Obama agrees to debate in Austin

[sonias]

Houston Chronicle 7/11/08

Obama agrees to debate in Austin

Feb. 11, 2008, 4:11PM

By DAVID IVANOVICH
Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle

WASHINGTON — Barack Obama said today he has accepted an invitation to participate in a Democratic presidential debate in Austin — leaving uncertain the status of a similar event planned in Houston.

The Illinois senator has agreed to participate in a Feb. 21 forum being organized by the Texas Democratic Party, Univision and CNN.

"We are pleased that Sen. Obama will have the opportunity to debate in Texas, and that it will air on Univision, ensuring a wide and diverse audience," Adrian Saenz, the Obama camp's Texas state director, said in a statement.

:woohoo:


Sonia

[WolverineDG]

1. OMG How do we get tix??????

:woohoo:

dg

[sonias]

2. I'll let you know as soon as I know

I'm sure they will talk about that at tonight's meet up.

Sonia

[sonias]

4. Some details from the Texans for Obama group

Breaking news...Presidential debate at UT-Austin campus
The Texas showdown will be Thursday (2/21) at 7:00pm on CNN. The debate will take place at the LBJ school. As soon as we know how to get tickets, we'll post that information on to this TFO blog.

For a staging location, we're going to meet at Scholz Garten for a pre-debate rally and a debate watching party. Scholz is conviently located just two blocks south of the UT campus. The pre-debate really will start at 5:00pm, and we'll stick around Scholz until the debate is over.

Go RSVP at their site. It's a start.

Sonia

[sonias]

3. CNN link

CNN politicalticker
Texas showdown: Dems agree to CNN-Univision debate
Obama and Clinton will debate in Texas next Thursday.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – Illinois Sen. Barack Obama and New York Sen. Hillary Clinton accepted invitations Monday to appear at a CNN, Univision, and Texas Democratic Party presidential debate scheduled for next week in Austin at the University of Texas.

The February 21st debate will air live on CNN and CNN International from 8 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. ET. At 11:30 p.m. ET, the debate will air in Spanish on Univision.

This sound like there's going to be some overnight camping involved I bet if it's at UT. Damn!

They should use the drum where more people can get in.

Sonia

[GOPisEvil]

5. @ the LBJ school? What, the Austin High Auditorium booked?

Come on, let's get a larger venue. I guess I will have to watch on TV (or at Scholz').

Cool that at least one debate is here.

[Melissa G]

6. LOL! ...They should just move the whole thing to Scholz'

Give them more of that 'Austin flavor' if the want to keep it so small. At least then there would be beer!

[GOPisEvil]

7. Now the Statesman is saying that the location is not final.

What the hell, Auditorium Shores!!! :D

[Melissa G]

8. Party on!!!

We can do kayaks and listen from Lady Bird Lake!:party:

[sonias]

9. Per the Obama campaign tonight it is the LBJ school

They have to arrange for security and all that stuff. Tickets - who the hell knows. I'm sure both the campaigns will have an allocation for their people, so you have to be a good volunteer for either camp first.

The TDP - my guess is that they'll get a pretty good size block as the sponsors and that will go to the party people and maybe be sold to raise money.

These tickets will be so hot, it's not funny. If you have a few grand to contribute to the party, I bet you might get a ticket.

We have a better chance watching it at a large venue on TV.

:shrug:

Sonia

[Lithos]

10. It's not at LBJ High School

rather it is at the LBJ School of Public Affairs, just east of the LBJ Library. They often refer to themselves as the "LBJ School", there is a fairly large Auditorium in the basement.

L-

[sonias]

12. Right I forget there's a High School

When I said LBJ I meant the School of Public Affairs.

Fairly large for the demand in Austin, are you kidding? It seats 1,000 people. Plus this is the only debate in Texas. It won't just be the Austin people who want to come. People would come from 3-4 hours away if they could get in, would caravan.

I went to see Noam Chomsky there in 2002. They had people sitting outside the auditorium and into the grass. It's not big enough for everyone that wants to see it in person.

Be prepared to participate in a watch party somewhere of your choosing.

Sonia

[crispini]

11. Jealous!

Oh well, guess I'll watch it on TV. Hey, you know Dallas actually has more Democrats than Austin, but we don't get no respect. :cry: :evilgrin:

Enjoy and I expect lots of firsthand reports and pictures!

[sonias]

13. crispini, you'll be in the same boat as us

We'll probably be watching it on TV too. :hug:

Organize a watch party in Dallas.

Sonia

[crispini]

14. Ah yes. Actually the Party will probably organize one.

So I'll mark my calendar now! :D

[sonias]

15. No details available yet on how to get tickets

AAS article 2/13/08
Central Texans giddy over upcoming Clinton-Obama debate
No details available yet on how to get tickets
(snip)
James Steinberg, dean of the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at UT, said he planned to confer late Tuesday with CNN and Univision officials about an ideal location on the UT campus. The two networks plan to air the 90-minute debate, which is scheduled for 7 p.m.

"I'm confident that there will be some student participation," Steinberg said. "It's really exciting, especially for the students here to feel they're going to have an impact on this important national decision."

For the Feb. 26 MSNBC Clinton-Obama debate in Cleveland, Ohio, the campaigns will distribute most of the tickets, the Cleveland Plain Dealer reported.

Austinite Emily Davis is holding out hope for public tickets here. Davis, 25, a legal secretary, wrote this comment on the Statesman's Postcards from the Lege blog: "Tickets? I will give you my kidney!"

Sonia

[NoPasaran]

16. No tickets for the public

http://www.statesman.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/politics/entries/2008/02/13/no_public_tickets_to_be_availa.html

What a fucking sham. For $50 you can go to a watch party sponsored by the TDP. Whoopty fucking do

[WolverineDG]

17. Obama supporters are meeting at Scholtz' Garden

Wanna switch sides? :toast: :beer:

dg

[GOPisEvil]

18. Fifty bucks for the TDP?! They can suck it!

I'd rather spend that money here with the local party, if they are hosting an event. In reality, I'd rather pay nothing, but I'm realistic.

[NoPasaran]

19. Keep Austin Blue will hold a debate watching party

Mother Egan's of course. Free admission! And who knows, Barack and Hillary just might stop by after the debate!

[GOPisEvil]

22. Oh, now THERE is a good idea.

:thumbsup:

[sonias]

20. 100 tickets by drawing

AAS 2/14/08
Democratic Party to offer 100 Austin debate tickets to public
Event attendance is otherwise by invitation; 1,000 to 3,000 may fit in UT gym.
(snip)

The Democratic Party said late Wednesday that it will make 100 tickets available to the public through a drawing.

The state party initially said that no public tickets would be available and that most audience members would be elected officials. That prompted angry blog posts and calls to local Democratic Party offices.

"We have received a huge volume of calls today on this subject, some of which have been less than pleasant for our staff to hear and deal with and which accuse us of all manner of bad behavior," Travis County Democratic Party Chairman Chris Elliott wrote in an e-mail newsletter Wednesday.

Sonia

[WolverineDG]

21. That last part is true

my friend & fellow Drunks Caucus member is about to go postal on the debate tix thing. :crazy:

dg