The DNC has announced the four finalists for hosting the 2012 Democratic National Convention. The finalists are: St. Louis, Missouri; Minneapolis, Minnesota; Charlotte, North Carolina; and Cleveland, Ohio. I’ve been to all four, and believe they all have advantages and disadvantages with respect to hosting the 2012 convention.
Which city do you think is best for the convention, and why?
Please share widely!
Ergo it should host the convention.
…plus it will show support for the eternally struglling industrial Midwest.
Frankly, I’m not sure. When the DNC was held in Boston in 2004, the show of force and fences and blocked off areas didn’t make me excited to be in the same club as the folks going in and out of the Fleet Center…
I have been a delegate to two conventions and a volunteer at one. From a delegate/volunteer perspective, I think that public transportation and a large venue are the most important factors. As far as whether it helps or hurts local votes, that’s harder to say. Certainly the everyday folks in Masaschusetts saw it as an inconvenience. My employer is based in Colorado, and although some co-workers joined me for some of the parties, most of my colleagues were indifferent to the event. It does help the hotels and the caterers. The local businesses, not so much.
1 – Which locale has the best infrastructure to host the delegates, media, activists, etc.?
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p>2- Which locale makes the best political statement? This not only has to do with regional appeal, but also the opposite candidate — if Tim Pawlenty is the nominee, is having the convention in Minneapolis a plus or minus?
This poll should be rewritten in accordance with preference voting which is what the DNC members will be using, so the top two can then be determined. Additionally my top two would be St. Louis and Cleveland.
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p>In terms of coolest/easiest city to hold the convention in the answer would probably be Minneapolis, MN. But this is one of the bluest states in the country (even if Pawlenty is the nominee), and St. Paul just had a convention so the egalitarian in me wants some other state to have the shot and get the shot in the arm.
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p>This leaves the other three. Charlotte makes a good statement that we are committed to winning back the South, helps retain that vital swing state, etc. My aunt shuttles back and forth between Charlotte and Boston for BoA purposes and says that their airport and public transportation system suck, so I am disinclined to it for that reason. I also think putting the convention somewhere closer to the geographic center of the country would be better.
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p>I enjoyed visiting Cleveland, they have great art museums and musical venues, not to mention the Rock Hall of Fame. The Quicken Loans Arena is a great venue, easily accessible to the RTA (their T), the airport, and other transportation hubs. The biggest drawback is that most of the cultural attractions are located in Cleveland’s cool ethnic neighborhoods and areas, not really close to the downtown area which is a ghost-town on weekends and after 5pm on weekdays. The park system that links the downtown directly to the lakefront is rather beautiful though. So it has its ups and downs.
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p>I have never been to St. Louis and my buddies at Wash U lament that the city is not as good as Boston, that said it is an up and coming city enjoying something of a rebirth. Its location in the Bellweather State, smack in the middle of the country, and in a state Barack Obama barely lost, all make it quite attractive. The convention bounce is attributed to just one or two points, but that would be enough to paint MO blue. There are a lot of great Democrats coming from this state, which has recently returned to its historic Democratic trendlines for state offices. It would be great to highlight them, and to link Obama with the spirit of Harry Truman and other great MO Democrats. The city has also recently opened a new sculpture park, modern art museum, and has revitalized several blighted neighborhoods that are now up and coming and attracting a bit of a bohemian bunch. So those are my top two choices, though any of the cities would be good.
“Tourism videos” for Cleveland…
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p>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v… Part I
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p>http://www.break.com/userconte… Part 2
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p>My favorite tagline- “at least we’re not Detroit”
The state which has voted with the winner in the longest unbroken chain from the last election is Ohio. OH is now the bellweather,
Surprised in the running since they had the GOP convention in 2008. Two elections in a row seems to go against spreading the wealth around.
Who has the best Barbeque?
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p>I think that Charlotte should be the hands down winner here. Sure St. Louis has great ribs but North Carolina barbeque (pulled pork) is sublime.
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p>I would add that NC has the best weather and very friendly people although I don’t think anyone can compete with Minnesota for politeness.
Finally, something worth debating. I find Carolina sauce is a bit heavy on the vinegar, and too often comes across as to acidic. Also, a St. Louis joint can usually do a serviceable pulled pork, but Carolina BBQs usually turn the ribs into barely-cooked meat with a blackened skin.
Eastern Carolina is vinegar based, and uses the whole hog. Western Carolina is tomato based, and typically only uses the darker shoulder meat. Charlotte is in western North Carolina.
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p>And Carolina (E or W) BBQ had better sides IMO. Better corn bread, better greens, and sweeter tea.
…but sides don’t do much for me. I mean, I like pulled pork, but to me the essence of BBQ is ribs. We need to throw a BMGBBQ someday.
Blue Ribbon BBQ, located in Arlington and also West Newton. They do all four major BBQ regions, have good sides, sweet tea, and good blues and southern rock music on the speakahs.
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p>I’d surely go. Heck, I’d pay $25 to attend a BMG PAC fundraiser if it meant I got to eat Blue Ribbon BBQ too.
and either Charlotte and StL wuld do well there. Minneapolis is a good city with a very good mayor (RT Rybak, BC grad), but gotta go with Cleveland for one reason:
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p>Compensation for potential loss of LeBron!
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p>Enjoy the Fourth, everyone!