Obama's convention speech to be given at BofA Stadium

[azmouse]

Probably not the best idea. What is the Obama team thinking?

Quote:The Democratic Party's decision to move President Obama's acceptance speech to the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte has surprised some party activists -- and stirred criticism -- over the use of a venue named for a company that has been at the center of the financial crisis.

"God almighty, I can't believe it." said one top Democratic fundraiser when he learned of the decision to move the speech to Bank of America stadium, where the NFL Carolina Panthers play their football games. "This is an amateur’s mistake."

Convention officials vigorously defended the decision today, saying the use of the open-air 74,000 seat stadium would help excite supporters and enable far more people to see the speech, "That allows for greater participation by Americans from all walks of life," White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said.

But party officials privately confirmed that the move can help with fundraising despite what one called "an obvious optics" problem. And the use of a stadium -- whose naming rights belong to a bank that has been engulfed in controversies over foreclosures, bank fees and bailouts -- was denounced by some watchdog groups.

http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/_news/201...-criticism

[jaxx]

He needs a big venue. I don't care where he gives the speech as long as plenty of Democrats can get in there to see him and cheer him on to re-election. Mile High Stadium is officially known as INVESCO. Did anybody care? No.

[janedrake]

Look, I understand the agita over this - and I've long HATED corporate names on venues, since this whole thing really got going back in the 90's - it really is not "romantic" to have to go see a popular Broadway show at say, the "American Airlines Theater" here in NY -- but common sense has to prevail.

For whatever reason, the DNC chose Charlotte, NC for the Democratic convention. Charlotte, NC is the corporate headquarters of Bank of America. Of course, Bank of America would secure the naming rights to the stadium that is in the city where their corporate headquarters is located.

As in 2008, the Obama campaign wants to give as many people as possible the opportunity to particpate on the official nomination acceptance night. The stadium is most likely the largest venue in the city. Now, because it's named Bank of America Stadium should the President of the United States not set foot in it? No, I think that's a bit much.

I hope people will think this through a bit.

[There Is No Spoon]

It's not the President's job to rank on big businesses of any kind - even big banks. It IS his job to talk about their abuses and try to pass legislation that tries to prevent such abuses in the future.

No matter what Republicans say, businesses will do anything and everything they are permitted to do to make money. Repeal Glass-Stegall? This is what you get. Besides, naming rights are stupid and don't mean you're supporting that company when you go to a football game there.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

I can understand the concern over the "optics" of it and it will no doubt inspire gleeful right-wingers to join the PL in piling on President Obama and the DNC over it (to deflect attacks on Romney) but what does it ultimately mean in terms of what President Obama and the Democrats stand for? Does him simply speaking there somehow "endorse" Bank Of America and it's crummy business policies/practices? Is there another suitable venue that he can use that would be as effective as this one? To me this is just another silly poutrage. I imagine that most people whom consider it to be a huge problem already consider him "bought" by and stuffed in the pocket of Wall Street anyway and him choosing another venue wouldn't matter much to them anyway.

[Treestar]

I've hated to see those names, but they are all over. In Philly where we go to ball games, we no longer have "Veteran's Stadium" but "Citizen's Bank Park." I hate that, but ordinary people go to games in those parks - now that it is common, no ordinary voters are going to see the name of the stadium as some kind of approval of bank fraud. The PL complaints on this show they are out of touch.

[SeattleGirl]

Here in Seattle, I go to Safeco (Insurance) Field to watch the Mariners, and if I want to watch the Seahawks in person, I have to go to Century Link Field (formerly Qwest Field). When we had an NBA team, they played at Key (Bank) Arena.

Other than building a new stadium from scratch with his own money, I don't know where PBO could go to give a speech to a large number of people that doesn't have a corporate name attached to it.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

Is there another stadium in NC? Here it is Allstate or United or US Cellular. Does BoA get any funds for him being there? If not, who cares? Its just the name

[JuniperLea]

O has millions of supporters FCOL!! He needs a big venue so as many as possible can come to hear him speak. I've been trying to think of one stadium, anywhere, that doesn't have baggage and for the life of me, I can't think of a single one.

I thought for a moment about Dodger Stadium... but the Dodgers have had a rough go lately too, and McCourt is so stupid he must surely be a Republican anyway. Besides, it only holds 55,000 people... that's too small for an act this big!

[Drunken Irishman]

(01-18-2012 02:12 PM)JuniperLea Wrote:  O has millions of supporters FCOL!! He needs a big venue so as many as possible can come to hear him speak. I've been trying to think of one stadium, anywhere, that doesn't have baggage and for the life of me, I can't think of a single one.

I thought for a moment about Dodger Stadium... but the Dodgers have had a rough go lately too, and McCourt is so stupid he must surely be a Republican anyway. Besides, it only holds 55,000 people... that's too small for an act this big!

Even Boston named its arena TD Banknorth Garden!

[Drunken Irishman]

The arena where the Jazz play is named after a nuclear waste dump.

So, in today's world, it's hard to skirt corporate naming rights. This isn't an issue, IMO, and shouldn't be pushed as an issue - Obama didn't name the stadium and he would have chosen the stadium regardless of its name.

As for other stadiums in Charlotte, no, there isn't. There are college stadiums a few hundred or so miles away (UNC, Duke), but that's just not practical, since a majority of the national convention will be at Time Warner Cable Arena (I'm sure, if we want, we can find just enough to bitch about that name too), where the Charlotte Bobcats play.

[CTLawGuy]

(01-18-2012 09:55 AM)azmouse Wrote:  Probably not the best idea. What is the Obama team thinking?

Quote:The Democratic Party's decision to move President Obama's acceptance speech to the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte has surprised some party activists -- and stirred criticism -- over the use of a venue named for a company that has been at the center of the financial crisis.

"God almighty, I can't believe it." said one top Democratic fundraiser when he learned of the decision to move the speech to Bank of America stadium, where the NFL Carolina Panthers play their football games. "This is an amateur’s mistake."

Convention officials vigorously defended the decision today, saying the use of the open-air 74,000 seat stadium would help excite supporters and enable far more people to see the speech, "That allows for greater participation by Americans from all walks of life," White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said.

But party officials privately confirmed that the move can help with fundraising despite what one called "an obvious optics" problem. And the use of a stadium -- whose naming rights belong to a bank that has been engulfed in controversies over foreclosures, bank fees and bailouts -- was denounced by some watchdog groups.

http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/_news/201...-criticism

Sorry, to turn this into a controversy is a huge stretch... BofA is not profiting from this in any way, nor is Obama endorsing them, they just happen to be the namesake of the stadium.

[JuniperLea]

(01-18-2012 06:40 PM)CTLawGuy Wrote:  

(01-18-2012 09:55 AM)azmouse Wrote:  Probably not the best idea. What is the Obama team thinking?

Sorry, to turn this into a controversy is a huge stretch... BofA is not profiting from this in any way, nor is Obama endorsing them, they just happen to be the namesake of the stadium.

Just about every whine they utter is a big stretch. Shows they have nothing.