By Barb Shelly, Kansas City Star editorial page columnist
Word from the Democrats is that Barack Obama will deliver his acceptance speech in rock star-like fashion at INVESCO Field at Mile High in Denver.
By moving out of the smaller Pepsi Center to the home turf of the dreaded (for us in Kansas City) Broncos, Obama can quadruple his audience and speak to a crowd of about 75,000.
This had better be one incredible speech. Obama and Howard Dean, the party chairman, are ratcheting expectations, well, a mile high. Dean points to the historic milestone of the coronation of the first non-white nominee, and notes that Obama will be speaking on the 45th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream Speech.”
Viewed cynically, the move looks like preening, somewhat like that odd Presidential-appearing seal the Obama campaign rolled out and almost immediately retired.
Plus, the TV networks are in a dither over logistics.
Still, it is a historic occasion and I suppose Obama and the Dems can rationalize the move by stressing that it will allow people other than party insiders to participate.
But they're setting a high, high bar.
Here's the story from politico.com.
Barack Obama risks life and limb every time he appears in public. I doubt that the risk of inclement weather ranks very high on his list of concerns. I have the utmost respect for any candidate, of any party, who is willing to campaign for an elected position. They endure insults and criticism from those who have never achieved anything of substance in their entire lives, and never will. Their words are twisted and corrupted by pundits who are striving for sound bites to gain listeners. Obama is walking on a high wire without a net, exhibiting a boldness not seen since JFK. What's a little bit of rain?