The event was planned as Mitt Romney delivering his plan for America's economic deliverance in Detroit. A city that has been through a wrenching process of economic dislocation, and de-industrialization (largely as a result of off-shoring) more profoundly than any other American city. One would think that the beleaguered residents of Greater Detroit would be eager to hear the plan for Detroit's and America's economic revitalization. Especially from the presidential candidate who's being touted as having the economic expertise to engineer economic vitality through his new policies.
Apperently Romney's hosts, the Detroit Economic Club were hoping to create a buzz of excitement over Romney's plan for economic deliverance being presented in a policy speech, by moving the venue from a downtown hotel to Ford Field, and distributing large quantities of tickets to its optimistic membership.
Drama building as Michigan primary nears
The Detroit Economic Club, which hosts Mitt Romney at a lunch event today, had to move it to a larger venue when ticket sales soared. Originally booked for the Westin Book Cadillac downtown, the event was moved to Ford Field because of the demand for tickets.
Things didn't quite turn out how the Detroit Economic Club planned.
The Romney campaign didn't encourage supporters to attend the speech. Apparently Romney's campaign saw the event as a perfunctory economic policy speech.
For Basketball games Ford Field holds 80,000 people
At a Romney Speech, 1,200 People and 65,000 Seats
By MICHAEL D. SHEAR
Even before the speech started, reporters began tweeting out pictures of the 65,000-seat stadium â completely empty, except for the chairs set up on the field itself, near the 20-yard line.
Row after row of empty blue seats in the huge stadium made the crowd seem minuscule, especially compared with the images of stadiums filled with screaming fans that TV viewers are used to.
And the comparisons do not stop there.
Reporters quickly started posting pictures of the stadium speeches President Obama gave at similar point in his primary campaign four years ago. One, at a stadium in Hartford, was almost filled to capacity â about 16,000 seats.
Mr. Obama rallied with 14,000 in Boise, Idaho, 18,000 in Minneapolis and more than 20,000 in St. Louis in February 2008.
David Axelrod
@davidaxelrod
Judging from pictures, looks like Mitt pinned himself in inside the 20.
Even Mitt's joke about how empty the venue was floped.
Also the UAW was picketing outside Romney's economic speech at Ford Field.
Romney tells Economic Club: Detroit 'must be the Motor City of the world'
By Kathleen Gray
And Romney said it will be the auto industry that will help lead the country and Michigan out of the recession.
"Detroit should not just be the Motor City of America," he said. "It must be the Motor City of the world and I want to make sure that happens."
Romney criticized the United Auto Workers -- who protested outside Ford Field -- for asking for too much for too many years, auto management that gave away too much and a government that put burdensome regulations on the industry in the form of fuel efficiency standards.
Romney's stale economic plan that repackages the economic ideas from the George W. Bush Administration has all the appeal of stale popcorn.