It looks like the Obama campaign is to stage the candidate's big convention speech in a football stadium, rather than in the convention hall. Invesco Field, pictured above, can hold up to 75,000 screaming Obama fans (and even a few reformed Clintonites). It will make for some pretty spectacular pictures.
But I wonder if, as with the Brandenburg Gate idea, this isn't a little risky. Those massive Oprah rallies during the primaries didn't have any discernible effect on Obama's results - and I suspect they contributed to the suspicion some voters have that Obama is a media-generated celebrity rather than a serious politician.
What will McCain do at the Republican convention, in response? Put together a rock band and tear through some songs at Minnesota's equivalent of Madison Square Gardens? Or go small-scale, stripped back and serious in order to draw a contrast - town-hall style? I suspect the latter.
UPDATE: as a signed-up member of mybarackobama.com, I've just received this message:
On Thursday, August 28th, (Obama is) scheduled to formally accept the
Democratic nomination in a speech at the convention hall in front of
the assembled delegates.
Instead, Barack will leave the convention hall and join more
than 75,000 people for a huge, free, open-air event where he will
deliver his acceptance speech to the American people.
It's going to be an amazing event, and Barack would like you
to join him. Free tickets will become available as the date approaches,
but we've reserved a special place for a few of the people who brought
us this far and who continue to drive this campaign.
If you make a donation of $5 or more between now and midnight
on July 31st, you could be one of 10 supporters chosen to fly to Denver
and spend two days and nights at the convention, meet Barack backstage,
and watch his acceptance speech in person. Each of the ten supporters
who are selected will be able to bring one guest to join them.
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