Monthly Archives: June 2006

Democratic Convention Watch: Southern Baptists decide against switching to New Orleans in 2008

By Oreo | Published June 15, 2006

Thursday, June 15, 2006

Southern Baptists decide against switching to New Orleans in 2008

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

The Southern Baptists considered switching their 2008 convention from Indianapolis to New Orleans. What happened?

A tide of contracts, finances, logistics and security concerns swamped a sentimental appeal for the Southern Baptist Convention to change its 2008 meeting location to New Orleans. David Crosby, pastor of First Baptist Church in New Orleans, asked his fellow SBC messengers June 13 to move the 2008 annual meeting to his city, which was ravaged by Hurricane Katrina last year.
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But reality overcame sentiment when messengers considered actually forcing the convention to change plans in order to meet in the Crescent City.
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The SBC already has an ethical commitment to Indianapolis, and backing out of legal contracts would cost the convention thousands of dollars, Jack Wilkerson, Executive Committee’s business manager, said. Also, much of New Orleans’ infrastructure has not been restored and may not be even by the proposed meeting date, he added. Continue Reading...

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Democratic Convention Watch: Convention-al Wisdom

By Oreo | Published June 15, 2006

Thursday, June 15, 2006

Convention-al Wisdom

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

I’ve been waiting to use that title for a while. Here are some thoughts, opinions and quotes from some news articles on the site selection process for the 2008 Democratic National Convention:

Also that New York is the safe bet, a tried-and-true convention city that can handle the logistical details at least as well, if not better, than it did for the Republicans in 2004. And, this being a Democratic town, empty some of the deepest Democratic pockets to pay for a spectacular event.
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“Nothing could more eloquently speak to America’s resolve not to be defeated,” Deputy Mayor Daniel Doctoroff told The Observer in July 2002, “than to see democracy celebrated in this city.” Expect that tone in one of New York’s competitors’ bids: New Orleans, still recovering from the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, is another finalist for the convention nod.
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The final decision will be up to Howard Dean, the Democratic chairman, a New York native—but also one who has been pushing a 50-state policy, intent on winning support anywhere and everywhere, even in traditional red states. In pursuing the policy, though, he has been butting heads with Rahm Emanuel, an Illinois Congressman and chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, who favors investing money in races the party already has a chance of winning.
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“Rahm Emanuel might favor New York, thinking it’s a place where you may be able to pick up a few upstate seats, versus Howard Dean, who would say, ‘Why not go to Denver and eventually turn it into fertile ground for Democrats?’” said Ross Baker, a professor of political science at Rutgers University. “It never works. Frankly, I see no advantage in where the convention is held in terms of how many votes it pulls in. There may be some symbolic significance in having it in one place or another. But frankly, I think everybody wants to come to New York and will look for an excuse.” Continue Reading...

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Democratic Convention Watch: Site Visit Schedule – Updated

By Oreo | Published June 14, 2006

Wednesday, June 14, 2006

Site Visit Schedule – Updated

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

This is the schedule for visits by the DNC Technical Advisory Group to visit the cities bidding to host the 2008 Democratic National Convention:

New York: June 14-16
Denver: June 21-23
Minneapolis/St. Paul: June 26-28
New Orleans: No visit scheduled Continue Reading...

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Democratic Convention Watch: New York site visit starts today

By Oreo | Published June 14, 2006

Wednesday, June 14, 2006

New York site visit starts today

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

As I write this, the Technical Advisory Committee for the 2008 Democratic National Convention is having dinner at Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s East 79th Street townhouse. Its just the first step in a three day visit, and the first visit of what should be four visits to the potential host cities: New York, Denver, Minneapolis and New Orleans. From the New York Observer:

The party starts Wednesday evening, when the national committee team arrives, trots through Central Park in hansom cabs and heads to Mayor Bloomberg’s townhouse for dinner. The next morning, the Democrats will convene for breakfast at Gracie Mansion, followed by a tour of Madison Square Garden, which would again host the convention, and 1 Penn Plaza, the neighboring high-rise where the convention’s offices would be. The visitors will break out into subcommittees to hear about security preparations from Police Commissioner Ray Kelly or to visit the city’s fanciest hotels, along with some of its humblest. Continue Reading...

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Democratic Convention Watch: New Orleans site visit not scheduled

By Oreo | Published June 14, 2006

Wednesday, June 14, 2006

New Orleans site visit not scheduled

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

New Orleans is the only one of the four cities vying to host the 2008 Democratic Convention that has not has its site visit scheduled:

Right now the [New Orleans] committee is working on answering additional questions raised by its first bid, submitted in May, according to Damien LaVera, a spokesman for the Democratic National Committee. No visit has been scheduled. Continue Reading...

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Democratic Convention Watch: Conventions in domes

By Oreo | Published June 13, 2006

Tuesday, June 13, 2006

Conventions in domes

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

Two of the cities vying to host the 2008 Democratic National Convention, New Orleans and Minneapolis, are proposing to hold the convention in a dome. (Minneapolis is also offering 2 other, non-dome, facilities). Is a dome a plus or minus for a city looking to host a convention?

Only 2 conventions have been held in domes, both by the GOP. New Orleans in ’88 and Houston in ’92. Domes have both advantages and disadvantages. The biggest advantage is the extra seats. I know that in Houston, they draped a curtain across the field, and put the podium in front of the curtain, facing a semi-circle of seats. Depending on where you put the curtain, you could probably keep 50-80% of the seats, easily giving 40,000 to 50,000 seats, way more than an arena can give. Another advantage is that behind the curtain, on the rest of the field, you can put trailers for dressing rooms, or tents for VIP receptions, or let the media use it for workspace. Continue Reading...

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Democratic Convention Watch: Facilities Overview

By Oreo | Published June 8, 2006

Thursday, June 08, 2006

Facilities Overview

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

Here is an overview of the facilities that may be proposed by the four cities bidding to host the 2008 Democratic National Convention. There are assumptions and estimates here which will be refined as the process moves forward.

  • Denver – Pepsi Center – Built 1999 – Cap: 19,000 – Skyboxes: ?? – Adjacent Media Workspace: None – Previous conventions: Dem 1908
  • Minneapolis/St, Paul – Previous conventions: GOP 1892
    • Target Center – Built 1990, Refurbished 2004 – Cap: 20,000 – Skyboxes: ?? – Adjacent Media Workspace: ??
    • St. Paul – XCel Center – Built 2000 – Cap: 18,000 – Skyboxes – 84 – Adjacent Media Workspace – RiverCentre Convention Center, Roy Wilkins Auditorium Complex
    • Minneapolis – Metrodome – Built 1982 – Cap: 30,000-40,000 – Skyboxes: 115 – Adjacent media Workspace: ??
    • New York- Madison Square Garden – Built 1968, Refurbished ~1995- Cap: 20,000 – Skyboxes: ?? – Adjacent Media Workspace: Farley Post Office?- Previous conventions: Dem ’76, ’80, ’92, GOP ’04
    • New Orleans – Superdome – Built 1975, Refurbished 2006 – Cap: 40-50,000 – Skyboxes: ?? – Adjacent Media Workspace: New Orleans Arena – Previous conventions: GOP ’88

    Minneapolis is proposing the Metrodome, the Target Center, and/or the XCel Center for the convention. Continue Reading...

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Democratic Convention Watch: American Library Association coming to New Orleans

By Oreo | Published June 8, 2006

Thursday, June 08, 2006

American Library Association coming to New Orleans

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

In the first big test of New Orleans tourism infrastructure, the American Library Association is bringing 20,000 delegates to New Orleans in 2 weeks:

Later this month, nearly 20,000 delegates of the American Library Association will arrive here for the first citywide convention since Hurricane Katrina. In the fiercely competitive meetings business, the event will mark a critical test of the city’s ability to rebuild a mainstay of its economy. “It’s not a matter of choice – they’ve got to get it right,” said Steven Hacker, president of the Dallas-based International Association for Exhibition Management. Continue Reading...

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Democratic Convention Watch: Come to Denver for the beer, food and kayaking

By Oreo | Published June 2, 2006

Friday, June 02, 2006

Come to Denver for the beer, food and kayaking

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

Diane Carman, columnist at the Denver Post, makes the case for Denver to host the 2008 Democratic National Convention:

Denver has it all. Or at least most of it. Despite global warming, Colorado is still strictly BYOO (Bring Your Own Ocean). But we do make up for the water shortage in other ways. Continue Reading...

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Democratic Convention Watch: Why Las Vegas dropped out

By Oreo | Published June 1, 2006

Thursday, June 01, 2006

Why Las Vegas dropped out

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

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. Continue Reading...

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