Neighborhood Watch

By Kleinheider Posted on July 29, 2008 at 6:59 am

Colby Sledge reports that limited seating for the Presidential Debate at Belmont University in October has resulted in a plethora of planning for off-site watch parties:

Even Belmont is setting up an invitation-only viewing party elsewhere — the historic Ryman Auditorium in downtown Nashville. Members of the honorary host committee, including Gov. Phil Bredesen, Nashville Mayor Karl Dean and former Vice President Al Gore, will be invited, along with Belmont trustees, event donors and students from Belmont and other area universities.

“We would love for everyone in Tennessee to be at a viewing party on October 7,” said Pamela Johnson, Belmont’s debate planning director. “The message we would like to send to the commission and the nation is that we are turned out and engaged in the presidential election.”

It isn’t known how many tickets will be issued for people to sit inside the Curb Event Center but not ask questions.

One of the members of the host committee will be throwing his own event for Democratic supporters. Congressman Jim Cooper reserved the Belcourt Theatre in Hillsboro Village in March, although his office has not made final plans for the soiree.

The Nashville Democrat has endorsed Barack Obama, his party’s presumptive nominee, and the event will reflect it, said Lisa Quigley, Rep. Cooper’s chief of staff.

“If you wanted to be with more partisan Obama supporters, we’re going to create an environment for that,” Quigley said

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Tags: Belmont University, debate, Nashville, Presidential debate, watch parties