How to Go:
What: President Barack Obama visits Springfield
When: Thursday, doors open at 9:30 p.m.
Where: Springfield High School gymnasium, 701 E. Home Road
Tickets: One free ticket per person will be available from noon to 9 p.m. today at the following locations:
Obama for America Springfield Office, 1214 N. Bechtle Ave. in Springfield
Clark County Democratic Headquarters, 1335 N. Limestone St. in Springfield
Champaign County Democratic Headquarters, 111 S. Main St., in Urbana
(Depending on availability, tickets will also available at these locations from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday)
President Barack Obama plans a late-night visit to Springfield on Thursday, just days after he and Gov. Mitt Romney cancelled campaign events as Hurricane Sandy wreaked havoc on the Northeast.
Obama will speak about 11:30 p.m. Thursday in the Springfield High School gymnasium, marking his first campaign visit to the community, according to Clark County Democratic Party Chairman Ron Rhine.
Rhine said local Democrats have been vying for Obama to visit the area for months.
“It’s going to re-energize Springfield/Clark County again because we still believe there are a lot of people who don’t realize what the president has done in the last four years,” Rhine said.
Clark County Republican Chairwoman Lynda Smith countered, saying Obama hasn’t done anything positive to get America back on track and has stymied the economy and business growth.
She points to the nearly 8 percent unemployment rate nationwide and says he’s racked up $16 trillion in debt and pushed ObamaCare, which will hurt businesses.
“I don’t think his track record is all that good. I think (Republicans) have the better path to bring us back,” Smith said.
She added that residents who attend the rally will “hear the same old stale ideas (Obama) has had for the last four years.”
Rhine disagrees, saying Obama will remind voters that his administration inherited the Great Recession and two wars. Obama will also point out that since his election he helped saved the auto industry, Rhine said, and ordered the raid that led to the death of Osama bin Laden.
Springfield City Schools Superintendent David Estrop, who was invited to the White House last year by Obama, said he was pleased the president decided to visit and said he would also welcome Romney.
“We’re very pleased the president of the United States is going to visit Springfield High School. What an honor to our community and Springfield High. It’s very important for our students and our community see that the president is interested in visiting our community,” Estrop said.
Hurricane Sandy has led to several campaign event changes.
A planned Republican campaign event in Kettering will take place today, but officials said Monday afternoon that it was unclear whether Romney would be there as first planned.
Catherine Gatewood, Ohio spokeswoman for the Republican National Committee, said Romney’s event today in Lima was canceled.
“The event in Dayton will take place — it will be a disaster relief event where Gov. Romney may make brief remarks,” Gatewood wrote in an e-mail. “We will encourage attendees to bring disaster relief supplies to the event.”
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