democrat Will Accept Nomination At Invesco Field, Which Can Hold Up To 76,000

(AP)  In a break with tradition, Barack Obama will accept the Democratic presidential nomination at Invesco Field at Mile High, a 76,000-seat stadium, rather than at the site of the party's national convention across town.

Democratic Party Chairman Howard Dean acknowledged the decision to move Obama's speech on the final night of the Aug. 24-28 convention to the giant open-air football field of the Denver Broncos would raise security challenges, but said he and Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper had agreed such challenges won't deter the move.

Dean, in a conference call with reporters, also batted away questions about logistical challenges and added costs the change would produce, saying those things would be worked out in the coming weeks.

It won't be the first time a presidential candidate has accepted the nomination in a stadium. On July 15, 1960, John F. Kennedy gave his acceptance speech before tens of thousands at the Los Angeles Coliseum.

Separately, one official confirmed that Obama's aides were attempting to arrange a speech at a second dramatic venue: Berlin's Brandenburg Gate, part of Obama's July trip to Europe and the Middle East.

The Gate was the site of one of Ronald Reagan's most memorable speeches. On a trip in July 1987, Reagan stood before throngs of West Berliners and implored then Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev to tear down the Berlin Wall dividing the city. The wall is no longer there.

Ron Perea, Secret Service special agent in charge in Denver, declined to discuss what security precautions the agency would take for the convention's open-air event, including any restrictions on airspace and traffic.

Most of the convention will take place at the 21,000-seat Pepsi Center. Construction for the convention was beginning there Monday amid concerns about lagging fundraising and cost overruns.

Last month, the convention's host committee reported it was nearly $12 million short of the $40.6 million it had pledged to raise for the effort. Host committee members spoke openly of needing the Obama campaign's help to close the gap.

Dean said the convention was operating on budget, and Obama senior adviser Anita Dunn said the campaign was on board to help.

"The fact that the nomination was not decided until the begining of June - clearly many donors would have hung back a little to see if the candidate of their choice was going to get the nomination," Dunn said.

With an influx of younger voters and Hispanics in recent years Colorado, once heavily Republican, is among a handful of states in the mountain West that have been trending Democratic. Both parties view it as a general-election swing state; Republican John McCain kicked off a five-day economy-focused campaign swing in Denver Monday.

Obama is known for drawing huge crowds to many of his speeches. In May, a record 75,000 jammed into a riverside park in Portland, Ore., to hear him speak shortly before that state's primary.

Obama is scheduled to deliver his acceptance speech on Thursday, Aug. 28, the fourth and final night of the convention. It coincides with the 45th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in 1963.

The Illinois senator is running to be the first black president.

[rowdywicca]

You made the entire story up. There isn''''t anybody left on these blogs who doesn''''t know you are dishonest and have no credibility. (not to mention sore loser)


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Posted by truthmatterz at 12:16 PM : Jul 08, 2008

Nope, unfortunately I didn''t...shame isn''t it when this country has to constantly deal with Obama''s ego and identity crisis.

Hopefully he''ll be plonked back in his senate seat in November after he''s told to get on his camel and ride out. Let him keep working for his slimey Muslim supporters in Chicago.

[fleura-2009]

Barack Obama Rules!!!

We would take a bigger "arena" if one can be found. Never enough seating for an Obama Presentation.

We would exceed 100,000 in attendance...but hey...who is counting.

[jtyler271]

You people scare me.

Obama ''08

[dumbocrat]

If you believe anything an inexperainced person promises you ,like Obama, you are even more desperate and foolish than one can imagine. Not all Republicans are bad, but most, if not all Democrats are naive. It is that simple.




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Posted by jack3213 at 08:25 AM : Jul 08, 2008

Well Said!

[ariel133]

I do not trust Obama who has not served his country proudly,in some form or another, or who feels ''obligated'' to wear a USA pin ( having it on only in question) or to be at a Church that hates Americans for over 20 years. Period. Whatever policy''''s he promises is mute to me. I am white 30''s yr young woman in the middle of America and I believe I speak for all women who feel that honor and patriotism are first and foremost to being a leader of a nation.

[cathy6224]

WHO WAS THE HOLD OUT FOR A REVOTE IN MICHIGAN AND FLORIDA WHEN THE PEOPLE DEMANDED THEIR VOTES BE COUNTED AND CLINTON SAID, "OKAY." BUT OBAMA SAID NO!

IS THAT A LIE TOO?

Posted by fenner at 12:21 PM : Jul 07, 2008
Yes it is a lie, it is well documented that Obama''''s campaign suggested a redo of the caucus in Michigan, but the Clinton campaign refused.


BECAUSE THE CAUCUS'' WERE CHEATING TO BENEFIT OBAMA That is why she said no. So everyone gets blamed but OBAMA who should get the blame. I refuse to vote for him-it is not his skin color, it is his voting record, his long time friends and associates and his current policies on his website (because I don''t believe he is going to do any of it) he is doing as Rev Wright said HE IS A POLITICIAN HE GOES OUT AND DOES AND SAYS WHAT A POLITICIAN NEEDS TO SAY AND DO TO GET ELECTED. YET he runs as a new kind of politician, HAHAHAHAHAHAHA WHAT A FRAUD.

[dnsallday]

The move is right there for McCain. Now lets see how good his campaign really is.

Posted by jack3213 at 08:55 AM : Jul 08, 2008
************************************************************ "We are seeing an early glimpse of the messy, unstructured way in which a McCain White House might be managed. His advisors are hard-pressed to explain why Mr. McCain tolerates this...................................

[dnsallday]

An unnamed source close to the campaign (and we all know how reliable they can be
posted by rowdywicca......................
*************************************************
You made the entire story up. There isn''t anybody left on these blogs who doesn''t know you are dishonest and have no credibility. (not to mention sore loser)

[rowdywicca]

An unnamed source close to the campaign (and we all know how reliable they can be) said that Messiah Barack got all snitty because so many PUMAs were demanding that Hillary%u2019s name be placed into nomination.

He demanded that if %u201Cshe%u201D had anything to do with the convention he wouldn%u2019t even %u201Cdo it%u201D unless he could go somewhere else and be recognized. Something large enough for his massive ego.

And since the Great Wall of China wasn%u2019t available, his snobness settled on Invesco Field.

LMAO! Obama wanted a HUGE place where it is less likely that PUMA''s can get close enough to heckle him!

[realpatriot1]

jack3213,

Would you care to describe these alleged distortions of his record?

Don''t you mean that he''s presented a different view than the distortion of his real record put forward by Republicans?

McCain can run all the ads slamming Obama that he wants and it won''t matter because the Republicans have lied and smeared so much for so long that they have no credibility with anyone other than themselves.

Smear away! Just don''t present a vision for America of your own.