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| Obama Counts on Clinton to Help Sway Independents | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Former President Bill Clinton intends to try to rebut Republican arguments against the re-election of President Obama in a major speech at the Democratic National Convention Wednesday night, saying Mr. Obama has taken steps to turn around an economy left in shambles by Republicans. | |
| “In Tampa, the Republican argument against the president’s re-election was pretty simple: We left him a total mess, he hasn’t finished cleaning it up yet, so fire him and put us back in,” Mr. Clinton will say, according to excerpts from his remarks released by the party. | |
| “I like the argument for President Obama’s re-election a lot better,” Mr. Clinton says in the excerpts. “He inherited a deeply damaged economy, put a floor under the crash, began the long hard road to recovery, and laid the foundation for a more modern, more well-balanced economy that will produce millions of good new jobs, vibrant new businesses, and lots of new wealth for the innovators.” | |
| The Clinton speech has taken on added weight since Mr. Obama, despite some differences with the former president in the 2008 election, is looking to his predecessor to sway Democrats and independents who remain uncertain about their vote. | |
| “The most important question is, what kind of country do you want to live in?” Mr. Clinton will ask in his speech. “If you want a you’re-on-your-own, winner-take-all society, you should support the Republican ticket. If you want a country of shared prosperity and shared responsibility — a we’re-all-in-this-together society — you should vote for Barack Obama and Joe Biden.” | |
| Earlier, Mr. Obama arrived in Charlotte as threats of bad weather led convention organizers to move his acceptance speech on Thursday from the outdoor venue of the Bank of America Stadium to the arena where the rest of the week’s convention events are being held. | |
| The president traveled on Air Force One from Washington as his party gathered in Charlotte, which was spared from rain for the first time in days. However, organizers cited the threat of potentially bad storms in abandoning their plans to hold the last night of the convention in the stadium. | |
| With the president in town, the stage was set for the second night of the convention, to be highlighted by Mr. Clinton’s speech. | With the president in town, the stage was set for the second night of the convention, to be highlighted by Mr. Clinton’s speech. |
| Jen Psaki, a campaign spokeswoman, said organizers feared that they would have had to evacuate the stadium if a dangerous storm approached and that the president was disappointed with the outcome. | Jen Psaki, a campaign spokeswoman, said organizers feared that they would have had to evacuate the stadium if a dangerous storm approached and that the president was disappointed with the outcome. |
| “We’re all disappointed, because we had 65,000 ticket holders plus 19,000 people who were on the waiting list, excited to hear him deliver his speech tomorrow night,” Ms. Psaki said. “This isn’t a call we wanted to make.” | |
| The decision to keep the convention indoors is a disappointment to the Obama campaign and means that Mr. Obama will not recreate the scene of the 2008 convention speech he gave in a Denver football stadium packed with cheering supporters — a signature moment for the campaign. | |
| “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 Steve Kerrigan, who is overseeing the convention for the Democrats. “The energy and enthusiasm for our convention in Charlotte has been overwhelming, and we share the disappointment of over 65,000 people who signed up for community credentials to be there with the president in person.” | “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 Steve Kerrigan, who is overseeing the convention for the Democrats. “The energy and enthusiasm for our convention in Charlotte has been overwhelming, and we share the disappointment of over 65,000 people who signed up for community credentials to be there with the president in person.” |
| Despite the abrupt shift in plans, Democrats believed they were off to a strong start with their convention, and that the lineup of speakers on Tuesday night, led by the first lady, Michelle Obama, had roused the audience and television viewers for what promises to be a hard-fought final two months of the campaign between the president and the Republican candidate, Mitt Romney. | Despite the abrupt shift in plans, Democrats believed they were off to a strong start with their convention, and that the lineup of speakers on Tuesday night, led by the first lady, Michelle Obama, had roused the audience and television viewers for what promises to be a hard-fought final two months of the campaign between the president and the Republican candidate, Mitt Romney. |
| “This is what this convention is all about,” said Valerie Jarrett, a senior adviser to the president, in an appearance on MSNBC. “It gives us an opportunity to really crystallize for the American people this stark contrast. And it’s their choice what direction we want to go forward. | “This is what this convention is all about,” said Valerie Jarrett, a senior adviser to the president, in an appearance on MSNBC. “It gives us an opportunity to really crystallize for the American people this stark contrast. And it’s their choice what direction we want to go forward. |
| “So at the end of the week, I think we will have told a very effective story that should help not just galvanize our base, but galvanize our country,” Ms. Jarrett said. | “So at the end of the week, I think we will have told a very effective story that should help not just galvanize our base, but galvanize our country,” Ms. Jarrett said. |
| The campaign had hoped to recreate the excitement of Denver, when an enthusiastic throng embraced the president at the climax of the convention four years ago. That event drew ridicule from Republicans who derided it as an over-the-top setting with its stage framed by Greek columns. Republicans immediately sought to turn this week’s change in venue against the Democrats. | The campaign had hoped to recreate the excitement of Denver, when an enthusiastic throng embraced the president at the climax of the convention four years ago. That event drew ridicule from Republicans who derided it as an over-the-top setting with its stage framed by Greek columns. Republicans immediately sought to turn this week’s change in venue against the Democrats. |
| “The Democrats continue to downgrade convention events due to lack of enthusiasm — this time they are moving out of Bank of America/Panther stadium,” began a statement from the Republican National Committee put out within minutes of the announcement. “Problems filling the seats?” | “The Democrats continue to downgrade convention events due to lack of enthusiasm — this time they are moving out of Bank of America/Panther stadium,” began a statement from the Republican National Committee put out within minutes of the announcement. “Problems filling the seats?” |
| Convention organizers needed to make a decision Wednesday because of the logistics of moving the convention and its large news media contingent to the stadium, used by the Carolina Panthers. | Convention organizers needed to make a decision Wednesday because of the logistics of moving the convention and its large news media contingent to the stadium, used by the Carolina Panthers. |
| Both parties have been troubled by bad weather at their respective conventions. Hurricane Isaac forced the cancellation of the first day of the Republican convention last week in Tampa, Fla., and it has rained steadily here in Charlotte, leaving conventiongoers soaked or covered in rain gear and the organizers fretting about the potential for lightning at the outdoor arena in the heart of the city. | Both parties have been troubled by bad weather at their respective conventions. Hurricane Isaac forced the cancellation of the first day of the Republican convention last week in Tampa, Fla., and it has rained steadily here in Charlotte, leaving conventiongoers soaked or covered in rain gear and the organizers fretting about the potential for lightning at the outdoor arena in the heart of the city. |
| The party had been reluctant to move the speech since the stadium allowed them to build a crowd of as many as 65,000 people and distribute thousands of tickets to Obama supporters in a state the campaign would sorely like to win a second time. | The party had been reluctant to move the speech since the stadium allowed them to build a crowd of as many as 65,000 people and distribute thousands of tickets to Obama supporters in a state the campaign would sorely like to win a second time. |
| Mr. Kerrigan said those “community credential holders” would be able to listen to the president on a special conference call Thursday. | Mr. Kerrigan said those “community credential holders” would be able to listen to the president on a special conference call Thursday. |
| “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,” he said. | “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,” he said. |
| Campaign officials had hoped that a packed stadium rally would answer the lingering concerns that the energy around Mr. Obama’s re-election bid is less than that for his race four years ago. | Campaign officials had hoped that a packed stadium rally would answer the lingering concerns that the energy around Mr. Obama’s re-election bid is less than that for his race four years ago. |
| A day after Jim Messina, the campaign manager, pledged to go forward with the outdoor speech “rain or shine — unless there’s a safety issue,” organizers concluded Wednesday morning that the weather was too unpredictable. The campaign dismissed suggestions that it would have had trouble filling the seats, which were distributed to people who volunteered on the campaign or waited in line for hours to get tickets. | A day after Jim Messina, the campaign manager, pledged to go forward with the outdoor speech “rain or shine — unless there’s a safety issue,” organizers concluded Wednesday morning that the weather was too unpredictable. The campaign dismissed suggestions that it would have had trouble filling the seats, which were distributed to people who volunteered on the campaign or waited in line for hours to get tickets. |
| Four years ago, Mr. Obama became the third major presidential candidate to leave the site of his convention to give an acceptance speech at a stadium. Organizers planned that speech after John F. Kennedy’s appearance in 1960 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, the only other such address to be held in an outdoor stadium in the modern television era. | Four years ago, Mr. Obama became the third major presidential candidate to leave the site of his convention to give an acceptance speech at a stadium. Organizers planned that speech after John F. Kennedy’s appearance in 1960 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, the only other such address to be held in an outdoor stadium in the modern television era. |
| Here in North Carolina, the outdoor speech was always risky, considering summertime rain and thunderstorms are far more common than in Denver. In 2008, the campaign produced a raft of meteorological data showing it had rained on the date of the speech, Aug. 28, only once in 20 years. | Here in North Carolina, the outdoor speech was always risky, considering summertime rain and thunderstorms are far more common than in Denver. In 2008, the campaign produced a raft of meteorological data showing it had rained on the date of the speech, Aug. 28, only once in 20 years. |
| But Mr. Messina and other campaign officials had been committed to trying to reprise the stadium rally here. A day before canceling the outdoor speech, he told reporters: “It’s going to be a special moment, and we’re really excited about it.” | But Mr. Messina and other campaign officials had been committed to trying to reprise the stadium rally here. A day before canceling the outdoor speech, he told reporters: “It’s going to be a special moment, and we’re really excited about it.” |