SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2012
Politico, national media report 18,000+ sized crowd to see Obama at Milwaukee ampitheater; Local media pegs it at 5,000
Could it have been as low as 2,000 to 2,500?From Eric Dondero:
Before you read on, it's important to understand that the Summerground Festival Grounds is not the same thing as BMO Harris Pavilion. The Pavilion sits within the Festival Grounds. The Grounds have a capacity of well over 18,000. The Pavilion seats only 5,000.
According to Keith Backer at Battlegroundwatch, the BMO Harris holds a capacity crowd of 23,000. From Battleground:
First couple articles I’ve seen said he had a crowd of 18,000 (I almost spit out my drink) and one said thousands, but I didn’t see any pics and thought man 18,000 people, pics would be popping up everywhere.Here's an example of the national media reporting the crowd size.
From Politico, "Obama tries to lock up Wisconsin"
Speaking to a crowd the Obama campaign estimated at 18,000 in a city park overlooking Lake Michigan, the president reminded Wisconsin voters that he’s still their bratwurst-loving neighbor who longed to make the short drive to his home in Chicago. “An hour and a half—maybe a little shorter with the motorcade,” he said. [Note the reference to "18,000 in a city park" not the Pavilion.]And here's the report in the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, "Obama fires up supporters, raises money here":
Obama energized his supporters who filled the 5,000-seat BMO Harris Pavilion, along with thousands more who sat in bleachers and stood on the pavement beyond the protection of the roof, even as wind and rain lashed down in the latter moments of the near 30-minute speech.Still, Backer says the local media may have fudged a bit, as well.
This video (Local TV News) has a part that looks like they took it right before it started and there were empty seats, there are 2500 seats and 2500 can fit on benches, it hardly looked overflowing...Photo of the actual event, included scores of empty seats. You judge for yourself, keeping in mind that the Pavilion seats 5,000.(And part of that "18,000+" crowd included the local high school marching band.)
If what Backer is saying here is correct, that Politico and others reported "18,000," the local media, including the way liberal-biased Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel pegged it at 5,000, and the actual crowd size was closer to 2,000 to 3,000, that is an enormous lie by the MSM.
Do we have any Wisconsin LR readers who might be able to shed a little light on this? More info on the Summergrounds Festival, BMO Pavilion?
