RNC Picks 4 Finalists For Convention
The RNC has narrowed its search for a '12 convention location to 4 cities, several party sources tell Hotline OnCall.
In a vote at the Winter meetings in Honolulu late last week, the party narrowed its search to Salt Lake City, Tampa, Phoenix and Houston.
The RNC's site selection committee, headed by MI committeewoman Holly Hughes, will visit each of the 4 cities later this year to go over logistics, examine hotel and conference capacity and the facility for the convention itself. An RNC spokesperson declined to comment for this story.
Dems have begun accepting bids for their own convention, but they have yet to take even preliminary steps in picking through those cities. DNC chair Tim Kaine has not even set up a site selection committee yet.
All 4 cities GOPers will consider bring upsides. Tampa and Phoenix sit in swing states, while TX has an exploding Hispanic population -- a demographic GOPers are keen to attract after they appear to be slipping toward Dems.
And Salt Lake City would be the first inner-mountain West city for a GOP convention. Pres. Obama won NV, CO and NM in '08, 3 states the GOP must win to reclaim the WH.
If those are the four finalists, I'd say it's Tampa. Houston will remind voters of the uncomfortable history of the last Republican president, who was from Texas. Salt Lake will draw focus on the tension between Mormons and Evangelicals within the party. Phoenix might draw attention to their last presidential candidate, and nobody wants a reminder of failure.
Tampa is a logical choice. The Republicans have NO hope to regaining the White House without Florida. The only drawback is if there is still lingering bad blood over the ideological strife that's bound to happen in the 2010 Senate race.
I'm a Mormon in Utah County (just south of Salt Lake City 40 minutes or so).
I DO NOT want the convention in SLC. I want Mitt Romney to be the nominee. Having a Mormon nominee accept the nomination in a Mormon "stronghold" will only be a distraction not worth the energy.
Mitt is the right guy for 2012, Salt Lake City, however, is not the right place for 2012. Reconsider us again in 2016.
One word, re: Tampa - hurricanes. That's why Florida keeps getting passed over in the final push. Convention is in the middle of hurricane season.
If this is the list, the choice is a no-brainer.
Houston.
It's the 4th largest city in America, with an extremely diverse population. HUGE convention facilites, world-class hotels and restaurants, and Continental Airline's hub.
Of all the cities on the list, it's the one that can absorb a convention like this and not miss a beat.
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