Monday, March 13, 2006
Convention Technical Advisory Group
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Updated 3/14
From the comments, unconfirmed but reasonable, is a list of the 10 members of the 2008 Democratic Convention Technical Advisory Group. From the DNC:
The technical advisory committee begins the process of reviewing the applications and visiting the cities this summer.
The TAG will make the city visits, and report back whether cities are capable of hosting the convention: site, hotel rooms, media support, transportation, etc.
So who’s on the TAG?
- Tom McMahon, DNC Executive Director – previously Exec Director of Democracy for America; Deputy Campaign Manager for Dean
- Leah Daughtry, DNC Chief of Staff – Director of Convention Management for the 1992 Democratic National Convention
- Matt Nugen, Director of Chairman Dean’s Office, Deputy COO 2000 convention.
- Joseph Sandler – former General Counsel for the DNC
- Zoe Garmendia – 2004 site selection, 1996, 2000 and 2004 convention logistics
- Cameron Moody – 1996, 2000 and 2004 convention logistics
- Wally Podrazik – He’s been involved with handling media logistics at every Democratic convention since at least 1980, and has been involved with site selection in the past. Wally is also an author of TV and Beatle books.
- Diane Dewhirst – Former press secretary to Senator George Mitchell, and I believe she’s done convention logistics in the past
- Elaine Howard – 2004 site selection; former Director of Events for DNC
- Ricky Kirshner – Producer 1992-2004 conventions
The first three people are Dean political people, although both Daughtry and Nugen have convention logistical experience. Sandler is the lawyer.
The rest of the group is clearly technical/logistical, not political.
This is all very different than 2004, when folks like Willie Brown, Henry Cisneros, and Freddy Ferrer were on a 40-person site advisory committee. A smaller group will make the city visits less of a circus, and/but probably give Dean greater control over the final selection.
Posted by Matt at 10:50 PM 
I’m not sure how comfortable I am with Howard Dean choosing.
Matt Nugen also ran the DNC secretary’s office up till 2000, was deputy COO at the convention in LA and was pretty high up in sen joe lieberman’s presidential campaign.
since most of these people are logistics/technical people, is it safe to assume that their decision will be based more on that kind of stuff rather than politics (i.e. ‘western strategy’)? i would assume that the major logistical issues would be the site (which you’ve talked about a lot) number of hotels/union hotels, transportation infrastructure, venues for other events (state delegation parties, etc)
This group doesn’t “decide” who gets the convention. They will advise Dean on how the cities rate on the logistics. Some will not make the cut (arena too small, not enough hotels, etc), and the rest will probably be reviewed with pros and cons of each one. The politics of it (Western strategy, impact of New Orleans, etc) will be decided like any other political issue: Dean, and his political staff, will talk to, and hear from, Democrats across the country about where the Democrats will hold their convention. Dean will have to take the politics and the logistics into account as he makes the decision.
So after all of the input, it’s Dean alone who makes the final decision?
I guess it is. One thing I’ve heard is that they are having DNC meetings in potential cities and he is talking to the DNC members about there thoughts of the cities etc. I hope he will talk to others, but I guess ultimately the choice is his. Is that right Matt?
I believe it’s Dean’s decision to make, and from what I’ve seen, its always been the Chairman’s decision. Having the full DNC vote on it could lead to lots of abuses – with each city going all out to woo all the DNC members.
Note, however, that the GOP group is a Site Selection Committee, and I believe the GOP group (also around 10 people) does get to make the actual selection.
You folks really should start using names, real or otherwise. It’s hard to have a conversation when I’m talking to 2 or 3 Anonymous people at the same time!
I am certain that Dean will talk to many people. He’ll talk to local & state folks, members of Congress, and representatives of the major 2008 candidates. I mean, this is what a chairman should be doing in any case, talking to members of his party.
I’m not sure about multiple DNC meetings, but the DNC Spring 2006 meeting is in New Orleans, and I have some interesting info on this I will post tonight.
Matt, I’m a DNC member and I thought it would be interesting for you to know that we have been being wooed by cities. After the 2004 convention, Anaheim treated us to breakfast before our DNC meeting. Denver has given us tons of free things. At our meeting next month in New Orleans, LA we have receptions being thrown by Orlando and Denver, all trying to suck up some more. I was also wondering how I can get in touch with you. Do you have an email? I don’t feel comfortable giving my name and email out on here.
I just put an email link this morning at the bottom of the sidebar. If I get your email, I know it works! – Matt
just a curious question for the dnc member…what kind of ‘goodies’ has denver given you guys? only orlando and denver are throwing receptions? what do you think that says about the other cities in the running?
As far as “goodies” received, we have gotten a flyer or two in the mail I believe. We also have been given a tin of minutes that says “Denver 2008”, a beautiful pen, some brochures on Denver, etc. Nothing like flights or hotel rooms, just little trinkets.
If the first poster in here who said they weren’t sure if they were comfortable with Dr. Dean choosing, please explain why.
Doesn’t make much sense to make that comment, without explaining why you feel that way.
Thanks in advance for coming back to add your explanation.
Libby
I guess the reason I don’t feel comfortable with Dean making the decision is somewhat because I didn’t support him in the primary. While I am sure that the DNC Chair always has a personal favorite in the race, I feel that they are going to try to choose a city that would possibly benefit that individual over another primary candidate. I could be completely wrong in this regards. I think either by having Dean pick the city he is going to pick some place that will make one candidate stand out in the spotlight, or he is going to put one that will make him a lot of political friends, hoping to cash that in during a 2012 presidential run. Just an observation… I could be completely wrong.
You wrote:
I think either by having Dean pick the city he is going to pick some place that will make one candidate stand out in the spotlight
I’m not sure how a choice of any city could help any candidate. Clinton is the frontrunner, and has a national reputation, so choosing New York wouldn’t make a difference. Does a choice of Denver or Phoenix promote a “Western” theme that heps Richardson? Seems like a stretch.
Its possible. I’ve talked to my state’s DNC members and then hinted at a Sante Fe or somewhere in New Mexico. I haven’t seen their name anywhere. But it would certainly help Richardson.
Much the way that Kerry went to his homestate of Massachusetts. Its probably a stretch to say the least, but one never knows.
Kerry didn’t go “to his homestate.” The selection of Boston was made long before Kerry locked up the nomination.