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Will venue change have an impact on the president's speech?

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    Fox News contributor Jonah Goldberg weighs in

  • Duration 7:03
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-- the scene back in 2008.

More than 80000.

People surrounding.

The would be president into Denver stadium.

Decorated would do with what the media came to call the Greek temple look at the fireworks and everything.

Four years later he will be speaking here in the Time Warner Cable Arena.

Organizers citing weather for the big change was supposed to happen at Bank of America Stadium which seats about 70000 plus.

And the presidents and moments ago he did not want to risk anyone's safety.

In the wake of reports that we might be might be potentially facing thunderstorms.

Now the audience -- the DNC tonight down to 151000 people fifteen to twenty will say.

Jonah Goldberg is editor at large for the national review and he's a Fox News contributor John -- there is such disappointed among so many Democrats here in Charlotte today who are some of whom are leaving early US Airways is now offering free flights home for many these.

Folks who wanted to be part of the festivities today and can't we heard just the other day from Debbie Wasserman Schultz about how they intended to use that gathering at Bank of America Stadium.

As they did four years ago to get means in emails and in courage to get out the vote efforts and party enthusiasm.

And now now there's -- backlash.

By some more -- This cancellation the movement wasn't in their view about that lack of democratic enthusiasm.

But the quote is from the Charlotte Observer but given this treatment it might soon be your take on with.

Yeah I find it very unlikely that this was purely about the weather.

-- they knew that this is gonna be this kind of weather even as late as Wednesday they were saying.

That there were to do this rain or shine so it just seems it seems implausible to me that at -- with a 20%.

Likelihood of rain and sort of a 0% likelihood of severe weather accordingly some of the meteorologists with -- -- That something else is going on here I see it sort of is emblematic of a larger.

Probably it Obama has since this is that -- the Republican Convention that Obama over promises and under delivers.

A promise to fill a stadium they promised that this big dramatic night the -- to do all of these things and and they're just simply not gonna do it and I think that's a bad story for them.

There are reports that they were concerned about turnout and they were concerned about.

Video of tens of thousands of people standing in what could've been a rainy.

Partially filled stadium.

You know with drapes over their heads -- looking at their candidate.

And then that juxtaposition.

Of that.

From four years ago when it was hope and change -- thought of a different kind of candidate coming onto the national scene -- fireworks in Greek columns.

And I just that that clip we played before the break was it was really powerful would it takes you back to.

What people believed might be possible for years -- let's just watch it again.

And now.

Here tonight in Charlie it will be a much scaled down.

Party there -- even be a balloon drop because they couldn't get that together the 24 hours.

How does that play.

Well it again -- it's sort of like he wrote I think you're right it's like he rode in on a unicorn he's riding out on a donkey.

There was this.

Incredible hype about Obama in 2008.

That I think.

They were it's understandable that they built it up so much.

But at the same time they created a huge expectations problem for it and -- in this whole fiasco with the stadium.

Is just the perfect serve.

Symbol of the whole thing.

I I don't for a moment believe that they -- gonna fill those seats they were talking about setting buses.

As far -- as Macon Georgia they were there they couldn't give away tickets to the thing.

I know Stephanie Cutter says the campaign you know communicative person says that they had a long waiting lists and all that I'm not sure I buy it.

And I think that this is you know this is that this is the fundamental theme that the Republicans have been trying to hammer on this this sense of disappointment more in sorrow than in anger and I think this is a 88 perfect representation of that symbolic problem.

That they've had I also think it's it's it's -- just think that this is a problem for them in North Carolina.

When President Obama came into office they considered north curable -- North Carolina to be the the front edge of their ever expanding coalition.

They thought this would be beachhead and they made this mistake of picking North Carolina as the home of their convention.

Because I don't think they're gonna win North Carolina the -- to pull out of North Carolina once this thing is over.

And if they had done this in a more democratic more Obama friendly state the -- wouldn't have had a problem filling all the.

Seats and yet his most loyal supporters.

Still believe that he can bring something different to this country and perhaps we PRD has.

There's a there's a headline in the now the Huffington Post which I think we've we've polled.

And take a look at what it says standby because it it it to reflects how how some of the left -- President Obama.

And even how some on the right have believed that he's behaved since he's been in office for those listening -- serious radio it says the King's Speech.

And the fact that the I don't think that that's a reference to any stuttering problem by by President Obama -- -- -- is very eloquent -- I mean it's the left clearly has high expectations so for him.

They do an -- at this crowd is not representative I think of the public at large this is a very strange moment in American politics.

Both parties are making this enormous gamble.

The press the Republican parties had this huge advantage in presidential politics.

For three decades because the country the presidential level tends to be center right culturally conservative and this -- it for the first time -- the Republican Party that at the presidential level.

Is not leading aggressively on being conservative ideological and -- had a Liberal Party that is leading.

At big ideological and very liberal this part that this convention so far practically out of prime time but also in prime time has been treating the abortion issue as if it's a winning issue for them.

When in fact it's a losing issue for them at the national level this country's been trending pro life for the last couple decades.

And both sides are making a huge gamble about this that somehow the Republicans -- convince themselves.

There ideology is a disadvantage.

And the Democrats have commits themselves their ideology is an advantage.

And I think that delusion is most intense.

Here to this -- might as -- be a Star Trek convention.

-- -- -- He used daily get personal experience and those will have to talk about that sometimes.

Got over that I do it thank you very much you kind of -- an electrical they're now with eagle -- at top.

-- little locals he.

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