McCain Camp Mocks ‘Temple of Obama’

[Dos Equis]

 




McCain Camp Mocks ‘Temple of Obama’

Thursday, August 28, 2008 12:51 PM

By: Rick Pedraza 

Sen. John McCain’s presidential campaign has released a memo mocking Democrat rival Barack Obama’s decision to decorate the stage he will give his acceptance speech tonight on as the “Temple of Obama.”

The memo, titled "Proper Attire for the Temple of Obama (The Barackopolis)," pokes fun at the neoclassical style Britney Spears’ set supervisor Bobby Allen designed for the elaborate stage at 80,000-seat Invesco Field, home of the NFL’s Denver Broncos.

"It's only appropriate that Barack Obama would descend down from the heavens and spend a little time with us mere mortals when accepting the Democratic nomination," Republican National Committee spokesman Danny Diaz tells the New York Post.

"We'll put it in play against him," added Brian Rogers, a spokesman for McCain.

The McCain camp already is planning a series of ads that will bring the point home that Obama is a narcissistic celebrity candidate. It has even gone so far as to suggested the junior senator from Illinois’ delegates should wear togas to fit in with the curved, columned backdrop and other Greek-styled set pieces designed to evoke images of Apollo, Zeus and Athena.

For their part, several Democrats point out that in 2004, George Bush accepted the GOP nomination for president on an even more elaborate stage.

“We're trying to do something new," said a senior Obama campaign aide, noting that Obama is taking a page from the campaign book of John Kennedy, who in 1960 delivered his acceptance speech to 80,000 people in the Los Angeles Coliseum.

Allen, the stage supervisor for Spears and several other rock stars, tells The Post he designed the set more to evoke images of the White House and the Lincoln Memorial, not the Acropolis.

"We've done Britney's sets and a whole bunch of rock shows,” Allen said, “but this was far more elaborate and complicated and we had to do it in far less time."

Once Obama speaks, confetti will rain down on him and fireworks will be fired off from locations around the stadium wall, according to an Associated Press report.

"We would have expected to read something like this in The Onion,” a McCain adviser mockingly told The Post. “Fortunately for us, it's true. Unfortunately for Obama, it's true."
 
http://www.newsmax.com/headlines/temple_of_obama/2008/08/28/125847.html

[Colossus_500]

Risks of Invesco event worry top Dems
By Charles Mahtesian Thu Aug 28, 4:29 AM ET
posted in the Denver Times

Senior Democratic officials are expressing serious concerns about the political risks posed by Barack Obama's acceptance speech at Invesco Field at Mile High tonight.

From the elaborate stagecraft to the teeming crowd of 80,000 cheering partisans, from the vagaries of the weather to the unpredictable audience reaction, the optics surrounding the stadium event have heightened worries that the Obama campaign is engaging in a high-risk endeavor in an uncontrollable environment.

A common concern: that the stadium appearance plays against Obama's convention goal of lowering his star wattage and connecting with average Americans and gives Republicans a chance to drive home their message that the Democratic nominee is a narcissistic celebrity candidate.

"We already know he is a rock star; we already know he can bring 85,000 people together in a stadium. He has done it multiple times. He needs to talk to people who haven't made up their minds yet," said Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen.

"It's likely that the campaign would do it differently if it had to do it again because the decision was made before the European trip," said a senior Democratic elected officeholder who has worked closely with the Obama campaign.

The GOP narrative of Obama as celebrity took root during that trip, where the Illinois senator played to large crowds of adoring Europeans.

Obama campaign officials acknowledged the apprehension Wednesday.

"I have heard some of the concerns and criticism that it's such a big venue," said a senior Obama campaign aide. "It's no surprise that people could be a little nervous. We're trying to do something new."

Another senior Obama aide noted Tuesday there were only two options for what the campaign wanted to accomplish — do it either in the convention hall, in front of the delegates, or somewhere else.

"A diner's not an option," the aide said.

The campaign noted that, aside from the speech itself, it's designed to be "a working event" that enables attendees to phone-bank and reach out to potential voters through a variety of online tools. Holding the speech in a venue that holds 80,000 people also allows tens of thousands of Colorado residents to attend and participate — no small consideration since Colorado is a battleground state where Obama and McCain are neck -and- neck in the polls.

"Winning Colorado is a very important component," said the aide.

But the Invesco Field speech, with its massive expected crowd and the celebrity-style imagery it could evoke, is already being teed up by Republicans eager to hammer home the celebrity theme.

The McCain campaign Wednesday released a memo mockingly titled, "Proper Attire for the Temple of Obama (The Barackopolis)," a reference to the classical stage design in place for his speech. The campaign is already prepared to pull the trigger on ads spun out of the Invesco Field event.

"We'll put it in play against him," said McCain spokesman Brian Rogers.

Some Democrats insist the GOP approach will backfire. Rep. Ed Markey of Massachusetts said the visuals of tens of thousands of people cheering for Obama can only help his campaign by evoking comparisons to former President Kennedy.

"I think he's in that league," Markey said.

Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio also sounded a confident note about the political impact of the forum, asserting that it will prove Obama's message has wide resonance.

Bredesen also said that while he has concerns, Obama is a virtuoso performer who cannot be underestimated.

"They have got a great track record so far," he said. "I would love to see him out showing a certain kind of humility, being in touch with people who go to breakfast at the Waffle House, sending a message."

Martin Kady II, Daniel W. Reilly and Kenneth P. Vogel contributed to this report.

[MCWAY]

As long as they aren't offering any sacrifices, I can deal with it. 

[Colossus_500]

As long as they aren't offering any sacrifices, I can deal with it. 

HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!   

[youandme]

haha this is going to be great. Highlights his ignorance and arrogance.

[shootfighter1]

Wow, bad decision IMO.  Definitely does not need more glamor...he needs more substance...but you know the convention junkies will love the rock star stage & performance.  I'll take a speech like Bill Clintons last night over anything Obama has done.  Those of us that don't give a shit about glits, glam and slogans are not thrilled with Obama.  I'll be watching tonight.

[tonymctones]

Wow, bad decision IMO.  Definitely does not need more glamor...he needs more substance...but you know the convention junkies will love the rock star stage & performance.  I'll take a speech like Bill Clintons last night over anything Obama has done.  Those of us that don't give a shit about glits, glam and slogans are not thrilled with Obama.  I'll be watching tonight.

I was watching cbs or cnn coverage while doing cardio and behind the host there where two signs one said impeach bush and had a skull on it and right next to it was a big sign with a marijuana leaf that said relegalize...kinda kills the credability and message of the others...LOL

[240 is Back]

Did you hear the msnbc coverage?  alex jones in the background yelling '911 was an inside job' for 10 straight minutes of airtime, thru a megaphone.  he was drowning out david gregory and rachel maddow.

[tonymctones]

Did you hear the msnbc coverage?  alex jones in the background yelling '911 was an inside job' for 10 straight minutes of airtime, thru a megaphone.  he was drowning out david gregory and rachel maddow.

i saw highlights of something like that i guess that was the guy i dont know who alex jones is though.

[youandme]

Obama even said tonight's speech would be more "talk" rather than more rhetoric....well I guess it's nice to know he accepts he is a cheerleader rather than a leader.