Hollow House in the Land of Enchantment

Intriguing post at The Carpetbagger. Are my home-staters trying to deliver a message? And why is Heather Wilson so cagey these days?:

John McCain's appearance at Bush's Social Security pep rally yesterday in New Mexico generated plenty of attention, but there was a tidbit that shouldn't get lost in the shuffle.

Unlike most other presidential appearances, the event inside the darkly lit Kiva Auditorium was sparsely attended, with hundreds of empty seats. (emphasis added)

That's how bad things have become for Bush's Social Security pitch. The president joined the most popular Republican senator in America, along with local star Pete Domenici, and they still couldn't fill all the seats. Keep in mind, this is state Bush won last year, many of the seats were probably filled by reporters covering the event, and the tickets were free.

The local chamber of commerce says that Kiva Auditorium only holds 2,350 people, while the NYT reported there were "hundreds" of empty seats. So, while presidential visits usually generate some local excitement, Bush visited New Mexico's largest city to discuss his signature domestic policy initiative, had a rock-star quality politician by his side, gave away tickets for nothing, and still couldn't fill a small theater.