Tuesday, September 26, 2006

Final two cities to be announced this week?

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

I noted last month that the DNC had indicated to the bid committees that it would announce in September the final two candidate cities to host the 2008 Democratic National Comvention. I haven’t seen any confirmation since then, and September is slipping away, so we’ll have to see if this announcement really happens. Two sets of conventional wisdom on which two cities will make the cut: In August, I was fairly confident that the two cities would be Denver and St. Paul/Minneapolis, given that New York didn’t seem like a choice Dean would make. However, in September, I noted the Hotline reports that the front-runners were St. Paul/Minneapolis and New York due to problems with Denver’s bid. Which means, I think, that at least St. Paul/Minneapolis should make it through to the final two.

Posted by Matt at 9:01 AM Continue Reading...

Monday, September 25, 2006

New Orleans Superdome re-opens

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

Through much of the spring, I followed New Orlean’s progress towards recovery and its ability to host the 2008 Democratic National Convention. A lot of people were disappointed when New Orleans decided not to bid for the convention, citing higher priorities. While I think that was the right decision, as I write this, there are over 70,000 people in the Superdome getting ready to watch the Saints play a football game, and that’s way more than would ever be inside the Superdome for a political convention. While I understand that the logistical requirements of the convention are far greater than for a regular-season NFL game, it makes you wonder whether New Orleans made the decision not to bid for the 2008 Democratic Convention a bit prematurely.

Posted by Matt at 8:31 PM Continue Reading...

Thursday, September 14, 2006

Just one word

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

It’s only one word, but that use of “disastrous” to describe Denver’s presentation for their bid to host the 2008 Democratc National Convention has drawn attention. Kos writes:

Get the frackin’ convention out of the coasts. I know many Democrats forget that there’s a whole lot of country in between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, but that’s no reason for the site selection committee to make that same mistake. Continue Reading...

Thursday, September 14, 2006

Denver still in the race

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

The Denver 2008 Host Committee executive director claims things are not as bad as they’ve been made out to be. From the Rocky Mountain News:

Debbie Willhite, the Denver 2008 Host Committee executive director, said the city’s proposal was characterized as “extremely thorough” by a member of the site selection committee just this week. Still, Willhite said, the report Wednesday in the Hotline On Call, a blog of the National Journal, casts Denver in an unfavorable light. Continue Reading...

Wednesday, September 13, 2006

Hotline says New York just ahead of St. Paul

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

In what will certainly be a suprise to readers of this blog, the Hotline says the two frontrunners for the convention are New York, and just behind, St. Paul/Minneapolis:

Could the Democratic National Convention return to New York City in 2008? Continue Reading...

Monday, September 11, 2006

All quiet

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

Not sure why, but it’s been very quiet on the convention front the last week. Haven’t heard any updates on the final bids which were due on September 5th, and nothing new on if and when the DNC will announce a final two, supposedly to happen sometime this month. As soon as some news breaks, I’ll have it here.

Continue Reading...

Sunday, September 03, 2006

Unofficial Denver site

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

There’s now an unofficial site supporting Denver’s bid to host the 2008 Democratic National Convention. Dan Slater has been promising an official site. We’ll have it here as soon as it’s available.

Posted by Matt at 10:39 PM Continue Reading...

Friday, September 01, 2006

Denver labor leaders won’t oppose bid – updated

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

In a sign that there may be a path to a compromise, Denver union leaders will not oppose Denver’s bid to host the 2008 Democratic National Convention:

Labor issues in the city have focused on hotels, and particularly the new, city-bonded Hyatt Regency Denver at Colorado Convention Center. None of Denver’s hotels are union, and some Democratic delegations say they must stay in union hotels.
…
Still, officials with Denver’s host committee now can say that labor is not formally opposing the bid as they make their case to national Democrats. Denver Area Labor Federation president Leslie Moody confirmed Thursday that the group voted unanimously to “lay over” a previous resolution opposing the bid. Continue Reading...