CHARLOTTE -- President Obama won't be giving a stadium speech after all.Democratic Convention officials said today that Obama's Thursday night acceptance address is moving from Bank of America Stadium to the Time Warner Cable Arena because of weather concerns.
"We have been monitoring weather forecasts closely and several reports predict thunderstorms in the area," said Steve Kerrigan, CEO of the Democratic National Convention Committee.
Those who have tickets for the stadium speech -- but who are not delegates, and have not access to the arena, will be invited to participate in a conference call with the president on Thursday afternoon.
"We will work with the campaign to ensure that those unable to attend tomorrow's event will be invited to see the President between now and election day" on Nov. 6, Kerrigan said.
Obama accepted the 2008 Democratic nomination at the football stadium in Denver, and had hoped to replicate the experience in Charlotte.
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Cal., backed the decision to move the Charlotte speech, saying that "whether it rains or not is not in the president's control.
"We're talking about something other than being wet," Pelosi said. "It could be a danger."
Kerrigan, the convention CEO, added:
"We share the disappointment of over 65,000 people who signed up for community credentials to be there with the President in person.
We encourage our community credential holders and Americans across the country to continue to come together with their friends and neighbors to watch and participate in history.
The President will speak to these credential holders on a national conference call tomorrow afternoon, and we will work with the campaign to ensure that those unable to attend tomorrow's event will be invited to see the President between now and election day."
We encourage our community credential holders and Americans across the country to continue to come together with their friends and neighbors to watch and participate in history.
The President will speak to these credential holders on a national conference call tomorrow afternoon, and we will work with the campaign to ensure that those unable to attend tomorrow's event will be invited to see the President between now and election day."
