Summary of Daily Kos discussion on host cities

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The discussion over at Daily Kos on which city should host the 2008 Democratic Convention was very interesting. First, the poll results. With almost 4000 votes cast:

Denver: 32%
New Orleans: 28%
Minneapolis: 9%
Everybody else: 4% or less

I think the New Orleans opinions can be summarized as follows:

Those in favor said it was a great idea, just like the GOP was smart to go to NY in 2004.
Those against said it was a horrible idea, just like the GOP made a mistake in going to NY in 2004.

But this point was made: The Democrats would be in the Superdome, which one could easily call Ground Zero of Katrina. Imagine if the GOP had held their convention on the actual grounds of Ground Zero in NY?

One point I tried to clear up is that New Orleans' infrastructure will not be an issue. The Superdome is reopening in September 2006, most hotels are already open, and and there are big trade shows/conventions starting this summer in New Orleans.

The obvious points in favor of Denver were made, but some questioned whether the choice of a city made any political difference. One response was: You can't just pick the city and then stop - make it a theme, and for Denver, the theme is clearly how the Mountain West can/should be turning Democratic. And the obvious next step is to pick a keynote speaker that extends the theme - i.e, a certain popular Governor of Montana, Brian Schweitzer.

While we're talking about anniversaries...

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I wrote below about how the GOP might end their convention on the 7th anniversary of 9/11.
Well, the Democrats have their own anniversary to deal with. The 2008 Democratic nominee will be giving his or her acceptance speech on August 28, 2008, which is one day before the 3rd anniversary of Hurricane Katrina hitting New Orleans.

There's a discussion over at Daily Kos on whether the convention should be held in New Orleans. Opinion is split - this is going to be a tough decision for the DNC.

Update: Kos just started a front-page poll and discussion.

Detroit and San Antonio still unsure about bids

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Detroit still is unsure whether they are going to bid for the 2008 Democratic Convention:

"We have expressed interest in receiving the bidding papers from the Democratic Party," Ceeon Quiett, spokeswoman for Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, said Monday. "But we have not made any decisions about either convention."
...

The state Democratic Party and the Detroit Visitors and Convention Bureau will help if the city decides to make a bid.

"We've got a track record now after the All-Star Game, the auto show and the Super Bowl," said party Chairman Mark Brewer.

Well at least Ms. Quiett now admits to the city expressing interest, unlike her confusion 10 days ago.

San Antonio is also not yet committed to making a bid:

City officials said it is too early to determine the seriousness of a bid.

"Sure, we're interested," said Scott Wudel with the city's Department of Communications and Public Affairs. "But we have to determine if it's even feasible."

...

J.J. Saulino, communications director for Mayor Phil Hardberger, said the mayor would look closely at the cost of making the bid and hosting the convention compared with the payoff San Antonio would get.

DNC officially announces the list of 11 cities

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The DNC officially announced the list of 11 cities which are in the running to host the 2008 Democratic National Convention:

WASHINGTON, Feb. 27 (UPI) -- The Democratic National Committee Monday said 11 cities, including New Orleans, have expressed interest in being the site of the party's 2008 convention.
DNC Chairman Howard Dean termed the interest in being the Democrats' host city "unprecedented."

In the running along with New Orleans, still recovering from the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, is New York City, the site of the 2004 Republican National Convention. Others the DNC has invited to submit proposals are: Anaheim, Calif.; Dallas; Detroit; Las Vegas; Minneapolis; Orlando, Fla.; Phoenix and San Antonio.

...

The DNC said the cities have until May 19 to submit proposals and then a Technical Advisory Committee will visit the sites. A final site determination is expected this fall, a DNC spokesman said.

[Update: I guess there's a reason no one uses UPI anymore. They left Denver off the list. Nothing like saying there are 11 cities, and then only listing 10 of them! Thanks to the commenter for catching this]

And from the AP:

WASHINGTON — Eleven cities have shown interest in playing host to the 2008 Democratic National Convention, twice the number of cities that applied to get the 2004 gathering.

...

The 11 cities that said they were interested: Anaheim, Calif.; Dallas; Denver; Detroit; Las Vegas; Minneapolis; New Orleans; New York; Orlando, Fla.; Phoenix and San Antonio.

Some of the cities are in critical swing states like Florida and Arizona, while others are in population centers like New York and the Los Angeles area. Those in the Southwest and Rocky Mountain region are in states where Democrats hope a growing Hispanic population could help tip the balance. Dallas and San Antonio are in firmly Republican Texas.

The location of these cities and the political inclination of those states will not be the only consideration. The cities must have a convention space that can seat 23,000 to 25,000 people (in portable or non-portable seating), must have 17,000 hotel rooms and 1,000 suites available, and be able to provide adequate office space, media work space and transportation to and from the convention site.

Nothing new here, but I guess it's now officially official. As I wrote last week, 11 cities expressing interest is not really unprecedented - there were 10 cities alive at this stage in 2004. And 11 is not twice 10.

One note on seats: The article says the DNC is looking for 23,000 to 25,000 seats, which is in line with what I posted in January. The seating numbers I posted last week were, in general, probably basketball seating. You could add 1000-1500 for floor seating, but I don't know how you get to 23,000 except in the domes. But I do know you can't come close in a Convention Center-type facility.

More buzz for Denver

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The buzz continues for Denver, with some quotes from the Denver Post today:

"I think Denver looks very, very good," said Debbie Willhite, who helped direct past Democratic conventions, President Clinton's inauguration and the Summit of the Eight in Denver in 1997. "Denver is an ideal place to really introduce the party to the West in the 21st century in a way that explains where we stand on a lot of issues that I don't believe we've been clear about."

Harold Ickes, deputy chief of staff for President Clinton and veteran political strategist, said that "there's an awful lot to merit Denver."

"I think Denver, Colorado and the Rocky Mountain West are an area that's increasingly in the Democratic focus and ought to be," he said. "Denver would seem to be a strong candidate, on the political side."

See other recent news about Denver here and here.

US News convention chatter

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From the US News Washington Whispers, two items about the 2008 Democratic National Convention:

We hear that the party would like it in the West or Southwest.

West or Southwest is: Anaheim, Dallas, Denver, Las Vegas, Phoenix or San Antonio. Of these, I think Anaheim (too boring), Las Vegas (too not boring), and Phoenix (too hot) will fall by the wayside. Which would leave Denver vs one of the two Texas cities. You know, I've been calling Denver the frontrunner for over 2 months now, but now two contributors to the Conventional Wisdom, US News as well as The Hotline, are pointing towards Denver also.

Then, US News wrote:

Dean's unusually early announcement has irked the GOP, and there are rumors that the Republicans might try to spoil the Democratic event by choosing the same dates. But Republicans insist that's unlikely.

I hope those rumors are more substantial than my post on Wednesday, where I said:

Could they say they were going the same week as the Democrats? That would be pretty audacious of them, but given that quote that they would make their decision without regard to what the Dems have done, I wonder if they're laying the groundwork. That would be an interesting game of chicken. But given that the Democrats announced their date 3 months ago, I think the GOP would lose.

Ever since Dean announced the late August dates, I've been giving him credit for putting the GOP in a difficult situation. The GOP is irked about their potential convention dates? Tough.

Will Mary Kay keep the convention out of Dallas?

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All sorts of interesting information in today's Dallas Morning News, in an excellent article written by Dave Levinthal:

Although Dallas government and political leaders say they'll aggressively pursue hosting either the 2008 Republican or Democratic national convention, a top tourism official questions whether the quadrennial gatherings would prove more trouble than benefit, as they could interfere with the city's most lucrative business bash.

"It's unlikely Dallas will be able to bid for either political convention. We have a long-term contract with this little group called Mary Kay," said Phillip Jones, president and chief executive officer of the Dallas Convention and Visitors Bureau. "It's unlikely we'll even submit a bid."

Not so, says Bill Blaydes, the Dallas City Council's Economic Development and Housing Committee chairman.

"They bring color, they bring class, they bring the American way right to your doorstep. We'd be selling this city to the world," he said of the party conventions.

Mary Kay Inc., the Addison-based cosmetics giant, conducts its three-week-long national seminar annually – and during the summer – at the Dallas Convention Center. [Scheduled for July 16 through August 2, 2008]

"I would certainly believe we should go after a national convention in '08, with the understanding that we work very closely with our good friends at Mary Kay. I'd like to think we could do both," council member Gary Griffith said.

For the Democrats, I'm not sure what the issue is. If the Democrats hold their convention in Dallas, it would likely be at the American Airlines Center, not at the Dallas Convention Center. The Democrats are holding their convention 3 weeks after the Mary Kay event is over. What's the problem?

And if the Republicans go in September, there's even less of a conflict.

Whether those dates would overlap a political convention is unclear: Neither Democratic nor Republican leaders have formally selected dates or sites for 2008, and the party in power traditionally conducts its convention last.

But the Democrats have formally announced their date, as is mentioned in just the next paragraph:

But Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean said in November that he's scheduling his party's convention between Aug. 25 and Aug. 28.

If those dates stand, the GOP would have to choose whether to host its convention in July (before the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing), in August during the Olympics, or in September – quite late since the presidential contest traditionally kicks off on Labor Day.

As I wrote yesterday, it will be interesting to see what date the GOP chooses.

Mr. Blaydes said the city should create a "gold-ribbon" commission to lobby the national parties and construct proposals for hosting their conventions, at which they nominate their presidential candidates.

You mean, like, um, Denver has already done, and had their first meeting already?

And here comes the strange part:

Besides, hosting a political convention in 2012 would allow Dallas to boast a more robust city center and suspension bridges over the Trinity River, [Jones] said.

"We'd love to host it," Mr. Jones said, noting that he'd follow the mayor's directions one way or another. "But we're not in a position at this time."

The CEO of the Dallas Convention and Visitors Bureau, blowing off both conventions, for absolutely no good reason? This city needs to get their act together.

And finally for the Democrats, comes the bottom line:

Even local Democrats say Dallas is more likely to score the Republican convention in 2008.

"You'd have to consider us a dark horse realistically," said Darlene Ewing, Dallas County Democratic Party chairwoman. "But Dallas County is becoming Democratic. You can't keep writing us off."

Well Ms. Ewing, the CEO of your Convention Bureau apparently has written off both the Democrats and Republicans, so don't take it personally or politically.

2008 GOP nominee to give acceptance speech on 9/11/08?

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When will the GOP hold their 2008 convention?

The Democrats have stated they are holding their convention the week of 8/25, right after the Beijing Summer Olympics. Historically, the party holding the White House gets to hold their convention last, which would force the GOP to schedule their convention in September.

A little history: It used to be there were advantages in having an earlier convention due to money. For a candidate taking public money for the primaries and the general election, they wouldn't get the general election money until after the convention. For example, Bob Dole in 1996 had a huge money problem in May and June. He was broke, and could do little advertising until he received his general election money in early August.

But 8 years later, much had changed. Both Bush and Kerry opted out of public financing of their primary campaigns, and could therefore spend unlimited money until they had their convention. So the later the convention, the less time the General Election public money had to cover. This is why the Kerry campaign was looking at ways of potentially delaying the official acceptance of the nomination, so they could continue to use their unlimited primary money.

CQ also noted that in 2004:

The Republicans moved first and scheduled their convention to begin the last week in August. To avoid competing with the summer Olympics that month, the Democrats held their convention four weeks earlier — which gave the GOP an extra month to attack Democratic nominee John Kerry and shape the message of its own convention.

In 1988, Dukakis basically went back to Massachusetts for 4 weeks between the conventions, and wasted valuable time. But the time between conventions can work both ways. In 1992, Clinton and Gore took a highly positively covered bus tour through the mid-west after their convention that generated momentum that lasted throughout the summer.

Which brings us to 2008. Looking at the money situation, a late convention is now a good thing, so Dean was smart in announcing a late convention date. Plus it's a great week as it leads right into the Labor Day weekend, a great time to start the fall campaign. I saw a quote (can't find the link) that said the GOP will choose their date without regard to what any other group (i.e., the Dems) has done. So what does the GOP do?

First, they could go before the Democrats, but it would have to be at least 3 weeks before to avoid the Olympics. But that would be a bad political move, given what I just laid out, and, traditionally, they do get to go second.

Could they say they were going the same week as the Democrats? That would be pretty audacious of them, but given that quote that they would make their decision without regard to what the Dems have done, I wonder if they're laying the groundwork. That would be an interesting game of chicken. But given that the Democrats announced their date 3 months ago, I think the GOP would lose.

So that leaves them a later date. What are their choices?

Monday 9/1 to Thursday 9/4: Monday 9/1 is Labor Day. Starting the convention on Labor Day would not be best in terms of media coverage. Do you think the delegates and VIPs want to give up their Labor Day weekend? The media would be grumpy about it also, especially with the Democrats just finishing a few days earlier.

Tuesday 9/2 to Friday 9/5: Moving the final acceptance speech from the most watched TV day (Thursday) to the 2nd least watched (Friday)? I don't think so.

Monday 9/8 to Thursday 9/11: Having the big acceptance speech on 9/11? Wow! That could certainly appeal to the GOP. But it doesn't leave much time after the convention, only 7+ weeks before election day, and only a couple of weeks before debates usually start. Any controversy or gaffe at the convention, and you could find precious days being used up.

Looking at the choices, I think the GOP will go with a 9/8 start date, finishing on 9/11, but I bet they're not happy with their choices.

Congressional Quarterly convention overview

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The Congressional Quarterly just published a nice overview of the 2008 convention site selection process for both parties. Some info of note:

The DNC is one step ahead of the RNC, having winnowed its original list. Yet the 11 cities that have expressed interest more than doubles the list of just five interested cities at this point prior to the 2004 election. “We’re very pleased with the unprecedented interest in hosting the Democratic National Convention,” said Vega.

That seems to be a bit of spin coming out of the DNC. From the excellent GWU Democracy in Action website covering the 2004 site selection process (link is also in sidebar), we find that the DNC announced on Feb 28, 2002, that 10 cities were to receive RFPs to host the convention. So while 11 is greater than 10, it's not what I would call "unprecedented".

Back to the CQ article:

The Democrats also have gotten a jump on establishing their convention schedule: The DNC announced last summer that the party would meet Aug. 25-28, 2008, in its selected city. Since the party defending the White House has traditionally gone second, the DNC’s dates would require the RNC to schedule its convention in September.

The Democrats’ early marker on the 2008 calendar is aimed at preventing what happened in 2004. The Republicans moved first and scheduled their convention to begin the last week in August. To avoid competing with the summer Olympics that month, the Democrats held their convention four weeks earlier — which gave the GOP an extra month to attack Democratic nominee John Kerry and shape the message of its own convention.

I'm going to write more about the GOP date decision soon. It will be interesting to see what they decide.

While mainly about advertising the party and its candidates, the modern convention is seen by many local officials as a status-booster for the host city — with thousands of politicians from around the country talking about how “great your city is,” said political scientist Brad Henry of the University of California at Berkeley.

That is the lure that makes potential host cities brook specific and often expensive requirements for space, security, and transportation among other elements, as well as road closures and other inconveniences to local residents. In return for some of these negative aspects, the city gets a surge in economic activity as well as bragging rights.

The Beacon Hill Institute at Suffolk University analyzed the costs of the 2004 conventions. Their analysis showed that the Democratic convention generated a net $14.8 million for Boston after figuring in losses from tourists and commuters who avoided the city during the event. The institute estimated that the Republican convention would generate $184 million for New York City.

You have to take these numbers with a grain of salt, especially the pre-convention estimate for NY. I'll have to see if there were any post-convention estimates done for NY in 2004.

Denver Bid Committee meets

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The Rocky Mountain News reports on a meeting of the Denver Bid Committee:

The rising importance of Colorado and other mountain states as key battlegrounds in the 2008 presidential election will serve Denver’s bid to host that year’s Democratic National Convention, a political analyst told a local host committee this morning.

Democratic National Party Chairman Howard Dean and other party leaders are keenly aware of the Mountain West’s role as a potential mother lode of new Democrat voters, Michael Stratton, a Littleton political strategist, told local Democrats, and some Republicans, during the first host committee gathering at the new Hyatt Regency Denver.

Western states have succeeded in "bringing facts to the table that have really resonated with Chairman Dean, which is that Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and Nevada are now as crucial as any four states in the country," Stratton said. "People who study the demographics of where the vote is and where the potential for the vote is now realize that the Western states are critical for us winning the White House in 2008."

"Dean knows this and he’s actually going out there and recruiting people on the basis of delivering a Western convention center," said Stratton, adding that members of the convention city selection committee will include Denver supporters, like Albuquerque Mayor Martin Chavez.

The Denver Post reports the money discussion:

Denver would need to raise $60 million to $80 million to host the Democratic National Convention in 2008, but landing the convention could produce a $163 million jolt to the local economy, backers said Tuesday.

Much of the cost would stem from providing security, said Steve Farber, a local lawyer who is co-chairman of the effort to land the convention.

The 2004 Democratic convention in Boston generated $163 million in economic benefits, said Richard Scharf, head of the Denver Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau.

...

Farber said business leaders will need to raise about $60,000 in initial seed money and at least an additional $250,000 to carry the city through the entire submission process.

Dan Slater has more on the meeting at DemNotes. He lists all the speakers, and closes with:

All in all, it was a very productive morning. There truly was a diverse crowd, and we had lots of folks in attendance who are key to the process, including our DNC Members, representatives from each of our Democratic Members of Congress and Senator Salazar, former Sen. Gary Hart, State Chair Pat Waak, several State Representatives and State Senators, and numerous others. I really do think we have an outstanding shot at bringing the Convention to Denver, and I’m proud of how we are all coming together to get this done!

(The Denver bid logo shown above is not an official logo).

Booman's take on the cities

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From the Booman Tribune:

Anaheim, CA- totally irrelevent
Dallas, TX- totally irrelevent
Denver, CO- very strong candidate. The state is purple and it would be a big boost to the state. I don't think any convention has ever taken place in a Mountain state.
Detroit, MI- Not bad. This is a purple state. And it has the added advantage of making the delegates uncomfortable.
Las Vegas, NV- not a good image for the party, nor a good way to prevent outbreaks of scandal. But it could help turn Nevada blue. Harry Reid probably likes this choice.
Minneapolis, MN- good choice. Purple state, the city deserves it, and it will be August so people won't even notice the cold.
New Orleans, LA- the sentimental favorite. I think most of the Democrats in Louisiana now reside in Houston. So, maybe this isn't the best option.
New York, NY- Now, that is a seriously tired idea.
Orlando, FL- in August? That is just cruel. Can we give up on Florida already?
Phoenix, AZ- They say it's a dry heat.
San Antonio, TX- Just to piss off Bush? I don't think so.

We shouldn't underestimate New York. It can come up with lots of money, and their are no logistical issues to worry about.

Hotline confirms list of cities

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Hotline On Call has confirmed the list of cities (which I posted on Wednesday) which have accepted an invitation to bid for the 2008 Democratic Convention:

Anaheim, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Las Vegas, Minneapolis, New Orleans, New York City, Orlando, Phoenix and San Antonio

They also give their informed take on the possibilities:

Las Vegas has the West, plenty of hotel rooms, party spaces and Harry Reid juice but there's that liberal Sin City taint. (If only Henderson made a bid...) Texas is attractive to Dems for obvious reasons -- Dallas more so than San Antonio. Detroit has a shot if it the economy turns around. New Orleans is a sentimental favorite; the '08 convention there could signal a "national renaissance." NYC ought never be ruled out and is probably the most secure city; Orlando has the hotel rooms but not the arena. Denver is the wildcard; a popular Dem mayor, a great purple state, clean, fresh air..

Given that I've made many of these points here, I would tend to agree with Hotline's analysis!

Pittsburgh getting back in the hunt?

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A surprise from the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review:

The Democratic Party extended an ... invitation in November, although Pittsburgh did not respond before a January deadline. Because of the change in city administrations, the party has restarted talks with Pittsburgh about hosting that convention. It would join 11 other cities bidding for the event.
...
Within a one-mile radius, Pittsburgh has just 4,200 hotel rooms. But across the region -- extending to Seven Springs ski resort in Somerset County -- southwestern Pennsylvania has more than 21,000 available rooms, said Beverly Morrow-Jones, spokeswoman for the Greater Pittsburgh Convention and Visitors Bureau. The David L. Lawrence Convention Center might not fit that many people, she said, but Mellon Arena certainly could hold them.
...
Democrats overcame logistical challenges to prepare for 2004 by renting riverboats for extra hotel space and drafting plans for sky boxes in the Downtown convention center.

Former Mayor Tom Murphy pulled the city out of competition in 2002, saying in a letter to Democratic leaders that it would have been too expensive to retrofit the convention center for the party's needs.

Pittsburgh was one of 10 cities which accepted the invitation to bid for the 2004 Convention, but dropped out before submitting a proposal to host. The article implies that the Mellon Arena is capable of hosting the convention, but its not clear to me why they focused on the Conventon Center in 2004. Any Pittsburgh experts care to comment?

New York update

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From the New York Daily News:

New York is in the running for another Grand Ol' Party for national Republicans in 2008 - and one for Democrats, too.
...
"We look forward to working with both the Republican and the Democratic national committees to convince them that New York is the place to be a little over two years from now," [Bloomberg spokeswoman Jennifer] Falk said.

Bloomberg pressed hard to bring both conventions to New York in 2004, but negotiations with the Democratic National Committee fell apart. The Dems held their party in Boston over the summer, while the GOP convention was at Madison Square Garden shortly before Labor Day.
...
DNC press secretary Josh Earnest said his office is already moving on its next conventions, having approached about 35 cities at the beginning of the year. They've gotten 11 responses from interested cities, including New York and hurricane-ravaged New Orleans.

Site selection timeline update

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From the same Cherry Creek News article:

According to the DNC, a formal Request for Proposal (RFP) will be mailed to participating cities on February 27 and the deadline for cities to respond will be May 19, 2006.

A 10-member Technical Advisory Committee, appointed by DNC Chairman Howard Dean, will review the RFP responses to determine which cities merit site visits, which are anticipated to occur between June and August 2006. The DNC is expected to announce the 2008 host city by the end of 2006.

Denver forms Host Committee

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Once again, Denver is leading the organizational and PR pack: From the Cherry Creek News:

Denver will convene a Host Committee Breakfast, sponsored by local philanthropist Tim Gill, on Tuesday, February 21, 2006, at 8:00 a.m. the new Hyatt Regency Convention Center to gather community input and assistance in putting together a competitive bid and jumpstarting the necessary fundraising efforts. The Host Committee, co-chaired by City Councilwoman Elbra Wedgeworth [and others] ...; Colorado Democratic Party first vice chair Dan Slater will serve as vice chair; ... All funds for the Denver 2008 Host Committee will be raised through donations and sponsorships; no taxpayer funds will be used.

“We believe the combination of our central location, our fantastic convention and hotel facilities, and the political landscape in the Mountain West makes Denver an ideal location for the 2008 convention,” said Wedgeworth, who co-chaired the Colorado delegation to the 2004 Democratic National Convention in Boston.

...

“Once we receive the bid packet later this month, we will be in a better position to evaluate the feasibility and desirability of pursuing the convention from an economic development perspective,” said Mayor John Hickenlooper. “For many of us, this is not about partisan politics; it is about whether hosting a national convention - Democrat or Republican - can bring economic benefit to our city, region and state.”

Detroit confusion

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Did Detroit accept the invitation to bid for the 2008 Democratic National Convention? Well, from today's Detroit News:

"Detroit would be an excellent site for the 2008 Democratic National Convention," said Jason Moon, spokesman for the Michigan Democratic Party. "And the (2005 Major League Baseball) All-Star Game and now the Super Bowl proved that Detroit would be a tremendous host for any major event." Moon said Detroit is one of about a dozen cities in contention to host the gathering.

"One of a dozen cities still in contention"? Sounds like Detroit accepted the invitation. But from today's Detroit Free Press:

City spokeswoman Ceeon Quiett said the city just learned of its inclusion on the RNC's list Wednesday and hadn't had a chance to discuss a bid. Nor has it discussed a bid for the Democratic convention.

Not sure how you accept an invitation without discussing it. Or maybe it depends on the meaning of "discuss"!

DNC confirms number of cities bidding for the convention

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The DNC has confirmed that 11 is the number of cities which have accepted invitations to bid for the 2008 Democratic National Convention. From today's New York Daily News:

DNC press secretary Josh Earnest said his office is already moving on its next conventions, having approached about 35 cities at the beginning of the year. They've gotten 11 responses from interested cities, including New York and hurricane-ravaged New Orleans.

Still don't have confirmation of the actual cities, but there is no reason to think the list published below is incorrect.

Host city poll over at Daily Kos

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I've got a post and a poll over at Daily Kos. Vote for your choice to host the 2008 Democratic Convention.

Results as of 1:00 PM EST 2/16/06: [November poll results in ()]

Denver 35% (51%)
New Orleans 25% (11%)
Minneapolis 7% (NA)
Detroit 6% (3%)
Phoenix 6% (NA)

(Both polls with almost 300 votes)

There's still a lot of understandable support for New Orleans out there, Denver remains the favorite.

List of cities accepting the invitation?

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Hiding at the bottom of an Orange County Register article on the GOP convention is this nugget:

The Democratic National Committee plans to send its request for proposals to Anaheim, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Las Vegas, Minneapolis, New Orleans, New York City, Orlando, Phoenix and San Antonio. Party officials said they plan to decide on a convention city sometime after the November elections.

Although I haven't seen the list published elsewhere, this certainly seems like a reasonable set of cities.
Looks like we have our final 11. More to come.

Republican Convention update

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We will, on occasion, report on the Republican site selection, just to see how the competition is doing! Hotline On Call just posted a bunch of information. Here are some key points:

• 31 cities in the running, including Anaheim (not on the Democratic list). Other cities can still request information
• Finalists by mid-summer, decision by Feb 1 '07
• Party insiders say Tampa, Miami, Nashville, New York, and Anaheim have an inside edge.
  
• Watch for the RNC to announce its '08 convention dates in the next few weeks
• Main Convention Area -- facility capable of seating at least 20,500 persons, including the convention floor with seating for approximately 5,500 delegates and alternates.

Only two things I was suprised at. First, Anaheim being a front-runner. And second, no specific mention of a "bowl setting" being required. The Republican convention usually has less delegates than the Democrats, so maybe they feel they can fit in a Convention Hall setting. The GOP did this as recently as 1996 in San Diego, so it does open up more possibilities for them.

Orlando Update

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The Orlando Sentinel has a some interesting notes on Orlando's bid to host the 2008 Democratic National Convention. As I've noted, Orlando is trying to go after both conventions:

As Orange County Mayor Rich Crotty readies his pitch to bring the Republican National Convention to Orlando, he is also readying the GOP heavy hitters who will help him sell our locale.
...
But remember, the Orange County Convention Center isn't going after just one national convention in 2008. It wants both. That means Democratic Mayor Buddy Dyer of Orlando will have to get his team ready as well.

Dyer said last week that he was hoping he and Crotty would first announce a nonpartisan team that would handle the mechanics of both deals -- convention-center execs, hoteliers and the like -- and get to the partisan aspects later. I think it's in our better interests to have a joint community effort," Dyer said.

"He's right," Crotty said. "And I'm right," he added, explaining that his side stressed a need for the partisan team's involvement earlier on.

So, if it all works out, the two men will be united in their efforts to bring both conventions to town -- so that each side can spend a week bashing the tar out of the other.

A couple of notes: The DNC has made it very clear that they don't want to have the their convention in the same city as the GOP. And logistically, it would be a real mess. Since each party would want the hall designed to their specifications, you would have to have a number of weeks between the two conventions, and that's not feasible given the late August dates of the Democrats. Now there's certainly no problem with a city trying to go after both conventions since its not guaranteed to get either one, but at some point Orlando might have to make a choice.

Second, if Orlando is offering the Orange County Convention Center as the venue, they're going to have a problem with the Democratic bid. The DNC has clearly stated that they require a "bowl arena with seating for 25,000". The Democrats haven't been in a "convention hall" setting since San Francisco in 1984, and they don't want to go back. There's less seating, bad sightlines for any far-away seats, and no existing skyboxes to entertain the VIPs.

Another potential option is to host it at the Orlando Arena, but a discussion last week implied that the Orlando Arena would need some improvements:

they would have to renovate or build an new arena since the Orena doesn't have 100 sky suites.
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both Dyer and Crotty have to step up their time table and seriously commit to renovating or building a new arena or they will be needlessly spending tax dollars to make their respective bids. Because of that, I would think we are currently at a serious disadvantage to cities like Denver and Atlanta, but because of Florida's (particularly the I-4 corridor) huge role in deciding the past elections, both parties would find it highly desirable to have their conventions here

It will be interesting to find out what venue Orlando really thinks they're holding this convention in.

A dozen cities interested in the convention?

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The Denver Post wrote today that "About a dozen other cities have some interest in hosting the convention", but I'd really be interested in seeing where they got that information from. Most cities are not talking, and the DNC says an official list of cities accepting an invitation to bid to host the 2008 Democratic Convention is not being released.

But in the same article, Dan Slater, vice-chairman of the Colorado state Democratic party, does say Orlando, New Orleans and Detroit are all at least mulling a bid. As stated below, there's been no news that either New Orleans or Detroit accepted the invitation to bid to host the convention, but I'm getting the feeling that a number of cities are interested in hosting - we just don't have any confirmation yet.

Denver announces intention to host convention

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Denver is keeping up the PR offensive, with Mayor John Hickenlooper announcing the city's intentions to host the 2008 Democratic National Convention:

"One hundred years ago - in 1908 - the nation looked to Denver as Democrats nominated one of America's greatest orators, William Jennings Bryan," the official letter of intent reads. "It would be a great honor - and an historic event - for Denver to host the Democratic National Convention again a century later."

"There has been a lot of talk about this Western states primary, so if we take more of a regional approach we really think it will be a strong application," said City Councilwoman Elbra Wedgeworth, who is co-chairwoman of a committee in charge of courting the Democrats. "I'm excited."

"I think Denver is in a really great position," said Dan Slater, vice-chairman of the state Democratic party, who is also on the committee working on Denver's bid.

Slater said while the politics are partisan, the convention could bring the kind of attention everyone in Denver would favor.

"Generally, it is a win-win proposition for the city," he said. "Some people might think of it as a hassle, but for the most part, the kind of exposure that the city gets ... is exactly what we want for the convention community and for the tourism community.

This weekend, the DNC and the Association of State Democratic Chairs have been hosting the State Party Leadership Summit. Dan Slater, mentioned in the article above, has been doing a great job blogging the event over at DemNotes. I have no doubt that Slater and the Colorado delegation are talking up their convention bid at this event. As Dan writes:

... we’re working to ensure that Colorado and the West get the attention from the DNC that is needed.

Denver's PR blitz clearly keeps them the frontrunner for the convention.

Discussion of convention sites at Democratic Underground

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They've just started a discussion of potential host cities over at Democratic Underground, and are taking a poll on people's choices. Note that the information there on Detroit accepting an invitation to bid on the convention is not confirmed as far as I know.

Superbowl: Done.... Convention: Next?

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In the wake of the Superbowl, lots of discussion on the web today about Detroit hosting the 2008 Democratic National Convention. The Discuss Detroit message board weighs the pros and cons:

We should definitely bid for a political convention....this is all tourism dollars that our region desperately needs. Money is money. We need to not only bid for large things like that, Super Bowl, etc, but smaller conventions as well. I would imagine since we are now on the map as a fun city, more conventions may be in the works.
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A bid for the Democratic National Convention requires the ability to put many millions in hard cash into DNC coffers, in addition to putting millions of dollars of city services in play. Detroit could not assuredly raise the many millions last time (and so lost the bid to Boston - which also struggled)and has less ability now. Also, a political convention is all about very low hotel rates (as opposed to the Super Bowl) and catered affairs for the delegates (no restaurant effect, then). Couple that with the cash money the DNC demands and the free services the City would have to put out and you have a recipe for disaster.

Also, Metro at his South of 8 Mile blog makes the case:

Detroit has finally proven itself. This city deserves to host the 2008 Democratic convention, for it is ready. Detroit should also go after the summer Olympics if you ask me. Kwame Kilpatric, Roger Penske, all the major corporations, all the local governments, they all pulled together for this event. Detroit has shined like it hasn't shined in decades. The momentum should only build from hear on out, it should be a no holds barred effort to land every major event we can, as we should now be viewed amongst the big players.