Ain't going to happen.  Cleveland/Cuyahoga County is the poster step brother of Detriot when it comes to crooked Democratic rule and the economic chaos that results.  No way the DNC wants the rest of the country to associtate Obama's administration with Cleveland /Cuyahoga county.  Can you imaging what the Repubicans would do with that?

Ain't going to happen. Cleveland/Cuyahoga County is the poster step brother of Detriot when it comes to crooked Democratic rule and the economic chaos that results. No way the DNC wants the rest of the country to associtate Obama's administration with Cleveland /Cuyahoga county. Can you imaging what the Repubicans would do with that?

 

Jesus... it's just a convention.

^^Well that is just ridiculous.  Obama comes from CHICAGO ILLINOIS (the city and state poster childs for corrupt government) and he was elected president by a landslide.

 

Cleveland will not get the convention for the simple fact it does not have enough hotel rooms for a Democratic convention, especially a large flagship hotel.

Time to chill out, folks.

 

A Charlotte news site has slide shows of the four leading DNC cities. I just checked out two of them -- Charlotte and Cleveland--expecting them to make Charlotte look like paradise and Cleveland...not so... Well, based on the slideshow, Cleveland (as it should) comes off as the more interesting and deserving place...pretty interesting.

 

See them here:  http://www.wsoctv.com/politics/25180556/detail.html

If the Governorship and Senate seat go Republican in Ohio the DNC won't be chosing Cleveland.

 

 

maybe thats all the more reason why they would

maybe thats all the more reason why they would

 

I agree.  Ohio's electoral votes are too many and too important to let it go to the Repulicans.

maybe thats all the more reason why they would

 

I agree.  Ohio's electoral votes are too many and too important to let it go to the Repulicans.

 

yes, but holding a convention in a certain location isn't going to sway peoples politics.  And Cleveland is a safe dem bet anyway.  If the dems lose the statehouse, especially only one-term after the infamous Taft administration, that's an embarassment. 

 

I think they need to get the Democratic base in Cleveland excited though and getting a high turnout in the Clev will probably be their goal.

IIRC, no Democratic presidential candidate has ever lost an election in which he won Ohio. 

Cleveland will not get the convention for the simple fact it does not have enough hotel rooms for a Democratic convention, especially a large flagship hotel.

 

Then why even make us a finalist?  Why were we a finalist for the 2008 Republican convention?

 

Obviously I don't know the logistics as well as some of you guys, but I think there must be a reason (like using Akron area hotels) that we've made it this far twice.

I would peg Charlotte as the favorite based only on the city/needs of the convention. Political considerations may dictate otherwise and would probably be in favor of Cleveland.

Union to DNC: Nix Cleveland, Charlotte

 

A union representing hotel workers has asked the Democratic National Committee to rule out two of its four convention-site finalists, Cleveland and Charlotte, N.C., because they lack sufficient unionized hotel facilities.

 

"Among the DNC's four finalist cities, only St. Louis and Minneapolis" have the capacity to "house a large portion of the delegates and other guests ... in unionized hotels," John Wilhelm, president of the international UNITE HERE union of hotel and textile workers, wrote in a letter to DNC Chairman Tim Kaine.

 

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1110/44960.html#ixzz14xJ9lf00

If the DNC goes with Cleveland how interesting would it be (although very unlikely) if the RNC countered with Cincinnati?

 

That's exactly what we need right now... an even MORE politically polarized state.

There haven't been any updates on this lately, I guess there might not really be anything to report.  They are supposed to announce the winner in the next few weeks though so we can all cross our fingers.  This would be a huge win for Cleveland and give a much needed boost to the economy.

Weren't there some rumblings about Cleveland lacking enough union hotels to host the DNC? 

Weren't there some rumblings about Cleveland lacking enough union hotels rooms to host the DNC? 

Actually you are both right.  There was some concern that Cleveland does not have enough rooms but I also remember reading that it did have enough.  Those estimates did not take into account the planned hotels that should be up and running by 2012 though so there should be even more than needed.  There were also rumblings that Cleveland and Charlotte do not have unionized hotels but it turns out while Charlotte does not, Cleveland does but with a rival union to the one that made the claims.  So it seems that both issues have been worked out and are not serious impediments to Cleveland getting the convention.  As it looks like the election might be a nail biter, Ohio is really the only must-win state for Obama and the cheapest to hold the convention in so there is hope.

Actually you are both right.  There was some concern that Cleveland does not have enough rooms but I also remember reading that it did have enough.  Those estimates did not take into account the planned hotels that should be up and running by 2012 though so there should be even more than needed.  There were also rumblings that Cleveland and Charlotte do not have unionized hotels but it turns out while Charlotte does not, Cleveland does but with a rival union to the one that made the claims.  So it seems that both issues have been worked out and are not serious impediments to Cleveland getting the convention.  As it looks like the election might be a nail biter, Ohio is really the only must-win state for Obama and the cheapest to hold the convention in so there is hope.

 

What hotel rooms in downtown cleveland will boost us above 13-15k range needed to host a convention for 10-14 days?

 

Even if you count the new properties in UC, that still does not bring us enough rooms.

 

Remember staff is needed in place pre and post the actual convention.

It would be a strategic blunder to hold the DNC in Cleveland. 

Why?

Holding it here in Cleveland won't have any significant impact on which way Ohio swings IMO.  The rest of Ohio won't give a rat's arse.

 

 

I definitely have to disagree with you on both those points.

The NYTimes has a city by city breakdown:

 

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/12/13/us/politics/20101213conventioncity.html

 

I went to the Obama appearance for the midterms and still couldn't believe we could only fill the Wolstein Center halfway for a FREE event...

"I went to the Obama appearance for the midterms and still couldn't believe we could only fill the Wolstein Center halfway for a FREE event.."

 

I think that might be a symptom of Obama coming to Cleveland so often.  I didn't bother to go mostly because I was busy with something that day but also because I had already seen him in Cleveland 3 times.  I think the DNC conventon would be a very special event though and people would get excited about it.

^And face it... there wasn't much for Democrats to be excited about for the midterms.  I have a feeling people said, "I wouldn't mind going to see Obama speak, but what's the point?"

That was an interesting Times piece.  If anything, I'd say the article could have been a lot harder about our catostrophic Democratic corruption, and that the DNC might not want to associate itself with that poison with the convention. 

 

 

 

I don't think Cleveland will get it. I'd go for St. Louis or Charlotte.

Charlotte has even fewer hotel rooms than cleveland. I'll be shocked if they get it. I doubt Cleveland will either for the same reason.

It says in the article that if the cities made it into the final four they would have already passed the test for hotels and facilities.  I would guess that they may make some final determinations on those issues but from the article I got the impression that those won't be the most important things. 

Won't our convention center be under construction at this point? (2012. . .?)

The national conventions are held in arenas, like the Q

Don't quote me on this, and I've never been to a national political convention, but I think that while the primary events would take place in an arena, the convention center plays an important support role.

 

What's perplexing to me is how this compares to Cleveland's attempt to land the 2008 Republican National Convention. Didn't that seem like a much more concerted effort?  With a balloon drop and everything in the Q when the selections committee visited? If it wasn't for UO, I wouldn't have even known Cleveland was in the running this time. But maybe I'm living under a rock...

If Cleveland was selected, Im sure a venue like the CSU arena could be used to host some of the functions that would have gone to a convention center

When do they choose?  I doubt Obama would want to highlight CLE but at the same time Ohio would be a smart choice and CLE is blue.

The Cleveland area has actually been doing pretty well during the current economic recovery.  I think all of the projects going on in the city might provide some talking points for Obama although  I am not really sure which ones he could claim responsibility for.  I guess anything having to do with the recovery act could be highlighted and some of the stuff with manufacturing that has been happening.  I wonder how much of an effect having the med mart, casino, and FEB under construction during the convention might affect our chances.

Dem choice: St. Louis or Charlotte

 

By MOLLY BALL | 12/16/10 6:29 PM EST

 

With the site of the 2012 Democratic convention expected to be decided in a matter of weeks, insiders in the selection process believe it has come down to a choice between St. Louis and Charlotte, N.C., with the other two finalist cities, Minneapolis and Cleveland, all but out of the running.

 

All four have pluses and minuses when it comes to the logistical and political considerations that factor into the pick for a convention locale. But the party seems to be leaning against Minneapolis largely because Republicans held their 2008 convention in St. Paul. And while Ohio has battleground state allure, Cleveland's convention facilities are seen as subpar; the Nov. 2 defeat of Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland further hurt the city's chances.

 

Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1210/46512.html

But then at the end of that very article referenced above...

 

Byron Shafer, a political scientist at the University of Wisconsin who has studied political conventions, said parties' location choices send a symbolic message.

 

"Do you go to your base or go to your periphery?" he said. A Republican convention in, say, Oklahoma would have painted a clear picture of a party in retrenching mode, while Florida is a paradigmatic swing state.

 

Assessing the four Democratic cities in purely political terms, Shafer said: "If you follow that logic, they go to Cleveland."

 

 

 

Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1210/46512.html#ixzz18NpT3f6m

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2010/12/28/cnn-poll-plurality-of-democrats-say-cleveland-rocks/

 

This would be pretty good exposure for the city.  Thoughts?

 

We do have a thread.  And there have been strong rumors that Cleveland has all but been eliminated because our convention space is outdated and hotel space constraints.  But those concerns should be null and void for 2016 ;)

 

Nice shot of the skyline though.... if only Erieview would scoot over a bit, then the TT would be visible and that would be one of my favorite angles of downtown.

"A 29 percent plurality think that Cleveland rocks; 22 percent would prefer Charlotte, 21 percent opt for Minneapolis, and 17 percent want the party to meet in St. Louis," says CNN Polling Director Keating Holland.

 

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2010/12/28/cnn-poll-plurality-of-democrats-say-cleveland-rocks/

 

I'm impressed Charlotte is in second place.  I would've thought Minneapolis would've been second place behind Cleveland.

The locals in Minneapolis had mixed reactions to the Republican Convention being held there in 2008.  The City suffered a few black eyes.  Believe it or not, being host of these types of events can be more burden than honor.

Definitely.  Ask Jacksonville and the Super Bowl.  But still, compared to Charlotte or St. Louis, Minneapolis is probably viewed more favorably as it is rarely in a negative radar.  Granted, Charlotte hasn't been in view negatively (aside from urbanist views) nationally for about a decade but it hasn't reached the national psyche as the Twin Cities have yet.  Though arguably, Charlotte probably needs this DNC more than the other three to boost its spotlight.

And North Carolina, due to areas like Cary (Central Area for Relocated Yankees) is now a swing state up for play in each and every Presidential election.... not just when there is a white southernor running on the left.

North Carolina is the new (old) Ohio.

It would be a strategic blunder to hold the DNC in Cleveland. 

And holding CLE up as a blue wonderland isn't exactly the best PR move for the Blue party...

 

One could say the same thing about Sprawlville Florida and the Red party, but thats for another thread......at least FL will have real HSR (under a Red governor, no less....)

????

They are supposed to announce the location of the 2012 dnc convention later this week or early next week.  There were reports in December that Charlotte and St. Louis were the favorites but it appears from recent reports that Cleveland and St. Louis are still in it.  Whatever city wins will get a $200 million boost to their economy.  I am surprised that there hasn't been more discussion about this considering how big of an impact it might have on the city.  I think Cleveland is the best choice politically and although there has not been as much hype about Cleveland winning as Charlotte I am hoping we still have a chance.  Maybe the people pushing for Cleveland already know that we won so they see no need to rile up the media.  We can always hope :)  at least until the end of the week...

^ Thanks.  That's what I've been wondering.

 

I still think it'll be Cleveland or Charlotte -- electoral votes from those states are critical.