Utah wins convention housing priority lottery

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

Great inside stuff from DemNotes. At the meeting of the Association of State Democratic Chairs (ASDC), the states got assigned priorities to help decide which states get the preferred hotels at the 2008 Democratic Convention in Denver:

The state parties were understandably very focused on the housing process, and how hotels would be assigned to each delegation. It is a very complicated process, with many variables. Fitting states into hotels at a national convention is like a multi-dimensional puzzle, with the need to match the number of rooms available with as many delegations as possible, while taking into account what hotels each delegation wants. Some may want a lower-cost hotel, even if it means further distance from the Pepsi Center; others may want to sacrifice price for location and amenities.
...
One of the big variables in the process is a state’s “priority”. The states are randomly placed into numerical priorities, from 1 to 56 (there are 56 delegations, as the DNC treats the territories, DC, and Democrats Abroad as separate state delegations). Today was the day we each learned our priority — the housing lottery was held this afternoon.
...
Because we’re the Host State, the DNCC invited us to be the first state to pick. Alas, our “first in the nation” status didn’t help greatly, as our lottery priority is right in the middle at 24. Then, each state went, in reverse alphabetical order, after Colorado.

24 isn’t horrible. But it isn’t Utah. Utah Chair Wayne Holland and his crew went to the front and pulled out hat number 1. Since Utahns are expecting to have some stiff competition to attend the Convention next door, this is quite a coup for the Beehive State Dems. The jubilant Utah Democaratic leaders were soon getting offers (semi-serious) from the Hawaii Chair to exchange all sorts of things, including trips to Hawaii for State Party leaders, in exchange for Utah’s Number 1 status (Hawaii picked number 30).
...
In reality, the lottery position is only one of many variables that will be used in determining housing placements. But its definitely the most fun variable!
...
According to the DNCC plans, there are still a lot of steps before we find out who gets what lodging. State Party leaders will be trekking through Denver individually to tour and inspect hotels during June, July and August. Then, in September, they will be submitting their preferences to the DNCC, who should have some assignments ready for the state parties by November.

I'd love to know what Hawaii is offering to "move up" in the preference order. And there should be another lottery, probably in the winter or early spring, to determine where the state delegations get assigned on the floor of the convention hall. I'll keep an eye for news on that one.