CHARLOTTE, N.C. - While a decision to move President Obama's speech at the Democratic National Convention to a smaller venue might have left some volunteers and visitors here feeling left out in the cold - or the rain, as the weather forecast was predicting - many took it in stride, their support for the President undiminished.
“It happens. I'll vote for him anyway,†Roshunta Cochrane, a 24-year-old Charlotte resident, said.
People on the streets of uptown Charlotte this afternoon instead criticized the convention organizers, who, citing concerns about severe weather, announced this morning that President Obama's speech would be moved from the open-air Bank o f America Stadium to the enclosed Time Warner Cable Arena, where the convention's first two days have been held.
“With it being hurricane season I definitely feel like they could have prepared for it more,†Ms Cochrane added. “It's an open-air arena, so you kind of have to prepare for rain and things like that.â€
Bob Barrows, a 62-year-old volunteer from Charlotte, was scheduled to work at the stadium on Thursday and would have stayed to watch the speech after his shift ended. “I think they may have pulled the trigger too soon,†he said, looking at his watch. “It's near 4 o'clock right now and it's getting better. It's usually bad between 3 and 4. But the weather can be very fickle.â€
Kesha Lee, 30, a resident of Washington, D.C., sat in the sun with two friends on a bench in Charlotte on Wednesday afternoon. “Our game plan was to get up early and brave the crowds before they got there,†she said.
S he hoped that those who planned to arrive here tomorrow would get the message in time. “Rain and 50,000 people without a seat is not a really good thing for Charlotte,†she said.
Some still hoped for the best. James Jackson, 63, and Yolanda Jackson, 61, weren't sure if they would be able to see the President's speech tomorrow inside the Arena. But the retired couple from South Carolina still had their passes and planned to wait on line anyway.
Plan B? “I will go back to my son's house and watch,†Mrs. Jackson explained.
Others didn't seem the least bit disappointed. “I'm from a swing state,†Fayre Ruszczyk, a 64-year-old volunteer from Littleton, Colo. She has seen President Obama speak before.
“This isn't for us, anyway,†she said. “This is for the delegates.â€
Andrew Beary, 59, a local resident and volunteer checking press credentials, still proudly wore his ticket for entry, now merely a souvenir. He feared that the move co uld hurt the enthusiasm of others who also would be left out.
“We hope that those volunteers stay fired up,†he explained. “'Cause we're going to need it. It's going to be a tough one to win in North Carolina.â€
