Mitt Romney is holding an event at Ford Stadium right now which has failed to attract enough people to come even close to filling it up. Only 1200 showed up for his speech. His campaign scrambled to make the event look as full as possible, but largely failed. You got to see the photo –

http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2012/02/24/432150/romney-versus-obama-speec/

Thanks Dennis, This is GREAT!

Wow, Dennis, looks as if the Romney crowd covered only the distance between the 30 yard line and the goal line. I remember hearing some comments last week discussing the risk of Romney's campaign renting a stadium that size; their concerns were warranted.

Another fundraiser, this time again with another middle-class constituency, the NBA players.

That Obama, he truly loves the middle-class.

Only 1200 showed up for his speech

Wonder how much Willard paid them?

Thanks for the pic Dennis - talk about a little fish in a big pond! lol

Ford Field seats 55,000 people.

Today is a work day and their is a severe Winter Weather Advisory out. Seems Winter has come to Detroit.

Kind of doubt they thought they would fill it.

The President spoke at U of M a while ago and chose a Fieldhouse instead of Crisler Arena to speak to Students.

Missed your comments on that Dennis or were you the one claiming the Girls Gymnastics meet the night before forced him to hold it in the Fieldhouse?

700 millionaires in the NBA.

For Obama that's like shooting fish in a barrel.

Dennis, it's being tweeted all over the place - here's just one:

Markos M - Oh look, Romney is using a teleprompter for his speech to an empty stadium.

Zing!!!!!!!!

LoL.

Dennis---didn't they move the speech from somewhere else to accommodate the "crowds?"

Stiff COLLAR ,

Watch your language.

JSA1

Those middle class donors are Americans. The constituency GOP will never care or fight for. This same constituency that pay more in taxes than the millionaires which never bothers GOP conscience.

Geesh, isn't this like - Romney's HOME STATE!?

Evidently there are more people outside the stadium than inside the stadium - they would be the auto workers who have no desire to support this man.

Good for them.

Dennis, shame on you, lol....That crowd is dwarfed by the size of the stadium!

Mittens just can't get the optics together, starting with his own robotic movements.

WCA,

“chose a Fieldhouse instead of Crisler Arena” and still he drew almost three times as many people – standing room only (SRO).

Today is a work day

That's weird - I have taken vacation days to go see President Obama.

Winter Weather Advisory out.

It's 37 with light rain in Detroit right now...

Face it - Willard has a serious enthusiasm problem & no amount of twisting it is gonna change a thing!

Well Feisty, tell that to the Weather reporters here that have been screaming gloom and doom since yesterday.

As a matter of fact maybe you should call my kids schools becuase they were all closed today.

Most people use their vacation days to do something constructive with their families. Figures you would waste yours to go hear a speech you can watch on the TeeVee or the Intraweb.

Pathetic.

Yes Dennis, he drew Students at the most Liberal college in the Midwest who got credit for going to hear him promise them that he was going to forgive their Student Loans.

You guys will just never get it.

Bev, I assume you are talking to me but Stiff Collar is not what I go by. So what language?

WCA,

“Most people use their vacation days to do something constructive with their families. Figures you would waste yours to go hear a speech you can watch on the TeeVee or the Intraweb.”

And there it is - the enthusiasm gap !!

Go over to The Obama Diary and look at the photos of what is taking place outside the stadium. Wow.

And look at the comparison photos of Romney in Michigan (his home state) and then President Obama in Michigan.

So Dennis just to be clear.

Choice between taking a day off to spend time with your family or go to a Political Speech, you choose the speech.

Like I said, Pathetic.

Figures you would waste yours to go hear a speech you can watch on the TeeVee or the Intraweb.

Only is small, narrow minds like yours WCA - could you equate something historic with a waste of time!

More on his speech to a small crowd -

Mitt Romney made a couple of awkward gaffes towards the end of his speech today. First, he repeated his bizarre and widely-mocked line about liking Michigan because “the trees are the right height.” Then, he played into the out-of-touch patrician narrative he’s trying to shed when he said his wife drives not one, but a couple of Cadillac’s.

Pat, Boston is right - you HAVE to see the pics over on the Obama Diary!

There are more people outside then in! lol

Guess they weren't afraid to brave a little rough weather... unlike some others...

David Alexrod tweet, per DailyKos: too funny

Judging from pictures, looks like Mitt pinned himself inside the 20.

Today is a work day and their is a severe Winter Weather Advisory out. Seems Winter has come to Detroit.

Oh come on WCA, we had about two to three inches of snow overnight and it's now above freezing. It's more like he had an event in Detroit (a Dem Stronghold) he move the Event to Ford Field because they were expecting a crowd to large for the original venue and his handlers suck.

That's weird - I have taken vacation days to go see President Obama.

Now Feisty no one from Mitt's "Home" state is going to waste a perfectly good vacation day to see Mitt. The guy's a mannequin with a weather vane attached to his head, who wants to sit through one of his diatribes. Just ask Amy she did it and it confirm her beliefs.

As a matter of fact maybe you should call my kids schools becuase they were all closed today.

WCA, Most of the closures were for charter schools and private schools. I will agree that the weather forcasters were calling for 3 to 6 inches but if you listened to WWJ (the local news radio in the Detroit Metro Area) you would have heard a call for 1 to 3 below I94 and 3 to 6 above (yesterday morning's prediction) and this morning on channel 4 the roving coverage showed clear roads. Hell I left for work at the normal time and arrived on time as normal and my kid went to school too. If that is what you call severe weather than you need to move to CA or FL. This has been the mildest winters in MI that anyone I have talked to here can remember. Face it, Mitt could draw flies even if he was dead.

BTW How does beet juice and brine help the snow melt? I get the brine but the beet juice?

Just looked back at the First Thoughts thread. Big surprise! I was deleted! So not only are you people unemployed, lying, miserable hypocrites, you're also predictable, easily led sheep. Wow. Who woulda thunk it?

Of course, if it was the First Read staff that deleted it, that just makes them as mindless, liberal and hypocritical as you people.

By the way, you people really need to go back and read that thread. After the righties showed up and you all skedaddled like businesses leaving a Democrat-run state, at least 3 or 4 people really made Feisty Redhead their own personal prison bitch. It was great.

Speaking of which...Port In Jacksmouth. You said you were gonna put me on ignore. It's no surprise you lied about that. You're obsessed with me. But I DO remember telling you clearly to stop with your lying about being in Vietnam. I've run into plenty like you on these type of liberal threads and you're all full of s**t. It's called "Stolen Valor." Now cut it out.

And Brian B. That's too funny that you filed for unemployment to help do your part to make Hussein look bad. I had my wife do the same thing! LOL. I thought I was the only one. Filed, then didn't accept a dime. All so we can do our part.

Have a great night at the Dew Drop Inn, lefties. You're gonna need to be drunk to have to live through what's gonna happen in the next few months.

Oh...has ANYONE in the MUSLIM WORLD apologized for anything they've done in the past few days yet?

Beverly in Chicago

Stiff COLLAR ,

Watch your language.

From the bigot who dislikes anything that isn't from her cut and paste section:

Beverly in Chicago

Didn't you know The Catholic Church invented nuns and alter boys for the express purpose of raping them?

A little known fact about the Catholic Church is that it's written down in the Vatican that the Catholic Church intends to take over the US and burn all non-Catholics at the stake before Sharia Law comes to America. :)

Never did respond to where you obtained your information angry black woman who dislikes anyone other than a liberal.

Hey devie, 197 school district closings today including most of Oakland County.

I never commented on what the weather was, I said that their was, and still is, a severe weather advisory.

So you and your ilk can stop implying that I am lying.

Funny, but people tend to adjust their days based on those advisories.

All those school districts did.

Brain Damage says he "filed, then didn't accept a dime" of unemployment.

Now why do I not believe him?

Damage,

Taking your completely narrow view of history off of the past, let's say, 30 years... Does the Middle East really have anything to be sorry for? Should they be sorry for being partitioned time and time again to Western powers? Should they be sorry for being betrayed by the Treaty of Versailles? Should they be sorry for the Industrial Revolution that led to the rise of the internal combustion engine, and thus the rise of their petrol monopoly? Really? Should they be sorry.

No, we don't have to sniff their throne. No, I'm not saying we should forgive the atrocities of which they have committed.

I'm saying that both parties need to recognize their faults.

ideologyspoilstheview

So let's see ... NBA + blues musicians + women (big time this time) + the poor + gays + lesbians + the middle class + the higher educated + Hispanics + Blacks + union members + a handful of rich folk + younger voters ... starting to look like the deck is stacked in his favor.

It sure is.

Bill Maher Donated $1 Million to Obama SuperPAC

The war on women is just too nookyular

I saw a young guy say on Dylan the youth are voting Ron Paul. We'll see

Love the site Beverly ... thanks.

I think you can cut that list down a bit...

unions + middle class + youth + the poor + the educated.

That's a large enough consensus, and I'm not a fan of labelling support by ethnicity :(

So let's see ... NBA + blues musicians.......

___________________________________

You left out "and anyone else who is getting a free handout from the feds"

The middle-class is getting a free handout from the feds?

The educated, too?

I read into that 'Everyone should be poor and uneducated or rich and uneducated.'

I'm sure that's not what you meant.

And isn't Medicare D the biggest federal handout in the last couple of decades? At least fiscally speaking?

I don't think Obama did that one.

"You left out "and anyone else who is getting a free handout from the feds"

Joe in Albany ... I don't believe the oil companies are allowed to vote.

This must be the day NBC has chosen to start their Obama endorsement procedures... WAIT! That has never stopped. Again, why am I not surprised? After all Obama is the ONLY person in the universe to be President of the United States... and he's done such a great job these past 3 years. Why just last month he violated the Constitution by signing an international treaty without Congressional consent.

Why that doesn't piss liberals off is beyond imagination. It effects YOUR use of the internet and you will be the ones to suffer the consequences... But liberals keep on endorsing Obama... as he takes your freedom away one piece at a time.

teknishan ... and I am not a fan of editing my posts just to please someone's moral standard.

The 2012 campaign is different from the 2008 campaign.

In 2008, it was - who is this Barack Obama? Let's go and hear him speak. Let's give him some money - we can't have McCain and Palin...

But now it's different - people are now going to hear him speak; people are donating money - because he is our President. And he has been an exceptional president. So the respect he is receiving is nice to see.

He has earned it.

But we have to remember, this election is more about President Obama. It's about us and what Romney or Santorum would love to do to destroy us more. We can't have it.

But I think the dignity and grace President Obama has shown is rubbing off.

It's time to give back to him. He has worked his tail off for us. For all of us.

I'm allowed to disagree with the President on certain policies.

And I've already petitioned on ACTA.

But I don't think anyone is trying to take away more 'rights' than the small-government-but-vaginal-police-guys running in the (R) primary.

You pick and choose your battles, man. I think ACTA is garbage and I think it will affect the internet. I've signed as much.

I don't, however, think that's remotely comparable to the crusade to fight Iran, overturn R v W, or State Rape women.

Having the endorsement of a professional athlete is certainly high-glam, but think about it. If there is one field that exemplifies excess and "the 1%" it is American professional sports. Top athletes in the big leagues are going to pull in a colossal paycheck regardless of political climate, and we the consumers assure their payday by going to games and buying the products they endorse. Talk about out-of-touch with the normal everyday regular guy.

I love sports and I am not saying these athletes are dumb, or not politically savvy. Just seems to me to demonstrate a bit of a double standard.

An athlete's endorsement is a fine way to sell Nikes, not so sure the same process is good for thoughtful, informed voting.

(Is it just me or are these spam filter thingies getting almost impossible to decipher?)

teknishan - R V W will never be overturned. The republicans are full of crap when it comes to speaking about it. They use it as a battle axe, but they don't want it overturned, or they would do something else about it... they never have and never will. Liberals can relax over a woman's privacy rights. It's pretty much the same as republicans wanting to do something about Social Security or Medicare... they won't ever touch it, or change it... It can't happen... For all the liberal talking points about republicans touching these issues, it's nothing but wasted air. The laws won't change, neither will the programs. Until the entire system collapses due to national debt.... then and only then will it change.

Bill Maher did contribute a $1 million check.

That just goes to prove that even idiots can make it in this world. So there's hope for people like Bevvy and Betty.

I'd almost agree with you if Virginia hadn't, literally, sent a state-rape bill to their assembly last week. Thankfully it got mulled down a bit, but the rules are changing. It's no longer just talking points, they're actually starting to pursue the madness at the fringes.

the end-result of what happens when you pander to either base's extreme.

Throughout the course of my life watching athletes off the field, I have found them to be quite generous in whatever city they are playing in. They make a concerted effort to give back to the community time and time again. And not just during the holidays.

I'm real proud of these guys and I don't care, nor never cared, how much money they make. They work hard on and off the field and make big bucks for the ownerships. They give a lot of their time to their communities.

And Bill Maher seems to me to be quite concerned about the direction the GOP is attempting to take us in. I applaud what he did.

The middle-class is getting a free handout from the feds?

The educated, too?

________________________________________

The mortgage interest deduction on your 1040 is a free handout to the middle class and a subsidy of the real estate brokers and the housing construction industries.

Pell grants, student loan subsidies and the various education expense credits on your 1040 are a free handout to the educated.

Joe in Albany

So let's see ... NBA + blues musicians.......

___________________________________

You left out "and anyone else who is getting a free handout from the feds"

Hey Joe... He also failed to realize that each of those groups (excluding women) makes up about 1/10 of 1 percent of the population... not nearly enough to make a difference!

It's all about the needs of the few with these clowns.

Dream on libbies! DREAM ON!

(show me the clown nose, fisty!)

And isn't Medicare D the biggest federal handout in the last couple of decades?

__________________________________________

Absolutely.

And when the Republican's pushed that through is when I began to believe America was in decline and its best days were in the rear view mirror.

Yep, the NBA and the Obama - neither one can hit the foul shot! But both love those unions though. After all, how can many achieve that 1% status without the union? Can you imagine negotiating a contract with them, after discounting the number of 'you-knows; understand what I'm saying; and UHMMMMM, Man.

You ignored the rest of my post, though :)

But, in all earnestness, if 'less taxes' = subsidization then you and Grover Norquist have a huge rift.

pat,

There is no question many professional athletes give back, and they indeed can make bank for their ownership (another subject altogether - feeling that point keenly as a Dodger fan) and sponsors. Though it seems excessive they are largely paid what they are worth.

I stand by my point, however, regarding their connection with you and I, and candidate endorsement.

Now if Derek Fisher would speak up.........my favorite Laker!....maybe I'd change my viewpoint...

Were you not heading over to Russia soon?

See, Joe in Albany? Further proof we're not so divided as the entrenched want us to believe.

Although I don't think less taxation is subsidization, I can see why you'd think that.

I think our biggest drama-llama right now is the pain in the jobs market. With a 20% U-6, it's just a signal the US needs to figure out how to spur their jobs growth. I think history has proven, repetitively and often, that the only way out of a downturn is to grow yourself out of it. Yet to hear an austerity-success story.

Agree?

The war on women is just too nookyular

Thanks Bev, I have always wondered how Bush spelled that word, or, is this the Newt spelling?

Mark, we disagree on this one. These players bring in enormous sums of money to the owners of their teams. And they play hard to win. You can see it in their faces, you can see it by how they work out, etc. They are on the road a lot and away from their families, they have to be "on" just about every single day, so to me they deserve the money. We can joke all we want about pro athletes, but they got to where they are by a strong commitment, starting at very very young ages.

And for the most part they are quite gracious, especially to the kids.

Russia isn't until late summer. The itinerary is all set, the hotels, etc. I added Stalingrad which I'm very excited about. But the trip is still way way off.

It will be good to get away this year on my own. I so need it as it has not been a good year for me personally. I'll be traveling by train for day long trips to the Urals and then Siberia, plus Moscow and a few small villages and such.

It certainly has been a long time since I took a historical trip like this for 2 weeks. Looks like I'll be away just before the general election starts in Sept.

Good timing huh? LoL.

You're welcome, ideologyspoilstheview

pat,

In my career as a private jet pilot and mechanic I have met and interacted with many elite athletes. For the most part, as you say, a hard working bunch and a strange lifestyle (much like mine!). I admire their accomplishments, and I feed the money machine, especially baseball. Four more stadiums and I will have seen a home game in all 30 major league cities.

We shall disagree about political endorsements!

Sounds like a great itinerary for Russia. If you have the time, learn the Cyrillic alphabet and some basic Russian. It is not difficult and will add immeasurably to the enjoyment and appreciation of your trip.

Good timing indeed!

I think history has proven, repetitively and often, that the only way out of a downturn is to grow yourself out of it.

___________________________________________

You had to say that just as I was beginning to believe that the way out of the downturn was lots of lefty liberal deficit spending on federal jobs bills and heaping helpings of new govt regulations.

Thanks a lot.

But I think the dignity and grace President Obama has shown is rubbing off.

It's time to give back to him. He has worked his tail off for us. For all of us.

_______________________________________________________________

Pat in Boston, I hope you swallow.

Pat in Boston, I hope you swallow.

Now you crawled over here...

You're over on FT's pissing & moaning about no one feeling sorry for you because you lost your job!

Guess what?

There is a little something called R-E-S-P-E-C-T, when you manage to aquaint yourself with it, people might be more willing to show YOU some!

You're over on FT's pissing & moaning about no one feeling sorry for you because you lost your job!

You know Brian, Pat is very respectful. Maybe you could follow Pat's lead. Sorry to hear about your job loss but attacking one of the nicest posters on FR isn't very endearing.

attacking one of the nicest posters on FR isn't very endearing.

Exactly Devie,

Brian can lob all the juvenile insults he wants at ME, but, he better think twice before attacking one one the most thoughtful posters on FR & also my good friend!

Joe-

No, both sides agree we need to grow out of it. The debate is which incentives are needed to do so.

I can't swallow the 'reduce unemployment by firing people'-line that some pitch out there. The slash and burn types.

Nor do I think we can stimulate it as much as we want at the federal level.

As for me?

I want to return to Protectionism, and place "market barriers to entry" for those companies which don't have jobs in the US, or not enough jobs.

And I want to see California be the first state to do it. No company can walk away from CA, too much money on that table...but no company wants to manufacture there, either, due to cost.

I want to see them strong-arm US and foreign companies and either give them the market 'boot' or force them to hire in the Golden State.

Red Betty - YOU get zero respect from me. Your mental meltdowns aren't my problem. You haven't shown any conservative a single iota of respect, ever! So if YOU want respect, show it. If not, keep being the @$$hole you are.

Now I haven't heard the Red One show civility to anyone other than a fellow libbie.

Frank - Couldn't resist talking about my Mavs.

Well if you are speaking about Vince Carter, you do know they used to call him Vinsanity when he played up in Toronto.

Like that song goes - I ain't as good as I once was, I got a few years on me now, but I can still lay it on the line...

Seven foot German - If you are talking about Dirk I often think of that song - "Simply the best, better than all the rest".

My favorite Mav player though is still Jason Terry, watching him reminds me of the Sade song "Smooth operator"

By the way your Heat look really strong this year. (yeah this was probably spam)

I still like hockey better though dangit!!!!!

Me to. In hockey Detroit never went away.

Yellowdog...

It was the 2000 Olympics and I believe the 7 foot German's last name was Weis. Carter literally took off and went over him. INSANE!!!!

The Heat do look pretty insane and definitely took care of "Lin-Sanity" for a little while!!!

Alan...

I am a HUGE hockey fan...have followed it since I was a kid. Definitely my favorite of the 4 major sports to watch...non-stop action. And yeah...the Red Wings just keep on winning!

*Correction: The aforementioned seven footer that Vince Carter schooled was on the French team.

Global warming? What global warming? Republicans and NASCAR - there's a natural fit.

So what? Let them waste their 100Million. That's enough to spur 2000 good middle-class jobs for a year.

Let 'em spend, man. Let 'em spend.

Yeah, I hear you, but perhaps it would be better spent on the actual miners and drillers that made them those billions, instead of ad agency executives and TV general managers. Besides, does it all have to go to Fox Noise? I guess the less the brothers have, whomever gets it, it 'trickles down', right? Unfortunately, I haven't seen any of it dating back to the Reagan years- yet !

Trickle-down has to do with tax-rates.

I just want them to spend their money, so they have less :)

Steeler, South America sounds divine! It truly does. Russia is my life's dream since way way back when I started learning about Poland. I've been captivated about that part of the world for it seems like forever.

Thanks for your kind thoughts Steeler Fan. First Read and people like you have a talent for putting a smile on my face no matter what.

Go on over to Daily Kos and see Al Rodger's diary. It's President Obama intensive photos and how he has turned his game around big time.

Looks like all Democrats are coming together now. There have been so many ups and downs the past three years with Obama supporters, but now it's nice to see us all joining hands in 2012.

It's kind of taking my breath away actually.

I so love it and am looking forward to this summer as crowds gather to listen to our president.

President Obama is above all else - just a really good person and we are fortunate that he would like four more years.

steeler fan,

Going way off topic here and back a few weeks. I was in Glasgow and you had asked if I was paying attention to any politics in Scotland.

I was paying attention. While I was there the British government announced a .2% dip in the UK GDP. Lots of howling, finger pointing, no real solutions being put forward. I think coverage of House of Lords and House of Commons sessions are available here in the US, watch if you have a chance. Entertaining and educational!

The UK economy is in bad shape, worse than ours.

The real political news over there is Scotland's possible bit for independence, as soon as 2014. In talking with various Scots about the question of independence it appeared to me the younger people were more in favor than older. Though David Cameron stated independence would be up to a vote by the Scottish people I don't see it being that easy. London would be loathe to loose the revenue from North Sea oil. A fascinating, developing story.

Now back to our regularly scheduled programming.......

Mark, I say - you are an interesting chap. lol

Thanks, Pat......for the sake of full disclosure, I do consider myself a conservative.....

At the risk of busting advertising rules here I invite you to check out my website at www.thewagman.com (no advertising there).

There's pictures of Moscow and Vladivostok and some aerial view of Siberia - get stoked for your trip.

Cheers

Pat--it is nice to see the Democrats recognizing that whatever differences we may have they are NOTHING compared to our differences with most Republicans.

My husband's dream is to ski in the Andes so he will be doing that while I shop! Seems fair to me.

Scotland is my other dream vacation---I'm hoping to get to take both of them. Thanks for sharing your impressions from Scotland, Mark. I hadn't heard that about independence for Scotland--very interesting. ALso interesting to me that the economy is in bad shape even with oil revenues. Maybe we will postpone our trip til they are independent.

Mark in SoCal

I see you have been busy working on your website, tons of new photos. I go there periodically just to see what you have added. My favorite has and remains the photos at Telescope Peak. The bristlecone pine black and white photo is my favorite.

Good for you.

There have been so many ups and downs the past three years with Obama supporters..

it is nice to see the Democrats recognizing that whatever differences we may have they are NOTHING compared to our differences with most Republican (candidates).

_____

Agree.

It is proven that racism runs deepest with those that have the darkest roots.

the shout of RACISM often is an excuse to cover up your crimes- HONEST &N INTEGRITY know NO color and neither does FRAUD-

Yes he has ... he called for everyone making more than $250K a year to pay more.