Friday, September 29, 2006

Hurricanes hurt Tampa’s GOP bid

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

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. Continue Reading...

Friday, April 07, 2006

2012 convention dates

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

2012 Democratic National Convention Site Selection News
2012 Republican National Convention Site Selection News

Taking all this date gamesmanship to its logical conclusion, I think Dean should just go ahead and announce the 2012 Demoratic Convention dates! The 2012 London Olympics end on August 12, 2012, and Labor Day is September 3. I think the Democrats should announce they are holding their 2012 convention starting on August 27, 2012. If a Democrat wins in 2008, the GOP can have their convention the previous week (or even the week before, starting the day after the Olympics end). If the GOP wins in 2008, they can have their convention the following week, starting on Labor Day, just like they are doing in 2008. The tradition of the party in the White House having their convention second is kept, and the Democrats can start their site selection even earlier. Denver, Orlando, and everyone else, interested in hosting the 2012 convention? Continue Reading...

Monday, December 19, 2005

List of cities invited to bid for the 2008 convention

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

Andre at Georgia Politics Unfiltered has published the list of cities invited to bid for the 2008 Democratic National Convention. Interestingly, there are 35 cities, not the 33 mentioned in news reports:

Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Memphis, Miami, Miami-Dade County, FL, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Nashville, New Orleans, New York, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Portland, OR., St Louis, Sacramento, Salt Lake City, San Antonio, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Washington, DC. Continue Reading...

Saturday, December 17, 2005

Update on 2004 cities invited to bid

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

I recently listed the 34 cities invited to bid on the 2004 convention, which was taken from Democracy in Action’s excellent summary of the 2004 site selection process:

Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Indianapolis, Kansas City (MO), Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Memphis, Nashville, New Orleans, New York, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Portland (OR), San Antonio, San Diego, St. Louis, St. Paul, San Francisco, Sacramento, Seattle, Salt Lake City and Washington, DC Continue Reading...

Tuesday, November 29, 2005

DNC invites 33 cities to bid for 2008 convention

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

Following up on the news yesterday that the DNC will hold their spring 2006 meeting in New Orleans, the Times-Picayune also notes:

Dean said that the DNC last week sent a letter to Mayor Ray Nagin inviting him to submit papers to host the party’s big event — its 2008 national presidential nomination convention slated for Aug. 25-28. Thirty-two other cities received similar invitations. Continue Reading...