Pics Show Empty Room
Earlier today it was reported that Obama’s birthday party was half empty even though the tickets were only $51:
https://twitter.com/jodikantor/status/234747381097328640
Immediately after the news broke, the Obama team repudiated it:
Just to clarify, tix *started* at $51. Obama campaign sez event was sold out, but room is about half full. Hmmm.
— jodikantor (@jodikantor) August 12, 2012
A picture from the DJ, showing a mostly empty room:
Here’s a pic from inside the room:
The crowd at Obama’s Gen44 funder. Seems possible it was sold out, just that crowd bunched up toward stage for speech. twitter.com/jeneps/status/…
— Jennifer Epstein (@jeneps) August 12, 2012
And from the back of the room:
Chalk protest outside Obama bday funder: #unhappy51 with list of reasons to oppose Obama including kill list, drones twitter.com/jeneps/status/… — Jennifer Epstein (@jeneps) August 12, 2012
Looks lonely…
No filter, no zoom. #Gen44 #Obama twitter.com/claireybus/sta… — Elizabeth Banksy (@claireybus) August 12, 2012
People “bunched up” way in the front:
packed. @barackobama talking about student aid, jobs, low taxes 4working families. Oh & takin out Osama bin Laden twitter.com/kalpenn/status…
— Kal Penn (@kalpenn) August 12, 2012
UPDATE:
A “Chalkupy” protester outside Obama’s birthday event posted this picture:
And another, “Obama admin deports millions”:
A wrap-around image of the crowd before Obama enters – does that look like 1000 people to you? That’s what POLITICO is reporting – they have a reporter at the event, and quoted the Obama campaign. [click to see larger size]
This is in stark contrast with the Romney-Ryan campaign stop in North Carolina, where thousands showed up, waiting in long lines to get a glimpse of the new VP candidate.
UPDATE:
Jay Jones in the comments section points out that the venue can hold up to 1,500 guests. Apparently “selling out” a venue means 2/3rds of the capacity for the Obama team. Genius!!