Buncombe Dems cancel trip to Charlotte, will watch Obama’s speech at Asheville Pizza and Brewing

Following news earlier today that the Democratic National Convention Committee was moving President Barack Obama’s Thursday, Sept. 6, speech indoors due to weather concerns, the Buncombe County Democratic Party cancelled its plans to bus roughly 100 local supporters to Charlotte to attend it.

The event tickets, disbursed for free by the local Obama campaign office, had been good for access to the outdoor — and much larger — Bank of America Stadium, where the president had been scheduled to speak. But the tickets wouldn’t grant access to the smaller, indoor, Time-Warner Cable Arena, where Obama will now make his address.

Republicans and conservative pundits are charging that the real reason the speech was moved is because Obama couldn’t draw enough supporters to fill the stadium. The Weather Channel predicts only a 30 percent chance of rain and isolated thunder storms for tomorrow night.

Meanwhile, the Buncombe County Democratic Party is offering refunds to attendees who had booked seats on their chartered buses. And the local Obama For America office has organized a speech-watching party at Asheville Pizza and Brewing Company at 675 Merrimon Ave.

In an email to supporters who were planning to ride down to Charlotte, Buncombe County Democratic Party Treasurer Jake Quinn writes: “Let’s view this as a minor setback as we continue forward to Nov. 6.  Now, more than ever, we need to pull together to achieve electoral success.”

Here’s the press release from the Democratic National Convention Committee:

The Democratic National Convention Committee (DNCC) regretfully announced today that President Obama and Vice President Biden’s nomination acceptance speeches, originally planned for Bank of America Stadium on Thursday, September 6, will be moved to Time Warner Cable Arena due to severe weather forecasts.

More than 65,000 Americans obtained community credentials to attend the event. They will be invited to still take part in history as the President will host a conference call tomorrow afternoon specifically for credential holders so he may address them directly. Call-in information will be emailed to community credential holders. The DNCC also said plans will be made to ensure that those unable to attend the nomination acceptance will be invited to see the President between now and election day.

With safety for all the attendees being the ultimate concern, DNCC CEO Steve Kerrigan said, “We have been monitoring weather forecasts closely and several reports predict thunderstorms in the area, therefore we have decided to move Thursday’s proceedings to Time Warner Cable Arena to ensure the safety and security of our delegates and convention guests.”

The excitement and enthusiasm for the event had been building in Charlotte and across the country over the last several weeks. Supporters are encouraged to sustain that enthusiasm by fulfilling the original intent of the President’s public nomination acceptance: Americans coming together with their friends and neighbors to watch and participate in history. Americans everywhere are asked to join with others to watch tomorrow night’s proceedings, and engage in an ongoing dialogue about the country’s future. Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter @DemConvention using hashtag #DNC2012.

 

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10 thoughts on “Buncombe Dems cancel trip to Charlotte, will watch Obama’s speech at Asheville Pizza and Brewing

  1. Linda Marie De

    After reading the AP Yahoo News story titled, “Dems Cobble Convention Crowd Together Bit By Bit” on 09-03-2012 I was relieved to know this. I dont buy the weather story one bit. In NC in the summer it seems that there are thunder storms every afternoon that last a few hours. It then is usually clear for the rest of the day. It is apparent from the story that the DNC could not fill the stadium since Obama’s crowds have been dwindling rapidly. Obama needs to pack up his family and vacate the WH. His presidency has been a disaster for this country and he has nothing to show for his failed first term.

    • Doug Sahm

      My life has been getting better and better these last four years. Sorry your life has gone downhill.

  2. Dionysis

    “His presidency has been a disaster for this country and he has nothing to show for his failed first term.””

    So he hasn’t cleaned up the mess left by eight years of Republican mismanagement fast enough? That seems to be the mantra of the Republicans. They offer absolutely nothing new in terms of economic policy but the same “let’s give the rich and corporations more tax breaks” while the Republicans blocked tax incentives for companies to create jobs here. They consistenly stymied any and all efforts by the Administration with obstructionism via filibuster or threat of filibuster.

    And the whole while, this president has had to endure the most egregious level of personal insults and ignorant accusations ever seen in modern history.

    And these people think Mitt Romney and that extremist ward of the state and champion marathon runner will fix things with worn out and discredited trickle-down BS. Ha.

  3. $16T in debt and 46 million on food stamps is not “cleaning up a mess.” And now the Federal Reserve is poised for QE3. Nice work cleaning up.

    There simply are no load-bearing walls in the Democrat Party house of cards.

    It’s time to let Obama go. I can help.
    …………………….

  4. dpewen

    4 years ago there was much more excitement for Obama than there is this time around. I was heading up the DL group and we had large crowds at the ABC watching TV speeches, etc. Yesterday we went to ABC (for football) and even though all the TVs were dialed into the DNC very few people were paying attention. A bus pulled up and 15 people got out … we were told a large crowd was coming to watch the speeches … didn’t happen. We finally got them to turn on the NFL game. They are not going to Charlotte because they do not have enough interest, plain and simple. Obama is in big trouble!

    • Dionysis

      You are certainly correct in that the passion is gone. But what can one expect when a person morphs from campaigning as a somewhat progressive-minded Democrat to acting like Republican lite, and reneging on much of what he campaigned on.

      Even with Republican obstructionism, Obama has been a big disappointment. Still, at least with a second term as a lame duck there is the possibility of him actually taking up progressive issues for a change. With Romney and his Ayn Rand loving extremist running mate, however, we know what we would be in for…the same stale, discredited tripe we suffered through for eight years.

      Would you prefer cyanide or a bullet to the head? It’s nice to have choices.

  5. Dionysis

    “Nice work cleaning up.”

    Hell of a mess left, including the yet-to-be-paid for tax cuts for the rich (didn’t add any net jobs within the U.S., but great for China). Squandered a huge budget surplus, unfunded wars, Medicare Part D, huge jobs loses across the board and so forth.

    Name one new idea Romney and his under 3 hour marathon runner and ward of the state have offered. Just one.

    The GOP is going out of it’s way to try and act as if the incompetent Bush administration never happened. And to ignore Republican obstructionism (remember Mitch ‘Turkey’ McConnell stating that the #1 priority is to sabotage Obama?) with their threat of filibuster.

    Oh, you “can help” huh? I guess you must have a pocket full of fresh pay day advance money and feel fired up. Go forth and help. I’ve no doubt you will be highly influential.

  6. Dionysis

    “are you having a conversation with yourself?”

    Given Mr. Peck’s selective silence, it would appear so.

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