An Effort to Recapture Democratic Enthusiasm
By BY MICHAEL D. SHEAR
Among the most iconic moments of the 2008 presidential campaign were the scenes of Barack Obama, shirtsleeves rolled up, in front of a sea of voters that seemed to go on forever.
Even toward the end of the election season, the crowds dwarfed those of his Republican opponent, Senator John McCain of Arizona. At some locations, tens of thousands of Democrats rallied for their candidate.
Since becoming president, Mr. Obama has gone small. Except for a few rallies during the height of the health care debate, the president has largely eschewed stadiums and wide open spaces in favor of smaller town-hall-style meetings or even backyard conversations.
But that is about to change.
On Wednesday, the president is scheduled to hold an old-fashioned campaign rally on the campus of the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Party officials said they expected thousands to cram onto Library Mall, an outside setting, to see Mr. Obama.
A senior Democratic party strategist said the event would be the biggest political rally since the end of the campaign and is meant to recapture “some of the old excitement and energy from the 2008 campaign that was so essential to Obama’s and Democrats’ success.”
The strategist, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the thinking behind the new approach, said the White House was also trying to leverage the single event with more than 200 “watch parties” across the country, much as Mr. Obama’s campaign did two years ago.
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