Top aides on President Obama’s re-election team are terrified that there will be scores of empty seats when he makes his acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention, party insiders said.
Obama, once the biggest draw in politics, won’t likely attract crowds as large as those at the 2008 convention because voters have gone sour on the poor economy, insiders said.
“It’s always a concern about making sure there aren’t empty seats, but this is different,” said one Democratic official familiar with the convention plans.
“This is a different time than four years ago. It’s a different convention. And the president is viewed differently.”
The president will accept the party’s nomination on Sept. 6 in a Charlotte, NC, football stadium. that holds 80,000.
“They’re worried they can’t fill the stadium,” the official said.
As a result, Democrats have taken steps to make the convention open to more people, not just party loyalists and donors.
In June, the party announced a contest in which participants have a chance to go to the convention for just $5.