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Why did Democrats choose Charlotte for convention?

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    DNC chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz explains

  • Duration 7:10
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-- -- -- president Obama's big convention speech a senior advisor tells Fox News the president feels good about the draft of his acceptance speech.

But he is still quote tinkering with it including on Air Force One over the last couple of days.

Also the president has not done a full scale run through or practice session of the speech so far.

But here's an interesting little nugget for you.

-- 2008 in Denver then Senator Obama did not do his first full run through.

Until three hours before his speech.

So now with the gavel set to drop tomorrow here in Charlotte reporters are again asking some questions that we've heard and we recent weeks about.

Why Democrats chose this state for their convention.

The State's unemployment rate stands at nine point 6% that's of course well above the national average.

The democratic governor Bev Perdue was raided recently as the least popular governor in America.

And is not seeking reelection.

And the AFL CIO is so upset at north -- right to work law that they decided to essentially skipped this convention altogether.

Not to mention North Carolina voters recently passed a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage.

The president of course came out personally in support of same sex marriage earlier this year.

Joining me now the chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz -- welcome back so good to see you thank you making -- -- very community it.

All right so what's the deal what what what why Charlie in the -- in light of those challenges.

Well we chose Charlotte, North Carolina.

The sites before our Democratic National Convention this year.

Because we were planting a flag in the south and sending a strong message across the country.

That we weren't going to cede any region of this country to the Republicans and that.

When it comes to the choices the two choices that voters have in front of us in front of them north Carolinians and folks in this region.

They know that President Obama because we've never left North Carolina we've been organizing here since before 2008 when he was elected.

They know the President Obama has been fighting for the middle class and working families that he's focused on making sure that we can make things in America again so that you can make it in America and given that we've had a resurgence in manufacturing.

More jobs created in manufacturing than any time since the 1990s.

That's a a policy in a message that resonates with north Carolinians because manufacturing has been such an important component of their economy here and it's starting to come back.

And so we wanted to make sure that that that because President Obama won North Carolina in 2008.

My 141000 notes we know we have an opportunity to win it again and we'll put.

President Obama and got North Carolina in the win column for him on Election Day as we want to -- I just.

So I think it's -- I'm getting out.

-- -- about getting well hopefully -- for your side getting votes in North Carolina that is a state that Barack Obama won albeit narrowly.

Back in 2008 today.

There's a new Ilan university Charlotte Observer -- that puts Romney leading 47 to 43 here although it's got a much margin -- 3%.

But that the question is whether even if the might help me with some locals here in in North Carolina.

It's it's you know ticked off enough Democrats nationally that it wasn't worth it you know like the unions who don't -- right to -- right -- and gay rights advocates who don't like this constitutional amendment here -- so.

And so on.

Actually -- because we are putting on what will be the most inclusive.

Participatory community oriented presidential nominating convention in history.

Today we open the hard activities with Carolina -- to -- the community festival.

That's open to the public celebrating the Carolinas and Virginia and inviting -- -- and very different than the special interest funded corporate infused invitation only affair that we saw.

In my home state last week.

We are continuing through this week and we'll close out the week as you mentioned earlier with President Obama.

Accepting our party is not nomination at the Bank of America Stadium in front of tens of thousands of Americans.

And what we do with our.

Democratic National Convention -- we use it as an organizing tool and it's do you -- If you -- call when President Obama except that our party's nomination the first time in Invesco Field.

In Denver.

Honest on that single day we signed up 25000.

Volunteers and -- put some momentum behind Barack Obama which we expect to do once again.

Leading into the fall campaign and our grass roots a people powered campaign we'll have the kind of amends and that will need to propel President Obama back to the White House.

Let me ask you -- -- we have -- previous on the show your counterpart of the RNC last week in Tampa and I was asking him about hurricane Isaac and what his plans would be you know in the wake of that.

And I you know it looks like maybe you're gonna get lucky -- there's an idea fifth Mike latest weather forecast is read about 20% -- is there a backup plan what if it rains at this Bank of America Stadium when you know the president is making his big speech.

So we have a variety of different scenarios as to how we'll be elevated for some reason mother nature isn't smiling on us.

But we believe that with that while the weather forecasters.

And also the resilience of our rob are activists and the folks that.

Want to -- the -- of the car care -- did move it.

Well you know I understand.

Trust me with that with the curly hair that I have -- me.

That humidity and rain -- -- -- -- but well well weathered the storm and make sure that.

President Obama's message of moving our economy -- fighting for the middle class and working families and having an honest conversation.

About where we've been and where we need to go continuing -- to make sure that if you can.

If you work hard and play by the rules and America you can be successful and not drag ourselves back -- a failed policy that happened nearly crashed our economy.

Like I don't know I think I think you could have gotten a dole -- but that's just me could got a dome stadium I wanna ask you about some controversy in the -- before LA got a got a short time but deaths are.

In the governor O'Malley is getting some push back today for saying on Sunday that no we're not better off than we were four years ago and then -- for hours later coming out saying.

Yes we are better off than we were four years ago.

Are we better off than we were four years ago.

Well when President Obama took office the economy was about to go over a cliff we were hemorrhaging seven -- -- 50000 jobs a month.

We have lost in the last six months of the bush presidency.

Three and a half million jobs and now we've created four and a half million jobs since Barack Obama took office in the private sector.

Had 29 straight months of job growth and in the private sector a resurgence in manufacturing.

And companies that bringing jobs back to America thanks to president Obama's tax policies so yes we are better off we have a ways to go.

And President Obama will lay out how we can continue to move our economy -- -- and make sure that we can fight for everyone to have an opportunity to be successful not just the people who already are as -- -- Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan proposed.

Would have been a governor O'Malley and that's when it matters what what went on.

Governor O'Malley like me believes that we need to continue to focus on the middle class and well.

Hi and goodbye and it is a good -- having -- that.

You had a -- had at least take a shot I think I think.

I think we have our suspect elicited Lindsay and Megan had congratulations had a big week I hope we see again this week bank here but -- and I season.

Well the Obama campaign --

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