Cleveland, Cincinnati, and Columbus vying for 2016 Political Conventions (Hamilton, Washington: calculation, income)

[Natural510]

Originally Posted by bjimmy24

Politics and morals? Interesting.

Vegas would be such a lame choice. Personally, I wonder why they haven't already chosen an Ohio location, given the state's absolute necessesity to any candidate in national elections. You'd think they'd want to get some recognition in Ohio.

True, and let's be honest, most Ohioans so crave national attention it probably would swing a notable amount of votes toward whichever party chooses the state for its convention. They should both choose Ohio just to balance the odds.

[motorman]

This afternoon's announcement that both Cincinnati and Cleveland made the GOP "shortlist" for their 2016 convention is good news indeed!

Needless to say, tough competition ahead, along with both known and unknown variables.

[costello_musicman]

Feel likes March Madness:

Cleveland moves on in RNC convention bid

[Kamms]

Politically, the RNC should pick Cleveland and Northeast Ohio. NEO continues to struggle economically, 5 years after the Dems took the WH. There are a lot of Republicans in NEO and many of what they used to call Reagan Democrats. If the RNC commits to Democrat NEO and can hit the right chord with the Reagan Democrats, it could mean the 2016 election. The Democratic Party has never met in Cleveland, not even as a thank you.

The issue is whether the Republicans want to come to such a Democratic city in a generally Democratic region. These parties need to focus on areas that can tilt an election and NEO can do that; more so than Central or SW Ohio.

The Republicans should bring their party to Cleveland/NEO, a struggling Democrat region still declining after a 2 term Democrat President and net as many votes as possible from NEO.

[Cleverfield]

Really, you're blaming the president for Northeast Ohio's decline, you're not blaming the manufacturing firms from moving overseas, the corrupt local politicians, the uneducated, under skilled populace, the economic meltdown and subsequent foreclosure crisis. No, its all the presidents fault? The problem with people who blame the president for their problems is that they're using him as a scapegoat, and rather than look at the person looking at you in the mirror, the values in your community, or the local politicians they elected, you blame someone sitting in the White House 1,000 miles away. Let the RNC come here, but I really hope that most people are smart enough to understand that a president is not magic, he cannot just fix all of our problems; most of the time it is up to us to take ownership and do it ourselves.

[JoeP]

The Republicans should bring their party to Cleveland/NEO, a struggling Democrat region still declining after a 2 term Democrat President and net as many votes as possible from NEO.

It's about party platform and policies - both of which the GOP stance works against many middle and lower income people and deeply impacted manufacturing areas like NE Ohio. I'm not suggesting that it's all the GOP's fault, but their policies did impact such areas and their policies do nothing to help.

[motorman]

Originally Posted by Kamms

Politically, the RNC should pick Cleveland and Northeast Ohio. NEO continues to struggle economically, 5 years after the Dems took the WH. There are a lot of Republicans in NEO and many of what they used to call Reagan Democrats. If the RNC commits to Democrat NEO and can hit the right chord with the Reagan Democrats, it could mean the 2016 election. The Democratic Party has never met in Cleveland, not even as a thank you.

The issue is whether the Republicans want to come to such a Democratic city in a generally Democratic region. These parties need to focus on areas that can tilt an election and NEO can do that; more so than Central or SW Ohio.

The Republicans should bring their party to Cleveland/NEO, a struggling Democrat region still declining after a 2 term Democrat President and net as many votes as possible from NEO.

This may be the latest wish-fulfilling Cleveland political-fantasy, but it's not going to happen. All the things that both Cleveland and Columbus have prided themselves on for eons (being "Democratic" and "progressive") have sealed their fates as far as attracting any 2016 GOP convention. (In fact, from the very beginning, it was a ludicrous miscalculation for Columbus to even think that it could attract the GOP to its "neither this-nor-that," politically-vanilla landscape.)

Needless to say, Cincinnati has been long ridiculed for its alleged "widespread backward Republican conservatism," but, now, all these "detriments" have proven to be its political strengths in attracting the GOP. (At present, no other Ohio city marshals Republican interest and support as does Cincinnati.)

For example, John Boehner, Republican Speaker-of-the-House, Rob Portman, Ohio Republican Senator, and John Barrett, multi-millionaire head of the Western & Southern Financial Group--all these Cincinnatians play their parts. These politicos wield tremendous influence amongst the Queen City's richest power brokers and families. (clustered in the city's affluent northeastern suburbs, especially uber-wealthy Indian Hill) And millions of dollars do trade hands in such discrete "top 1% private settings," for whatever the reasons...

From the start, these powerful Republican influences doomed misguided Columbus and now cripple wishful Cleveland. (Can't have it both way, fellas.) For eons past, Cincinnati's Republican influences were laughed at--but now that Cincinnati has called in that debt and leaned on what it has acquired, everyone else wants to join the parade. In 2016, at least, the best that can be had for Ohio's other "2-C's" is to fight over the Democratic convention. The 2016 Republican convention will be staged in either Las Vegas or Cincinnati; Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, and Kansas City can forget it.

(Oh, and my bet? Las Vegas; no explanation needed. )

[Cleverfield]

Originally Posted by motorman

This may be the latest wish-fulfilling Cleveland political-fantasy, but it's not going to happen. All the things that both Cleveland and Columbus have prided themselves on for eons (being "Democratic" and "progressive") have sealed their fates as far as attracting any 2016 GOP convention. (In fact, from the very beginning, it was a ludicrous miscalculation for Columbus to even think that it could attract the GOP to its "neither this-nor-that," politically-vanilla landscape.)

That's interesting because "democratic, progressive" Minneapolis got the GOP convention in 2008. Northeast Ohio is the most densely populated region of arguably the most politically important (for a presidential election) state in the country. I think that alone gives it a pretty big leg up. If even a small percentage voters in NEO are swayed to vote red, it could mean the election. The Cincinnati area is already solidly republican, there's not much room for "growth". You really should brush up on your understanding of political strategy...

[motorman]

Originally Posted by Cleverfield

That's interesting because "democratic, progressive" Minneapolis got the GOP convention in 2008. Northeast Ohio is the most densely populated region of arguably the most politically important (for a presidential election) state in the country. I think that alone gives it a pretty big leg up. If even a small percentage voters in NEO are swayed to vote red, it could mean the election. The Cincinnati area is already solidly republican, there's not much room for "growth". You really should brush up on your understanding of political strategy...

A provocative and worthy observation, but the GOP, in trying to win Ohio, will cluster its strength within its SW Ohio redoubt rather than squander it in a larger, but unproven (and possible treacherous) terrain such as NEO. If you were a military commander under the same circumstances, wouldn't you do the same?

[Cleveland_Collector]

A convention location is not chosen with regards to whether a city leans left or right (fyi, the vast majority of large cities and their home counties lean to the left - even Cincinnati). These days, they're generally chosen based on the importance of the state as a whole and whether it is considered a winnable battleground state (but not always). The convention is then placed in the city which can accommodate the logistical needs and budget of the convention. These are the most important factors and Cleveland probably wins at least part of that battle -- more high-end hotels, restaurants, and convention facilites in the downtown area. If Cincinnati greases the skids a little more, they may get it. But, it has little to do with the political leanings of the city. All you have to do is look at the list of cities. From the onset of the RNC, the convention was held in what could be considered a "republican" town maybe 5-6 times out of 40.