I just put this on and the crowd is REALLY pumped. :-)
I don't think the Kerry campaign is aware how much local TV and Newspaper people are influenced by a big LOCAL crowd. Bush's front preople see to it he has a big crowd. If Kerry continues what he did in Cleveland last week, ... that is .... just talk to financial backers and the media, the local media will kill him.
The local reporters will assume that Bush has lots of local support and Kerry does not. It is worth noting that local Anchors are as secure in their jobs as the last two ratings books. Two bad books and they are wondering where they can get their next job. If they get the impression that Bush is popular locally and Kerry is not, they will favor Bush in their reporting. They will do it because they think it will help their ratings. If Bush draws big crowds and Kerry dosen't even try, they will assume that Bush is far more popular with local people.
The more I watch the less convinced I become that Kerry's people know about the media and how to use it to their advantage.
On the road Bush caters to the local media. It is a new tack in an industry where the National TV media has been king for decades. But local media has as much audience as the national media. It is a smart move on Bush's part. Nearly everything that Bush does on the road is designed to win over the local media.
As I said, local media is half the game. With Fox, talk radio, and the Internet, Bush could end up with over half the media on his side.
Kerry had best learn how to play local media, or he is toast.