(Weekly Standard) – According to disclosure forms with the Federal Election Commission, President Obama’s reelection team appears to have paid $92,751.50 to rent the Ohio State University’s Jerome Schottenstein Center, the site of the campaign’s much touted kick-off even in May.
The disclosure appears on records of the campaign’s June spending, though the event took place May 5. And of course does not include other costs associated with the event; only the cost of renting the arena.
The event was widely considered a dud, and perhaps best remembered for images of the numerous empty seats:
The Drudge Report headline after the campaign launch event read, “OBAMA LAUNCHES CAMPAIGN IN HALF EMPTY STADIUM.”
But it was not supposed to be that way. As ABC News reported the day of the event, “The Obama campaign expects overflow crowds … as part of carefully orchestrated optics. Aides want to portray the president as still highly popular among young people and still able to energize large crowds.”
http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/obama-paid-93k-half-empty-stadium-kick-event_648848.html
