Thoughts on a Texas convention

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Burnt Orange Report has an interesting thread discussing the pros and cons of a Texas city hosting the 2008 Democratic National Convention, as well as comments on other potential cities. Some of the comments on Texas cities:

Having a Democratic Convention in Dallas would probably indirectly help out the local parties, but I don't think Dallas is on shortlist for the Convention. Houston might have a reasonable chance of getting the convention. I don't see San Antonio getting the convention at all.

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2008 in Houston? It'd obviously be at the Toyota Center, but they could spin off some ancillary events at the Convention Center that's within walking distance. Also, the conditions which led to our withdrawal from consideration in 2004 don't seem as applicable for 2008 and the sting of missing out on the Olympics might lead to a sizable push by Team White to show off the finished work on some of the changes we've built around town. At worst, I don't see how we can be lower than SLC on the pecking order.

My hunch is that all the Texas locations would be a longshot, though. I've got to think Houston at least puts in a proposal.

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I don't think the DNC convention should be in Texas. That's like the RNC hosting their convention in San Francisco. Just plain doesn't make sense.

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Where better than to demonstrate how the Republicans have screwed everyone over, starting with Texans? Houston's Party (Democrat & in the literal sense) infrastructure can handle the task.

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Hillary will never allow the convention to come to such a red state either.

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Seriously, to this native Texian, ex-New Orleanian and present beachside Californian the suggestion of the 2008 DNC in the "heart of darkness" may not be as crazy as it first sounds--for me, more than just an excuse to come back to see the folks, hassle Republicans (like shooting fish in a barrel lately) and munch on bar-b-que and creole cuisine (still my favorite). After all, Houston has a very popular Democratic mayor and Dallas has a no-nonsense Democratic lesbian Sheriff. Dallas County (and I believe Harris also) is trending Democratic. And the Republicans will love it or, as Harry Truman said: "we will make them love it!"

I agree that a Texas convention is probably a long shot. But if Houston decided to make a serious bid, they would have to be considered a contender. There's a lot of good will towards Houston over the way they welcomed Katrina evacuees, and maybe it might carry over into the bid process.

Site selection timeline

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This is the timeline for the 2008 Democratic National Convention site selection:

January 13, 2006	Deadline for cities to respond to an invitation to bid for the 2008 Convention
February 2006	A formal Request for Proposal (RFP), containing detailed specifications for hosting the 2008 Convention, is sent to interested cities
May 2006	Deadline for interested cities to submit formal responses to the RFP
Summer 2006	Site visits
Late summer 2006	Finalists named
Late Fall 2006/Winter 2007	Announcement of 2008 Convention Host City

I would expect 10-20 cities to show their interest by January 13 in hosting the convention, with 5-10 cities formally responding to the RFP.

List of cities invited to bid for the 2008 convention

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Andre at Georgia Politics Unfiltered has published the list of cities invited to bid for the 2008 Democratic National Convention. Interestingly, there are 35 cities, not the 33 mentioned in news reports:

Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Memphis, Miami, Miami-Dade County, FL, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Nashville, New Orleans, New York, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Portland, OR., St Louis, Sacramento, Salt Lake City, San Antonio, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Washington, DC.

The list is basically the same as the 35 cities on the 2004 invitee list, with the following differences:

• In 2004, Minneapolis and St. Paul were both on the list (which made no sense), but only Minneapolis is on the 2008 list.
• Miami-Dade County, FL is on only the 2008 list

I'm not sure why Miami-Dade County was listed separately from Miami unless the Miami Beach Convention Center (Which hosted Rep 68 and 72 and Dem 72), is planning a bid separate from a American Airlines Arena (convention)/Miami Arena (workspace) bid. Note that a Miami Beach Convention Center bid by itself would probably fail, as the DNC has a stated preference for a "bowl" configuration (i.e., a basketball arena) for the convention itself. The last Democratic convention actually held in a typical convention center was the '84 convention in San Francisco, and the logisitics cause a much smaller seating capacity.

Some interesting omissions from the list:

• Anaheim: As noted, Anaheim hosted suites at both '04 conventions pushing an '08 bid, but there's been no news about a potential Anaheim bid since then. I'm sure if Anaheim still wanted to bid the fact that they're not on the current list wouldn't prevent them. But the Miami/Miami-Date separate invitations would imply that Anaheim is not covered by the LA invitation, so it will be interesting to watch what happens here.
• The biggest metropolitan area which was not invited to bid (not counting areas which are suburbs of larger areas) was Tampa. Tampa has hosted Super Bowls - why no invitation?

The deadline to accept or decline invitations to bid is January 13, so we will know in a few weeks which cities are serious.

Update on 2004 cities invited to bid

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I recently listed the 34 cities invited to bid on the 2004 convention, which was taken from Democracy in Action's excellent summary of the 2004 site selection process:

Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Indianapolis, Kansas City (MO), Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Memphis, Nashville, New Orleans, New York, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Portland (OR), San Antonio, San Diego, St. Louis, St. Paul, San Francisco, Sacramento, Seattle, Salt Lake City and Washington, DC

However, elsewhere in the article it clearly states that Baltimore was involved in the bid process, although it is not shown in the list. This would make a total of 35 cities.

On the other hand, Minneapolis and St. Paul are both shown. While they are clearly separate cities, any bid from them would clearly be combined, so they should probably be considered 1 city. So the updated list would be:

Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Indianapolis, Kansas City (MO), Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, Milwaukee, Minneapolis/St, Paul, Memphis, Nashville, New Orleans, New York, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Portland (OR), San Antonio, San Diego, St. Louis, San Francisco, Sacramento, Seattle, Salt Lake City and Washington, DC.

Atlanta update

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Andre at Georgia Politics Unfiltered pushes an Atlanta bid:

I've blogged previously about Atlanta hosting the 2008 Democratic National Convention & I'm seriously thinking about actively pursuing the task of encouraging our state and local leaders to go after the Democratic National Convention.
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If you go back more than forty years, Democrats have only hosted their national convention in the South twice (Miami Beach in 1972 & Atlanta in 1988). If we follow that pattern, then the South is way over-due to host the Democratic Convention again and Atlanta (other than Miami Beach and possibly New Orleans) is the only southern city with the facilities and infrastructure that is needed to host a presidential nominating convention.

We've got the hotels and we've got the arena space (either Philips Arena or the Georgia Dome), so what will it take for Atlanta to formally throw its hat in the ring for the 2008 Democratic National Convention?

2008 site selection summary (updated 2/24/06)

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The DNC sent out invitations to 35 cities to bid for the 2008 convention in late November '05. On Feb 17, the DNC confirmed that eleven cities accepted the invitation to bid for the convention:

Anaheim: Held an event at the 2004 convention to kick-off their 2008 bid. With California not being competitive, and with the Dems in LA in 2000, I doubt this will happen.

Dallas: The CEO of the Convention Bureau doesn't want to even bid for the convention. Not looking good.

Denver: First city to announce a Host Committee. Given the strategic Western location of Colorado, and the drumbeat of publicity, they must be considered a front-runner at this point.

Detroit: They'll be a contender if they make a bid, but the news from Detroit seems a bit wishy-washy.

Las Vegas: Harry Reid's home state, and the infrastructure is there. But I doubt this is the message the Dems will want to send.

Minneapolis: Purple state could be attractive.

New Orleans: Lots of talk for the obvious reasons. Is this a plus or a minus? The DNC is is having their spring '06 meeting here.

New York: After the '04 GOP convention, you would think new York would want a break. But the last 2 Democratic presidents, Carter and Clinton, both had their first convention in New York.

Orlando: Too hot, the arena doesn't have enough skyboxes, and it's hurricane season.

Phoenix: McCain's home turf, and it's too hot.

San Antonio: Alamodome or AT&T Center? One of 2 cities in Bush's back yard.

2004 site selection - the final 4

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This article in Campaigns & Elections was written in August '02 and has some fascinating information on the 2004 site selection process:

In deciding what city should host their party's 2004 convention, Democratic National Committee officials must juggle competing interests, including the host city's financial strength and the party's Electoral College prospects in that state.

After initially considering nearly a dozen potential host cities, DNC officials have winnowed the list down to four: New York, Miami, Boston and Detroit. Each has its advantages and drawbacks, and what factor proves decisive will not be known until after the November 2002 midterm elections.

Like the Olympics, playing host puts a city in the spotlight, but can also be cost prohibitive. The DNC's minimal qualifications for hosting the convention scared off a number of cities at the start of the selection process. The host must be able to accommodate 50,000 or more visitors, which includes 17,000 to 20,000 hotel rooms. In addition, there must be enough office space to host thousands of convention staff members, said DNC Communications Director Maria Cardona.

And of course the city must have an adequate arena to hold the four-day convention, which is likely to take place in late summer. The Republicans plan to hold their convention from Aug. 30-Sept. 2. The Democrats are looking at a slew of dates before then, and have considered the possibility of holding theirs at the same time, to deflect attention from the renomination of President Bush.

In deciding whether to pursue a bid to host the Democratic convention, cities must take into account what are expected to be substantial security costs. Already a major cost consideration before Sept. 11, several cities dropped their bids when it became apparent security could be extremely expensive.

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These and other factors helped eliminate cities who the DNC invited to submit bids but didn't make the final cut, or decided to drop out of the running: Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago, Dallas, Houston and Pittsburgh.

Each city is playing up its own local credentials.

Miami-Dade County's application offers the use of more than 25,000 hotel rooms. Possible convention venues are the Coconut Grove Exhibition Center and the Miami Beach Convention Center

This is the county's second consecutive attempt to play host to the event, after making an unsuccessful bid in 2000. The 1972 Democratic and Republican conventions were held in Miami Beach.

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Boston, too, is stressing its existing facilities in its bid to persuade members of the DNC advisory committee. Boston's 103-page bid was accompanied by appendices and other supporting documents, such as floor plans for the FleetCenter, where the convention would be held. Julie Burns, deputy chief of staff for Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino (D), said the city has more than 25,000 hotel rooms, many close to the arena where the convention would take place.

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In Detroit's bid, city officials are stressing gains made in a revival of downtown, which they contend would be extended if their city hosted the Democratic convention.

Detroit's official bid promotes itself as "a city that embraces the core values of the Democratic Party ... cosmopolitan ... a city built by immigrants... a city with a strong union presence ... a city with an entrepreneurial spirit and a dedicated workforce that produces the best America has to offer."

The city also touts its available space to hold the convention and what it calls friendly accommodations. "A combination of the Cobo Conference and Exhibition Center and Joe Louis Arena offers a venue located on the Detroit River with an international view of Windsor, Ontario," the bid says.

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Figures provided by the DNC indicate host cities do experience a strong economic upswing: $70 million for Atlanta in 1988, $104 million for New York in 1992, $130 million for Chicago in 1996 and $147 million for Los Angeles in 2000.

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The sheer cost of building or maintaining facilities has proved too much for some cities. Among cities where costs were a factor in not bidding was Pittsburgh, which said it could not afford to pay the estimated $350 million for a new convention center.

The politics of the Electoral College are almost certain to play a role in the selection process. Two of the cities, Miami and Detroit, represent swing states -- Florida and Michigan, respectively -- that are key elements to Democrats' strategy for winning the White House in 2004. But there also are advantages to hosting the convention in reliably Democratic states, such as New York or Massachusetts, because that could help turn out the party "base" of support on election day.

So the keys are financial support, enough hotel rooms, good site, good support space for DNC offices and media workspace, and, of course, political considerations, both straight electoral votes, as well as what message does the site send.

The note about the Democrats considering holding the convention the same week as the Democrats was news to me. It would have made no sense for the Democrats - they needed to introduce their candidate. People knew who Bush was, so I bet the Republicans would have gladly shared the week and the news coverage. But I'm sure this wasn't seriously discussed.

Denver pushes bid at fall DNC meeting (update)

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The DNC is meeting in Phoenix this week, and Denver continues to remain the most active city. Dan Slater at Dem Notes reported on Friday:

We are also continuing to promote the concept of Denver as the 2008 convention site. So far, responses have been quite positive to the possibility.

Today he follows up. See his site for the unofficial logo he created.

The DNC held its full meeting this morning here in Phoenix. As folks left the meeting, they were greeted by the Colorado delegation handing out pens and mints, with labels on the pens with the above image. (Note, please, that this was something I whipped up in about half an hour, and is likely nothing at all like what the “official” logo will look like if/when we submit a bid.)

The response to Denver ranged from “Wow!” to “Yeah, I guess I can live with Denver.” However, the responses were universally positive, and the buzz we are creating here in Phoenix for the convention bid is palpable. And people are using their pens; I was in a technology session for state party chairs, vice chairs and staff this afternoon, and nearly half the room was taking notes with their new Denver pens.

He also notes the poll I created on Daily Kos, with Denver winning with 42%, for whatever that's worth right now. The point is, Denver is talking it up with the DNC members, which is what needs to be done at this point.

Will labor issues hurt New Orleans or Denver's bid?

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The DNC usually wants all its hotels to be union, and New Orleans may not have enough union hotels to host a full convention.

Democratic events usually are held only in union hotels, Dean said, but with the only available venue for the event being the nonunion Sheraton Hotel the party was able to get labor officials to give the party "a full pass on this one."

From Harry Shearer's New Orleans Journey in early November:

WWL radio is reporting that a Democratic Congressman from Maryland, Elijah Cummings, is proposing holding the 2008 Dem convention in New Orleans. The radio hosts noted that, though this is an historically Democratic town, only the Reps have ever held a convention here, the “Read My Lips” conclave of 1988. The reason, one of them alleged, was that the Democratic organizers insisted on more rooms in unionized hotels than the city could provide.

Denver could have a problem also. Colorado Luis comments on Daily Kos:

I understand there is only one unionized hotel in downtown Denver -- the Executive Tower Inn. I'm a big union supporter (live in a union household actually) and I understand the preference for unionized cities. But unfortunately we are at the point where the union hotel preference limits the convention possibilities to a few of the usual suspects (Boston, NYC, SF) plus Las Vegas.

I would recommend a deal where the convention can go to a city like Denver and yes, N.O. where the hotels aren't unionized and in exchange there are organizing efforts in conjunction with the convention.

It will be interesting to see how this plays out.

DNC invites 33 cities to bid for 2008 convention

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Following up on the news yesterday that the DNC will hold their spring 2006 meeting in New Orleans, the Times-Picayune also notes:

Dean said that the DNC last week sent a letter to Mayor Ray Nagin inviting him to submit papers to host the party's big event -- its 2008 national presidential nomination convention slated for Aug. 25-28. Thirty-two other cities received similar invitations.

The former Vermont governor and 2004 Democratic presidential candidate said he would be delighted if New Orleans applies for the convention, which traditionally draws more than 25,000 visitors, including delegates and media. Hosting such a massive event is "a lot to bite off" and a "huge, huge endeavor," Dean said, and the city's chances depends on how quickly "it can come back all the way."

The host city won't be announced until after the 2006 midterm elections.

While the list of the 33 cities is not available, in 2004 the list of 34 cities was:

Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Indianapolis, Kansas City (MO), Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Memphis, Nashville, New Orleans, New York, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Portland (OR), San Antonio, San Diego, St. Louis, St. Paul, San Francisco, Sacramento, Seattle, Salt Lake City and Washington, DC

New Orleans to host April DNC meeting

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Howard Dean has announced that the the DNC will hold their spring DNC meeting in New Orleans in April:

Today I am pleased to announce the Democratic Party's small effort to help rebuild New Orleans and the Gulf Coast region. I look forward to joining Democrats from all across the country in a revitalized New Orleans for the 2006 DNC Spring Meeting.

Democrats are committed to rebuilding the Gulf Coast, and to rebuilding America's sense of community. Our nation was founded on the notion that we have a responsibility to each other, a shared investment in one another, and the belief that we should leave no one behind. The American people are heroes for coming together the way they did after Hurricane Katrina, and being extraordinarily generous in a time of crisis. We are honored to be a part of that. Together, America can do better.

The AP writes:

The group usually uses only union hotels but got a special dispensation from labor officials to book the downtown Sheraton, he said. Dean said the Sheraton was the only full-service hotel that was reserving rooms and could handle a convention that large.

The convention will be one of the first since the storm virtually shut down the city. The American Library Association, which must book years in advance because it brings about 20,000 people to its midyear conference, confirmed early this month that it will keep its June 24-27 date in New Orleans.

It will be interesting to see how the ALA conference goes. Hopefully it goes well and New Orleans starts to get its tourism business back.

Georgia comments:

I like that the DNC will be having its spring meeting there, and I take it as a signal they may not be planning to have the 2008 convention there. I say let the GOP have New Orleans in 2008. It'll be the best political theater in a while.

I agree. I still think the Democrats will stay away from New Orleans in 2008. It would be a distraction from what they need to focus on.

Anaheim update

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Anaheim is always mentioned on the list of cities supposedly vying for the 2008 convention, but the only references I could find were from the 2004 convention(s).

From an Anaheim hotel site in September 2004:

Anaheim Mayor Curt Pringle and a delegation of city officials will visit the Republican National Convention this month to lobby on behalf of Anaheim for the 2008 convention. A similar effort took place at the recently concluded Democratic Convention in Boston.

But whether it’s worth the effort is a matter of debate. Anaheim’s image would get a boost from hosting a political convention, said Charles Ahlers, president of the Anaheim/Orange County Visitor & Convention Bureau. “All that media coverage with a dateline ‘Anaheim’ is good,” he said. “One of the problems Anaheim has is that we’re not a household name to those who make decisions in the corporate board rooms.”
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When Los Angeles hosted the 2000 Democratic Convention, the entire jewelry district shut down for a week because of street closures in the area, said Jack Kyser, chief economist with the Los Angeles Economic Development Corp. Though some cities now raise private funding to bid on and host major events like political conventions, Kyser doesn’t think the cost is worth it. “The city has to put up a lot of money for dubious economic impact,” he said.

And from a July, 2004 NY Post Cindy Adams note via Kitty Litter:

And while we're into this Boston mindset, I saw a flier that says: "Save the date: Friday, July 30, 8:30 a.m., join the City of Anaheim, California as we kick-off our bid to host the Democratic Convention in 2008." Anaheim?! What happened to those other exciting citadels like Biloxi, Kookamunga and Tuscaloosa?! Anaheim?! 2008?! Boy, will Hillary be thrilled!

Denver update

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Denver City Councilwoman Elbra Wedgeworth seems to be the main early mover behind a possible Denver bid for the 2008 convention. From an opinion in today's Denver Post:

Mile high party

With Denver a possible backdrop to the 2008 Democratic National Convention. City Councilwoman Elbra Wedgeworth began her push to bring the convention here last summer by mentioning it to party chief Howard Dean.

A little history behind Wedgeworth: She was president of the Denver city council from July 2003 to July 2005, and has been in Denver government for 15 years .She was a delegate to the 2000 and 2004 conventions. (A full biography can be found on her web site).

Atlanta news

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Andre at Georgia Politics Unfiltered makes the case for Atlanta:

I think Atlanta should host this convention.
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Howard Dean campaigned for the Chairmanship of the Democratic National Committee on a platform of "showing up" in all 50 states, so what would send a better message to the American people than Democrats holding their national convention in the Deep South (which, in recent years, has become Republican central).

I mean it would show that the Democratic Party, nationally, isn't going to ignore the South like it did in 2000 & 2004.

The Dems will win in 2008 if they can win Ohio, or steal some western states, like Colorado or Montana. If they win Georgia, it will be a landslide anyway.

Denver looking into pusuing convention

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From today's Denver Post blog:

If Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper gives the go-ahead, lobbying will start next month to woo the 2008 Democratic National Convention to Denver.

Dan Slater, vice chairman of the state Democratic party, said the push would start at the Democratic National Committee’s December meeting in Phoenix.

Slater and city Councilwoman Elbra Wedgeworth are spearheading the effort to attract the convention, the third attempt in less than a decade.

The two talked with Hickenlooper last month about a possible bid. Slater said Hickenlooper is studying the issue.

“We are in the process of collecting facts and experiences of other cities that have hosted political conventions, both the economic benefits in terms of revenues and also the costs,” said Lindy Eichenbaum Lent, the mayor’s spokeswoman.

Denver is the only city reported to be actively studying a bid. I think the earlier they act, the more likely they'll get the bid.

New York News

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Sen. Charles Schumer wrote a letter to DNC Chairman Dean on 11/4 urging Democrats to hold the convention in New York:

"There is no doubt in my mind that New York's good fortune can launch a Democrat into the White House for the third time in 30 years," wrote Schumer. "The 'Capital of the World' should be the starting point for Democrats to reclaim the capital of the United States and the White House in 2008."

I would be very suprised if the Dems go to NY.

2008 site selection summary

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The DNC sent out invitations to 35 cities to bid for the 2008 convention in late November '05. A news article in Feb '06 indicates that 11 cities have accepted the invitation to bid for the convention:

Anaheim: Held an event at the 2004 convention to kick-off their 2008 bid. With California not being competitive, and with the Dems in LA in 2000, I doubt this will happen.

Dallas:

Denver: First city to announce a Host Committee. Given the strategic Western location of Colorado, and the drumbeat of publicity, they must be considered a front-runner at this point.

Detroit: They'll be a contender if they make a bid, but the news from Detroit seems a bit wishy-washy.

Las Vegas: Sin City? I don't think so.

Minneapolis:

New Orleans: Lots of talk for the obvious reasons. Is this a plus or a minus? The DNC is is having their spring '06 meeting here.

New York: After the '04 GOP convention, you would think new York would want a break. But the last 2 Democratic presidents, Carter and Clinton, both has their first convention in New York.

Orlando: Too hot, and it's hurricane season.

Phoenix: Too hot.

San Antonio:

New Orleans news

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DNC will have their spring 2006 meeting in New Orleans.
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Both parties are talking about New Orleans:

A Maryland congressman is urging his fellow Democrats to hold the party's 2008 presidential nominating convention in New Orleans as a signal of national support for the city after its devastating losses from Hurricane Katrina.
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Democratic members of the Louisiana delegation immediately embraced the idea, although party officials were noncommittal and no mention was made that the convention is scheduled for the heart of the hurricane season and would end one day before the anniversary of the date that Hurricane Katrina made landfall.

More from Roll Call:

Cummings joined a chorus of Democrats who already have an opinion about which city should play host, with the sentimental favorite being New Orleans, which was ravaged by Hurricane Katrina. The GOP made a similar statement in 2004 when it scheduled its convention for New York City, just days before the third anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

“My first choice would definitely be New Orleans, assuming it would be prepared for a convention in those three years,” Cummings said. “We need to do everything in our power to show New Orleans and that region that they have not been forgotten and make sure that we pump every dime we can into their economy.”

“There would be tremendous symbolic value to doing it somewhere in the Gulf region,” added a senior Democratic House aide. “The only question is, will [those cities] be able to absorb a major influx of people?”

From Harry Shearer's New Orleans journey:

WWL radio is reporting that a Democratic Congressman from Maryland, Elijah Cummings, is proposing holding the 2008 Dem convention in New Orleans. The radio hosts noted that, though this is an historically Democratic town, only the Reps have ever held a convention here, the “Read My Lips” conclave of 1988. The reason, one of them alleged, was that the Democratic organizers insisted on more rooms in unionized hotels than the city could provide.

And the Times-Picayune reports on the spring '06 meeting:

Democratic events usually are held only in union hotels, Dean said, but with the only available venue for the event being the nonunion Sheraton Hotel the party was able to get labor officials to give the party "a full pass on this one."

Denver news (updated 2/16/06)

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Denver was the first city to accept an invitation to bid for the 2008 Democratic National Convention, and the first city to announce the formation of a Host Committee. Denver remains the city with the most buzz about hosting the convention.

2004 site selection summary

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Here's an excellent summary from George Washington U of the 2004 site selection process. Except for the later date of the 2008 convention, I would expect the process to be similar. Highlights:

Democrats had considered four cities to host the 2004 Democratic National Convention: Boston, Detroit, Miami, and New York City. On November 13, 2002 they announced that they will hold their convention in Boston, marking the first time a major political party has held its convention in the city. On December 17 officials from the city and the Democratic National Committee signed the contract in a ceremony at FleetCenter.
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The Democrats' site selection process began in October 2001, when the Democratic National Committee sent out letters to the 34 largest cities inviting them to consider hosting the party's 2004 convention. The introductory letter outlined Preliminary General Requirements.
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On February 28, 2002, the Democratic National Committee invited 10 cities -- Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Houston, Miami, New York City and Pittsburgh -- to submit proposals

Other requirements included 17,000 hotel rooms and unlimited access to the convention hall for 3 months. (Although this was considerably shortened for the Republican Houston convention in 1992.

Denver update

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Denver seems to be the city with the most buzz (outside of New Orleans) about hosting the convention. The state party has already met with the mayor to discuss putting a bid together. From the 10/13 Rocky Mountain News:

Dan Slater, first vice president of the state Democratic Party, and Denver City Councilwoman Elbra Wedgeworth are leading the charge this time around.

The two are scheduled to meet today[10/13] with Mayor John Hickenlooper to get his approval to form a team that would put together a bid for 2008.

"It's my belief that the West is very fertile territory for Democrats in coming years and that the Democratic Party nationally needs to pay more attention to the needs of Democrats out West," Slater said Thursday.

DavidNYC at SSP commented:

One way to capitalize on [a "Western primary"] would be to have our convention out west. Fortunately, some folks out in Colorado are trying to make this happen.

Denver came very close to hosting the convention in 2000 - hopefully it can be our site in 2008. If nothing else, I have to imagine the summer weather in Denver's mountain air is about a million times more pleasant than the sultry heat you'll find in the northeast.

And Hotline On Call said:

On the Dem side, "A limited number of American cities have the capacity and infastructure" to host, but only Denver has expressed serious interest so far, according to a source.

New Orleans update

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From Harry Shearer's New Orleans journey:

Speaking of unions, WWL radio is reporting that a Democratic Congressman from Maryland, Elijah Cummings, is proposing holding the 2008 Dem convention in New Orleans, as the same kind of gesture as the GOP going to NYC last year. The radio hosts noted that, though this is an historically Democratic town, only the Reps have ever held a convention here, the “Read My Lips” conclave of 1988. The reason, one of them alleged, was that the Democratic organizers insisted on more rooms in unionized hotels than the city could provide.

The Democrats required 17,000 hotel rooms in 2004. The convention bureau says there are/were 38,000 hotel rooms, pre-Katrina, of course.

New Orleans update

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Both parties are going to talk about New Orleans, but I don't think either party will end up there:

A Maryland congressman is urging his fellow Democrats to hold the party's 2008 presidential nominating convention in New Orleans as a signal of national support for the city after its devastating losses from Hurricane Katrina.
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Democratic members of the Louisiana delegation immediately embraced the idea, although party officials were noncommittal and no mention was made that the convention is scheduled for the heart of the hurricane season and would end one day before the anniversary of the date that Hurricane Katrina made landfall.
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Rep. Bobby Jindal, R-Kenner, said he has already suggested to Republican National Committee Chairman Ken Mehlman that the party hold its 2008 convention in New Orleans.

Not only that, the host city usually puts up a lot of money to host, and I think New Orleans should have higher priorities.

More from Roll Call:

Cummings joined a chorus of Democrats who already have an opinion about which city should play host, with the sentimental favorite being New Orleans, which was ravaged by Hurricane Katrina. The GOP made a similar statement in 2004 when it scheduled its convention for New York City, just days before the third anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

“My first choice would definitely be New Orleans, assuming it would be prepared for a convention in those three years,” Cummings said. “We need to do everything in our power to show New Orleans and that region that they have not been forgotten and make sure that we pump every dime we can into their economy.”

“There would be tremendous symbolic value to doing it somewhere in the Gulf region,” added a senior Democratic House aide. “The only question is, will [those cities] be able to absorb a major influx of people?”

SSP on convention date announcement

WE'VE MOVED! Democratic Convention Watch is now at http://www.DemocraticConventionWatch.com

From Swing State Project:

I think this is a wise move, but the article leaves out an added crucial reason why this is a smart change. Though both Bush and Kerry turned down federal matching money during the "primary" campaign, both accepted federal money for the "general election." I put those terms in quotes because they mean very little - the primaries were over long before the technical FEC start of the general election season.

And that start date is kind of screwed up, because the clock begins ticking as soon as your party's convention is over - meaning that John Kerry was stuck with his final cash pool (I think it was $45 mil) for three months, while Bush had to make do with that sum for just two months. This change eliminates that problem.

Dean announces late August convention date

WE'VE MOVED! Democratic Convention Watch is now at http://www.DemocraticConventionWatch.com

DNC chairman Dean announces a late August 2008 convention date:

Howard Dean today announced that the 2008 Democratic National Convention will be held Monday, August 25 through Thursday, August 28. The late August convention date will allow the Democrats to host their convention after the 2008 Summer Olympics.