Obama’s DNC speech moved indoors as storm clouds threaten
Delegates wave banners reading “Forward” and “No Back” during Chicago’s Mayor Rahm Emanuel speech at the Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte, North Carolina, on September 4, 2012 on the first day of the Democratic National Convention (DNC).
President Barack Obama's speech at the Democratic National Convention in North Carolina on Thursday has been moved indoors due to concerns over severe weather, according to the Associated Press.
The original plan was for Obama to accept his party's nomination at an outdoor football stadium with an audience of up to 74,000 people. However, forecasters predicted severe thunderstorms for Thursday around 9 p.m. to 10 p.m., raising safety concerns for supporters, staff and law enforcement, said the AP.
Officials said today that the speech will now be held in the Time Warner Cable Arena, which holds approximately 20,000 people, significantly impacting the number of supporters Obama can address live.
"We have been monitoring weather forecasts closely and several reports predict thunderstorms in the area, therefore we have decided to move Thursday's proceedings to Time Warner Cable Arena to ensure the safety and security of our delegates and convention guests," said DNCC CEO Steve Kerrigan, according to CNN.
Reuters noted that the change is a blow to Obama and the Democrats, who were hoping to create a visual spectacle to rival his 2008 acceptance speech in Denver, Colorado.
More on GlobalPost: Michelle Obama tells Democratic National Convention that her husband is 'just like you' (VIDEO)
Nearly 65,000 tickets have already been handed out for the event, so thousands will be disappointed, said CNN.
Republican National Committee spokeswoman Kirsten Kukowski said, "Democrats continue to downgrade convention events due to lack of enthusiasm – this time they are moving out of Bank of America/Panther stadium. Problems filling the seats?" according to ABC News. The first day of the RNC was canceled due to severe weather from Hurricane Isaac.
DNC officials, however, insisted that the change was based purely on safety concerns, with one official saying, "We were concerned about capacity on the high end for Thursday, not on the low end," according to CNN.
Kerrigan said, "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."
More on GlobalPost: Julian Castro defends Obama in keynote address to Democratic National Convention