I think this is being overhashed somewhat. Apparently 1200 people showed up, which was far too much for the other venue they'd chosen. Ford Field was the only other indoor place that could fit them all. And it's not fair to compare this to the DNC 2008. That was a party-wide, national event arranged months in advance that took place in the summer. This is a local rally in the middle of winter in Michigan.
It is unfair to compare this event to DNC 2008 (though of course it would be fair to compare RNC 2012, when it happens, to DNC 2008; anyone think Romney could fill a stadium then, either?). But Obama drew crowds in the tens of thousands many times during the primary race. He even got mocked for it, at times, but a big part of the point of those events was getting email addresses, and recruiting volunteers and donors. If the Romney campaign is good at organizing its supporters, it sure hasn't shown any signs of it yet.
