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When it Comes to Crowds, Does Size Matter?
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ShareSeptember 22, 2008 4:45 PM
ABC News' Andy Fies reports: While his acceptance speech before 85,000 at Denver's Mile High Stadium may have been the high point of Senator Obama's campaign, most of his events since clinching the nomination have been of the smaller "town hall style" variety.
But over the past couple of weeks, he has has had a series of events in big venues with huge crowds that were the hallmark of his primary campaign: 20,000 just yesterday in Charlotte (featuring people waiting in line for 3 hours), about the same number at a Jacksonville rally the day before (12,000 inside the venue, plus another 8,000 overflow), 8,000 jammed an arena in Coral Gables on Friday, 14,000 at a minor league ball park in Las Vegas on Wednesday.
But once again, as it was during the primaries, it's worth asking what do the crowds mean?
One of his most enthusiastic crowds of recent days was the nearly 15,000 who greeted him in Pueblo, CO Monday evening. Considering that the population of that city is just over 100,000, that is a huge draw.
But the Pueblo Chieftain newspaper was not impressed that more than 10 percent of its hometown showed up for the Obama rally. Yesterday the paper endorsed his Republican rival, Sen. John McCain.
One may quickly note that newspaper endorsements are about as meaningful on election day as crowd sizes. In New Hampshire during the primary, when his huge crowds suggested he would win handily and he did not, the significance of the large crowds has been in question.
The Chieftain endorsement is a further reminder of that discrepency.
Now Republican runningmate Gov. Sarah Palin draws crowds like Obama's…25,000 in Miami on Sunday. Will there also be for McCain/Palin, as there has been for Obama, a question mark over the significance of those crowds?
September 22, 2008 in Obama, Barack | Permalink | User Comments (70)
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Palin's crowd in FL yesterday was closer to 60,000 according to reports I have read.
Also at the Resch Center in Green Bay, WI:
Obama today - drew 6,000
McCain/Palin - drew 10,000 last Thursday
HILLARY 2012!
Posted by: ch | Sep 22, 2008 4:54:19 PM
Palin's crowd in FL yesterday was closer to 60,000 according to reports I have read.
Also at the Resch Center in Green Bay, WI:
Obama today - drew 6,000
McCain/Palin - drew 10,000 last Thursday
HILLARY 2012!
Posted by: ch | Sep 22, 2008 4:54:45 PM
Hillary was drawing crowds as large as Obamas in NH. The Obama loving media, however, chose not to report on this.
Maybe if they had reported on this, so many would not have been so surprised when Hillary won NH.
Posted by: ch | Sep 22, 2008 4:56:48 PM
Doesn't really matter, you have to look at when the events are held, of course weekends are going to draw more, as people who are working have the time to take off then.
Posted by: make it known | Sep 22, 2008 5:00:14 PM
Obama: A tale told by an idiot; signifying nothing!
Posted by: dl | Sep 22, 2008 5:03:53 PM
So, when Obama was drawing huge crowds of 75,000+ people, he was nothing more than a celebrity. When Palin pulls those numbers, it's somehow great news for McCain. C'mon, at least keep it consistent.
Posted by: Answer to ch | Sep 22, 2008 5:04:24 PM
Nov. 4th is what matters-wait and see!
Posted by: sophia | Sep 22, 2008 5:05:47 PM
Obama drew the large crowds because he spent his downer's money for rock bands.
Posted by: dl | Sep 22, 2008 5:06:08 PM
This topic is idiotic.
Posted by: Kevin | Sep 22, 2008 5:08:30 PM
It is common knowledge that the McCain/Bush-in-a-skirt campaign sends out news releases that inflate their audiences by a factor of ten or more. If they say 60,000, it was probably closer to 6,000. If they say 20,000 it was probably closer to 2,000. This is what happens when your choice for Pres can't remember that Spain is not in Latin America and your choice for Veep is known for designer glasses and not for experience.
Posted by: algwriter | Sep 22, 2008 5:09:34 PM
the difference is...they have never seen her
Obama everyone has seen at these same places for a year and a half aand still getting those crowds...
have her go back to those places next week and she'll be lucky if she breaks a hundred.
Mccain...lucky if he gets 20.
Posted by: dl | Sep 22, 2008 5:09:41 PM
Right...McCain drew large crowds because...oh wait, McCain never drew large crowds. Funny how that didn't matter back when McCain couldn't fill up a place. Now all of the sudden it's a negative.
Republicans are a joke. Constantly changing the rules to fit how you're doing in the game.
Posted by: Answer for dl | Sep 22, 2008 5:10:28 PM
ch-
So what? Hillary lost the nomination because she mismanaged her campaign, let infighting get out of control among her campaign staff and burned through millions of dollars, resulting in a huge campaign debt. Not the sign of a good manager.
Get over it.
Posted by: ruby | Sep 22, 2008 5:10:36 PM
HILLARY 2012!??? ch -- we don't have until 2012 to wait for a Democrat. Stupid!
Posted by: hang | Sep 22, 2008 5:10:41 PM
algwriter
'common knowledge'?
You're not too bright are you -- making unfounded assertions like they were facts. Perhaps you fool yourself but surely no thinking human being.
Posted by: dl | Sep 22, 2008 5:10:49 PM
hang
BHO is not a democrat. He's a socialist.
Big difference!
Posted by: dl | Sep 22, 2008 5:11:36 PM
Can we talk about a substantive issue?
Posted by: SET | Sep 22, 2008 5:12:13 PM
ch says "Palin's crowd in FL yesterday was closer to 60,000 according to reports I have read."
*********************************************
that's because the McCain camp lies about crowd size and has been for awhile. I'll take the fire marshall's word for it as ABC reported. 25,000 -
Posted by: Paige | Sep 22, 2008 5:12:21 PM
What is this? how about some substantive reporting? Maybe talk more about how the bailout plan the President wants gives a single individual discretion over 700 billion dollars without oversight or regulation, is this not how we got into this problem in the first place?
Posted by: Danny | Sep 22, 2008 5:12:28 PM
Paige
Of course you believe it. That's just the way you are. Sorry about that!
Posted by: dl | Sep 22, 2008 5:13:16 PM
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