How we got here

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There have been a lot of new readers since this blog started over a year ago, so here's a summary of how we got to two cities, Denver and New York, both vying to be the host of the 2008 Democratic National Convention:

I started the blog on November 7, 2005, just after DNC Chairman Howard Dean announced that the convention would be held Aug 25-28, 2008, just after the Summer Olympics, which was a great date both for both financial and political reasons, and eventually forced the GOP to start their convention on Labor Day. New Orleans was the first city openly discussed, but Denver, as they have all year, was first in expressing interest, forming a Host Committee, and accepting an invitation to bid for the convention. But even by late November, 2005, questions about Denver's labor issues began to surface. By mid-December, 35 cities were invited to bid to host the convention.

Although other cities such as Anchorage were proposed, the real players soon emerged. First to accept a bid were Denver and Orlando, soon followed by Anaheim, Dallas, Detroit, Las Vegas, Minneapolis, New Orleans, New York City, Phoenix and San Antonio, with Denver, New Orleans and New York considered the front-runners, although the netroots supported Denver and New Orleans. Some cities started slowly: Detroit couldn't agree whether it had accepted the bid, Dallas was more concerned about the Mary Kay convention, and San Antonio was worried about feasibility and costs. By mid-April, Orlando was expressing concerns about the cost. Phoenix was the first to drop out, and Orlando and San Antonio soon followed.

The DNC held their spring meeting in April in New Orleans, which brought front and center the good and bad about having the convention there, and where the general feeling was that Denver had the bid all locked up, although the first signs of problems from local Denver union officials began to surface. Anaheim dropped out in early May, soon followed by Dallas, and then, surprisingly, Detroit, thought to have a good chance to host the convention, and finally Las Vegas, which realized it could make more money with their normal convention schedule than with a political convention. This left four cities which were reported to have made bids to host the convention: Denver, Minneapolis/St. Paul, New Orleans and New York.

Or maybe not. Questions about whether New Orleans really made a bid started to surface, as no site visit had been scheduled, and in mid-July, it was official - New Orleans dropped out, saying the cost of holding the event after Hurricane Katrina last year was too massive. This was a controversial decision, with some feeling the DNC should have lessened the financial requirements for New Orleans due to its special situation.

In June, the Site Selection Committee started its visits, visiting New York, Denver and Minneapolis/St. Paul. July saw Denver trying to raise money from other states, the DNC focusing on the St. Paul Xcel Center for the Twin Cities bid, and Denver hiring a "heavy hitter" to run its bid. August started quiet, although Denver, New York and St. Paul all hosted receptions at the summer DNC meeting. But by the end of the summer, money and labor issues were impacting Denver's bid.

Denver's efforts bottomed out in early September, when its bid was called "disastrous". But the bid improved, and when the GOP preemptively chose St. Paul as the site of their convention, Denver was a contender again, Then Denver's Convention Headquarters Hotel was unionized, which was considered a "huge deal".

Denver's roll continued with reports that New York was having problems raising money, and then Democrats won the Governor's race in Colorado. And while Dean expressed concern about Denver's ability to raise money, Denver seemed to answer those concerns.

Denver was confident that would get the nod in a early December decision, but New York made a last-minute push, and by mid-December it was 50-50, with a decision considered imminent. But then a Denver union leader refused to sign a no-strike pledge, New York had more issues raising money, and finally the DNC announced they were delaying a decision until January.

So where does that leave us? With the following questions:

Where does Hillary Clinton really want the convention?
Where does New York mayor Mike Bloomberg really want the convention?
Where does Denver's Local No. 7 of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees really want the convention?
And finally, the only question that really matters, where does DNC Chairman Howard Dean really want the convention?

Hurricanes hurt Tampa's GOP bid

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I've argued here and here that it's just not fair to rule out coastal cities as hosts of political conventions because of hurricanes. Five conventions have been held in hurricane prone cities in recent years: Houston - 1992, New Orleans - 1988, Miami Beach: 1968 (Rep) and 1972 (both Dem and Rep). Add Tampa, Orlando, Jacksonville, Charlotte, and even Philadelphia, New York and Boston, and you've got a lot of potential cities that could be hit by a hurricane. Well unfortunately for Tampa, Tropical Storm Ernesto was headed toward Florida in late August, and it looks like the GOP did not want to take a chance:

Tampa bid organizers said [Ken] Mehlman, [chairman of the Republican National Committee] told them the threat of hurricanes cost them the convention.

How short-sited of the GOP. Are they also going to avoid West Coast cities also because of the potential for earthquakes? Actually that's fine. Hopefully the Democrats can make a big statement in 2012 by having the convention in Miami, Charlotte, or, of course, New Orleans.

New Orleans ALA convention mostly successful

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The American Library Association is holding its annual convention in New Orleans, and being the first big convention to be held in New Orleans, all eyes in the tourism (political and otherwise) industry are watching to see how New Orleans' infrastrucure is holding up. The verdict: mostly good, but some issues still needing work:

Participants and observers in town for the first major convention in New Orleans since Hurricane Katrina offered mostly praise for the hospitality industry's handling of the event, but the limited number of flights into the city has emerged as an issue. More than 18,000 members of the American Library Association are in town for a conference at the Ernest N. Morial Convention
Center. It began Thursday and ends Wednesday. It is the first major event to test the city's convention industry, and the reaction to it will go a long way toward preserving or diminishing New Orleans' reputation as a premier convention destination.
...
Other conventioneers said they noticed that some operations were short-staffed, but they were not inconvenienced. "It's been great," said Dan Donovan, who traveled with his librarian wife from Raleigh, N.C. The hotel "is shorthanded, but everybody's doing the best they can. It
seems like people don't mind waiting."

Kevin Cleary of Cleveland said the hotel staff "apologized for (the service) upfront." "But it wasn't that bad," said Cleary, an exhibitor for Collegiate Directories Inc. "It's New Orleans. You expect a leisurely pace."
...
However, not everything has gone smoothly. The lower number of flights into Louis Armstrong International Airport has emerged as an issue. The airport has about two-thirds of the 166 flights per day it had before Katrina.
...
"That is a problem," said Roz Kriener, a meeting planner with the National Association of Realtors' conventions and meetings department. Kriener is in town to observe the library convention in preparation for the Realtors convention in November, when at least 25,000 attendees are anticipated. Kriener, who has been telling members to book flights early, said the city desperately needs more direct flights to accommodate large groups. Otherwise, Kriener said, she was encouraged by what she saw and is confident New Orleans is capable once again of hosting a large conference. "Everything seems to be coming back to life," she said.

It's clear New Orleans essentially passed its first test, although it's also clear that the bar was not set too high. The larger Realtors convention in November will be an even bigger test. However I wonder if New Orleans will even still be in the competition by then. Let's see when the site visit gets scheduled. The longer it gets put off, the less likely New Orleans will stay in the competition to host the 2008 Democratic National Convention.

Update: Some facts about the ALA convention: "The attendance was 11,605 registrants and 4704 vendors, for a total of 16,309—a little more than ten percent below the 18,344 figure for the Orlando conference in 2004 at the time".

Update 2: The site visit to New Orleans is reported to be scheduled for August.

Update 3: And from Chris Rose in the Times-Picayune:

I don't think I'm quite ready to climb to the top of the Superdome and scream "We're BACK, baby!" But as harbingers of recovery go, the American Library Association convention this weekend was a serious step in the right direction.
...
I have probably covered 100 conventions in this building over the years and the difference in appearance between this one and all the others was . . . nothing.

And the bottom line?

They were here. They got their work done. They had a great time. And nobody got shot.

Why Las Vegas dropped out

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The Las Vegas Sun has a delayed but detailed look at why Las Vegas didn't submit a bid for the 2008 democratic National Convention:

Las Vegas has grown into a world-class entertainment capital, but it apparently still hasn't emerged as the kind of place where the next president of the United States will be nominated.

The city was among 11 nationwide being considered by the Democratic National Committee to host the 2008 Democratic National Convention. But Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman declined to bid on the prestigious political prize, telling Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean that the city's vast convention space was already all booked.

Las Vegas' decision to stick with its bread-and-butter regulars - the Las Vegas Convention Center will host the Men's Apparel Guild International of California (MAGIC) during the days that the Democrats will meet in August 2008 - rather than try for the chance to host the first national political convention in the city's 101-year history leaves one question unanswered:

Would the Democrats really have been willing to debut their 2008 presidential hopeful from Sin City? "That reputation certainly is out there. That certainly plays into it, at least on a national scale, for people who don't know that much about (Las Vegas)," said David Damore, an associate professor of political science at UNLV. A DNC spokesman declined to comment.

Goodman's office pointed to the potential economic fallout as the reason to pull out of the running for the 2008 Democratic convention. "We are honored to have been included on the list of potential host cities," the mayor wrote to Dean. "(We) hope you consider us for future dates for the Democratic National Convention."

...

Both parties are planning site visits this summer, with announcements expected late this year or next. In the meantime, political junkies in the blogosphere are touting the various sites and collecting readers' votes.

I think they're talking about us!

Las Vegas, with its 9.5 million square feet of convention space and 133,000 hotel rooms - the most in the nation - could have met the logistical needs of either party. The convention authority even had various sites in mind, including the Las Vegas Convention Center. But after considering Dean's invitation to bid, the city decided it had too much to lose.

The Democrats needed the convention hall for 75 days, and the Las Vegas Convention Center already booked 18 groups during that period, said Erika Yowell, a spokeswoman for the convention authority. "That is the clincher right there," she said. Those 18 groups are expected to bring $615 million in economic benefit to the city. MAGIC alone, which has the convention center booked from Aug. 17 to 30, is expected to bring in $183 million, based on the estimate of each conventioneer spending $1,531 during his stay, she said.

By comparison, the 2004 Democratic convention in Boston brought in $156 million and the 2000 convention in Los Angeles generated $147 million, according to the Democratic National Committee.

...

Nevada Democrats stood by the mayor's decision, and took the missed opportunity in stride. "It didn't work out this time, but Nevada is growing increasingly more important in the national political scene," said Kirsten Searer, a spokeswoman for the state Democratic Party.

"With the increased exposure that we're seeing, and we'll probably continue to see, people will see the full picture of Nevada. Does that include gaming? Yes. And that's important to our state. But there's so many other aspects to Nevada that people will see as Nevadans and our issues are more prominently played out in the national political debate."

Damore said chances were probably always slim at best that the Democrats would end up dropping balloons on their presidential nominee from the Strip. Nevada has been a swing state in recent presidential elections, going twice for Democrat Bill Clinton, then twice for Republican George W. Bush. But the Democrats might not have wanted to chance it on Election Day.

"Usually they go to really big cities or they go to friendly territories. So far, the Dems haven't won here (lately)," he said. Besides, he added: "Who wants to be here in August? It's kind of hard to get people to be here when it's 115.'' Then again, that just would have meant that there would be plenty of hot air inside and outside the convention center.

For cities that have huge convention business, such as Las Vegas or Orlando, I think it's clear that they will be better off financially with their normal trade shows.

New Orleans tourism update

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The New Orleans tourism industry is slowly coming back, but issues remain, and the first big trade show takes place in 4 weeks. The Orlando Sentinel reports on the industry:

Hotels in the New Orleans metro area are running at about 79 percent occupancy for the first quarter of this year, a seemingly healthy, but misleading rate because the number of hotel rooms available is down nearly 30 percent.

The city has 27,000 hotel rooms, about 70 percent of its total before the hurricane, and 2,600 restaurants.

Officials said New Orleans and Louisiana are ready to handle more tourism traffic. While the region's service-industry work force was initially depleted because so many people fled the flooding, jobs and workers are starting to come back -- as are volunteers and tourists.

I've heard anecdotal evidence that a shortage of service-industry workers was very obvious during the DNC meeting in New Orleans in April.

The first major test of New Orleans' tourism infrastructure is coming up later this month:

Belinda Lazaro, public relations manager at the Royal Sonesta Hotel in the French Quarter, said she and many others are looking forward to the June 22-28 American Library Association conference.

"We'll have 30,000 librarians. It's our first citywide convention since Katrina," Lazaro said.

I would expect the DNC will be very interested to see how well this and other major trade shows go.

More on Orlando's decision not to bid for the convention

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Orlando seems to have gone out of its way to publically explain in detail why they're not bidding for the 2008 Democratic National Convention. Well, there's more, in an internal memo written to Orlando's mayor, Buddy Dyer:

City of Orlando

May 1, 2006

MEMORANDUM

TO: Mayor Buddy Dyer

FROM: Jose Fernandez, Senior Advisor for Public Policy and Business Development

RE: National Political Conventions

Per your and Mayor Crotty's request, groups of local business and political leaders including members of the Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission, the Orlando/Orange County Convention and Visitors Bureau, Florida Democratic Party, and Central Florida Hotel and Lodging Association have been examining the possibility of hosting both the Democratic and Republican National Conventions for 2008....

Through this due diligence, the following points have been raised.

1. The approximate $78 million price tag to host one event is an estimate based on initial research. Further estimates for satisfying the requirements/asks of the parties could move that figure closer to $100 million.

2. Both proposals require a number of luxury suites that cannot be accommodated at the TD Waterhouse Centre. Therefore, among the larger expenses is the cost to build a 15,000-seat arena complete with suites inside the Orange County Convention Center, then tearing it down after the event. This is estimated to cost $15 million.

3. Both parties are requesting access to the convention center for three to six months prior to the actual event in order to accommodate the setup. The center schedules events 10 years or more in advance, and canceling shows that have already been booked could possibly represent a loss of up to $200 million.

4. If the convention center was utilized for the political convention, the previously booked convention business would be displaced and the net gain of hosting the political convention could be minimal when all economic factors are taken into consideration.

5. The security budget is difficult to gauge and driven by both the Secret Service and other law enforcement agencies. The initial estimate of $25 million for this line item would only increase, not decrease, as we move toward the 2008 event.

6. Energy (particularly driven by air conditioning) and production costs will be significant and may vary based on the economy and fluctuations in the pricing of fuel/oil in two years.

7. Hotels would need to block more than 20,000 rooms per convention through the end of the selection process representing a hold of one year. If the convention is not awarded this could severely affect rates for years to come.

8. As the travel and tourism industry is a staple of the Orlando economy, there is concern for the displaced leisure and business traveler to Orlando during the weeks before, during, and immediately following the political convention.

With all of the information gathered throughout this process, the consensus of the community organizations, the political groups, and City staff is that we do not submit a proposal for either Convention in 2008

Putting a political convention in a convention center is not going to make sense anymore. In addition to the cost of building the infrastructure inside the convention center, displacing already confirmed trade shows is going to eliminate any potential cost benefits from holding the convention, and the cost benefits aren't much anyway. If you hold the convention in an indoor arena or non-baseball dome, you're only displacing some rock concerts or similar events, and the impact is much less.

And then there were 7? Yes - Anaheim is out

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I find it amusing that sometimes the most interesting and important information (from my viewpoint) is buried at the bottom of a news article that focuses on something else. For example, the Orange County Register was the first news organization in the country to break the list of the original 11 cities who expressed interest in hosting the 2008 Democratic Convention, and they had the information at the bottom of an article on the GOP convention.

Well, buried in the middle, and then clearly listed at the end, of today's Denver Post article on Denver's union issues, is a new list of the cities bidding for the convention, and there are only 7: Denver, Dallas, Detroit, Las Vegas, Minneapolis, New Orleans and New York. In addition to the officially departed Orlando and San Antonio, Phoenix and Anaheim are not on this list. This is the first published report by a newspaper that Phoenix and Anaheim are out, but I would still like to see some confirmation from the city or the DNC.

Update: Two different sources, both persons with knowledge about the convention selection process, have stated that Anaheim has dropped out of the bidding for the convention. While there's nothing official from Anaheim or the DNC, as far as I'm concerned, Anaheim is out.

Orlando makes it official - they're out

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I noted two weeks ago that Orlando seemed like they were dropping out. It's now official. From the Orlando Sentinel:

Scared off by the cost, Orange County Mayor Rich Crotty and Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer have notified party leaders that they won't bid for the Democratic National Convention or the Republican National Convention.

"We have a lot of other things on our plate," Dyer said. "To try to justify putting $100 million toward one event didn't make a lot of sense."

Dyer, a Democrat, and Crotty, a Republican, liked the idea of turning the international media spotlight on Orlando by bringing the party faithful to town. They began exploring the idea in January.

But they found the price tag for hosting a political convention is astronomical. Security for 35,000 candidates, politicians, party delegates and reporters could top $50 million. It would cost another $15 million to build a temporary 15,000-seat stadium inside the Orange County Convention Center, then tear it down after the event.

...

Because of lengthy setup and tear-down periods, hosting either political convention would tie up the convention center for at least three months. Industry conventions and trade shows that have already been booked would have to be canceled or rescheduled, Crotty said, causing an economic loss of about $200 million.

The cost of a political convention would be paid primarily through private donations and, potentially, money from the tourist tax.

At the same time, the city and county are pushing other projects -- including a new performing-arts center, Orlando Magic arena and renovated Citrus Bowl -- that depend on both those sources of cash. Crotty and Dyer worried that the well of philanthropy might run dry.

As I said, and then there were 8.

(The National AP wire also has a brief writeup).

Orlando cancels reception at DNC spring meeting

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From the AP:

Also, representatives from two major cities -- Denver and Minneapolis -- lobbying to host the Democratic convention in August 2008 plan events to drum up support. Orlando, Fla., initially had scheduled an evening reception but canceled it before the meeting began.

And then there were 9?

Orlando reminds us about the steep hill

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Following up on last week's post about Orlando being very worried about the costs of hosting the 2008 Democratic Convention, comes this quote, from Democracy in Action 2008, from Heather Allebaugh, Constituent Correspondent, City of Orlando, Office of the Mayor:

"At this time both City and County staff are reviewing the bids. Based on the due diligence done to this point, it looks like the hill might be a little steeper than anticipated. We are still analyzing various components of the bid and expect to come to a decision soon."

Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer used that same steep hill metaphor last week. Strange talking points for a city hosting a bid reception at the DNC meeting this week.

Update: Orlando has canceled their reception.

Orlando very worried about costs

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News has come out which is sure to put a damper on Orlando's reception at the DNC Spring meeting in New Orleans next week. The Orlando Sentinel reported today that Orlando may pull their bid due to the high costs of hosting the 2008 Democratic Convention. Some key details from the article:

The cost of hosting a national political convention in 2008 is so astronomical that Orange County Mayor Rich Crotty and Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer may pass on the chance, officials said Wednesday. The mayors learned Wednesday that their already high estimates of about $78 million to put on a four-day convention weren't nearly high enough. The total could actually well surpass $100 million.

Among the expenses: building a 15,000-seat arena, complete with skyboxes, inside the Orange County Convention Center -- then tearing it down after the politicos leave town. Estimated cost: $15 million. And that's just to start. "That's $15 million for four days of use," Crotty said. "There's no final answer yet, but the hill turns out to be a little bit steeper of a climb than we first thought."

Orlando was already at a big disadvantage as they were proposing the Orlando Convention Center as the facility to begin with. I wrote back in February:

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.

I didn't even mention the additional cost of putting an "arena" inside a convention center. Back to the Sentinel article:

Crotty's chief of staff and others on a local GOP planning committee attended a workshop Tuesday in Washington, D.C., where Republican organizers briefed potential host cities about their needs.

Both parties have a long list of requirements, including enough hotel rooms and convention space to accommodate more than 35,000 party delegates and political and business heavyweights, along with thousands of reporters from around the globe.

Crotty's staffers were told that GOP officials would want both of the Orange County Convention Center's buildings, torpedoing the possibility of hosting trade groups and other conventions in one building at the same time.

Crotty's staffers were told that GOP officials would want both of the Orange County Convention Center's buildings, torpedoing the possibility of hosting trade groups and other conventions in one building at the same time.

I'm sure the Democrats would want the same.

Both parties want access to the center for about three months for setup. The convention center schedules events 10 years or more in advance, and canceling shows that have already been booked would be a huge loss, center deputy manager Kathleen Canning said.

"We certainly could not take both buildings out of commission for that length of time. You're talking about an economic loss of a couple hundred million dollars," Canning said.

This should have been obvious to the Orlando people before they even expressed interest. Every convention in recent history has required 10-12 weeks exclusive access, and all adjacent space gets sucked up by the media requirements (not to mention security considerations would never allow a public event adjacent to a convention site).

The mayors must decide whether to pursue either convention by mid-May, the deadline for bidding. Crotty is expecting a recommendation from his local GOP committee next week, and Dyer said he's gathering input from Democratic bigwigs on the state and national level.

If they abandon the effort, it wouldn't be the first time for Orlando. Crotty and then-Orlando Mayor Glenda Hood ruled out hosting the 2004 conventions after being invited to apply, citing the cost.

A convention would require extensive private fundraising, and the effort would come as Crotty and Dyer are pushing other initiatives that could also hinge on private donations, including a new performing-arts center and attracting the Burnham Institute, a California biomedical firm.

"We're talking about a four-day event that would get national and international attention, but that would cost us $100 million or more," Dyer said. "One question that needs to be explored is whether we would be better off utilizing that money in other ways."

I'm looking forward to see how Orlando's party at the DNC meeting goes!

Denver and Orlando hosting receptions at the DNC Spring meeting in New Orleans

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As I wrote last fall, the DNC is holding their regular spring meeting in New Orleans starting on April 20. What's most interesting is that Denver and Orlando are both hosting evening receptions (on different nights) in support of their convention bids. None of the other cities, even including the host city of New Orleans, has a reception on the schedule. (The schedule could change, of course). For Denver, this is not surprising - they continue to be the most aggressive of the potential cities. But I am surprised by Orlando. I had downplayed their chances, but this reception shows that they are quite serious about going after the convention. And they were the only city besides Denver to announce that first weekend that they were interested in hosting the convention. So Orlando will need to be watched more closely.

And to clarify some things said in the comments, while the members of the DNC to not get to vote on the site selection, clearly their opinions, like those of other key Democrats, will be very important to Dean, and therefore the wooing of the ~440 DNC members will be interesting to watch.

Could the convention help Orlando get a new arena?

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I wrote a couple of weeks ago about Orlando's facility issue: Orlando is planning to propose the Orange County Convention Center in their bid, as the TD Waterhouse Centre (formerly the Orlando Arena) does not meet some of the facility requirements. But the Democrats have made it clear they want to be in an arena. What's wrong with the TD Waterhouse Centre? Well JF on his Orlando Arena blog has been pushing for a new arena, and confirms that the TDWC only has 26 skyboxes "all situated well above the optimal viewing area for a VIP". But JF also hopes that the convention might help get a new arena approved:

This jumps to the idea of a new arena, while it wouldn’t be built specifically for this convention, the convention itself could be a catalyst in building a new arena in Orlando/Orange County. Both leaders know a commitment to the new arena could solidify their respected bids and with a new facility by 2008 the city/county could have a beautiful venue open up that could enhance the area as a major artery in the American infrastructure.

I'm not sure how long it takes to build a new arena, but I would think a new arena would have to be started before the Democrats make their final site selection, and there are no signs that's going to happen.

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.
...
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.

Orlando accepts invite to bid for the convention

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Orlando has accepted the invitation to bid for the 2008 Democratic National Convention. From the Orlando Sentinel:

Late Thursday, Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, a Democrat, sent a letter to his party's chairman confirming the City Beautiful's interest in hosting the 2008 Democratic National Convention. By Friday morning, Orange County Mayor Rich Crotty, a Republican, was announcing his own hope of bringing a convention here -- the Republican National Convention.

"Florida has been on the national stage in presidential politics," Dyer said. "It's only natural that both parties would want to hold conventions in this state."
...
The Democratic National Committee sent letters to about 30 cities in November inviting them to request a bid packet, and Friday was the deadline to make that request. Party officials would not say how many other cities expressed interest in the convention scheduled for the last week in August 2008. Denver's mayor also responded Thursday, and New York is thought to be among the favorites.

Dyer said he asked DNC Chairman and former presidential candidate Howard Dean whether Orlando should bother applying when the two attended the party's state convention here last month. The response was enthusiastic, Dyer said.

Politcally, Orlando would seem like a good choice, given Florida's battleground status. But can we stand all the "Mickey Mouse candidate" references?

And I'm curious as to who believes that "New York is thought to be among the favorites"?