Posted on 07/08/2014 9:07:07 AM PDT by chrisser
CLEVELAND, Ohio – Capping off a months-long lobbying effort, Cleveland will be the host of the 2016 Republican National Convention.
Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus announced Cleveland as the location on the Fox News Channel in a live, on-air interview. The interview was immediately preceded by a tweet, which has since been deleted, from a spokesman for the Republican Governors Association.
"We're excited about bringing the convention to Cleveland in Ohio, and we're excited about the decision. We think it's a smart decision," Priebus said.
Cleveland edged out Dallas, the other finalist, as the recommended location for the convention, giving the city an opportunity to strut its stuff to a national crowd while placing Ohio even more firmly in the political spotlight for the upcoming presidential election.
"I think it's great," said Rob Frost, the Cuyahoga County Republican Party Chairman. "I'm really excited to welcome our Republican colleagues from around the nation to Cleveland in 2016. I think this convention will really elevate Cleveland in the eyes of the nation, and elevate Republicans in the eyes of Cleveland."
Now that the recommendation from the Republican National Committee's site selection committee is in, negotiations with Cleveland officials are expected to begin shortly. A press conference will be held later this afternoon.
The courtship with the national GOP dates back to at least February, when the city submitted its bid. Cleveland was selected a week later as one of eight contenders.
The RNC narrowed the list to four in late May, and on June 25 picked Cleveland and Dallas as the two finalists to host the event.
And last week, RNC officials visited Cleveland to assess "creative ways" to make the city's bid work.
Conventions can be significant economic generators for a city. One study showed that the 2012 GOP convention pumped more than $200 million into the Tampa and Florida economies. That convention drew roughly 50,000 visitors.
Cleveland's convention pitch was rooted in political geography and in a downtown renaissance that leaders said occurred after the city lost its bid for the GOP's 2008 convention. Since that audition, Cleveland has added more hotel rooms and a new convention center.
It's also believed that the expected June availability of Quicken Loans Arena, which will host floor events for the convention, played a role.
Fundraising is another key consideration, and local boosters have estimated that Cleveland will need to raise $55 million to $60 million to cover the costs of hosting.
Boosters are also working to lure the 2016 Democratic National Convention, although officials have said it is highly unlikely the city could host both events.
Here’s the truth about the Cuyahoga River:
The Cuyahoga River is cleaner than it has been in hundreds of years.
The only part of the river that burned was in one spot on the industrial ship channel. The other 95 miles of river is a beautiful, clean and healthy natural waterway used every day by canoeists and kayakers, anglers and visitors.
The last fire on the river was in 1969 – 45 years ago.
There are healthy populations of fish throughout the river, including the ship channel where the fire took place. People catch steelhead trout, walleye, perch, and many dozens of other species of fish there.
The ship channel that runs through downtown Cleveland is host to dozens of rowing teams, as well as recreational boaters and kayakers.
22 miles of the Cuyahoga River run through Cuyahoga Valley National Park, the 10th-most-visited national park in the country.
New residential and commercial development is happening along the ship channel because the river is now so clean.
I got out when Kucinich took the city into default and never regretted it. Visited last year, was sad to see the section of Forest Hills Park where I played as a little kid was essentially abandoned with uncut grass, trash, and potholes big enough to stop a HumVee.
Maybe they want to showcase how bad the inner cities are under Obama but, otherwise, I see no reason to have their convention there.
I understand where you’re coming from. We both live in cities that are constantly disparaged. I must be honest - I haven’t visited downtown Detroit, and I imagine there are nice areas. You’ll note that I said the poster used the the term “hell hole,” not I. That being said, Cleveland has (yet) to have to declare bankruptcy.
Why Cleveland? Will Kuchinich give the keynote address?
True, but they defaulted on loans back in 78 under “boy wonder” Kucinich, that was enough of a signal to me to head for the exits.
And this surprises you why?
Dude, you’ve been in Maryland far too long. UN wants no part of Texas. They read what Sam Houston did to Santa Anna.
***
I hope I am wrong, but I don’t think I am. And your gov is showboating right now and trying to look tough, but I would not trust him to do the right thing regarding the invasion by illegals.
(BTW, this lady is not a dude.)
I know Detroit has caused James Craig to shine as police chief. Between open carry and Craig policies, the murder rate is down nearly 30% from last year.
Its got a long way to go but there are a lot of good things going on in Detroit.
But I really couldn’t care less where the convention takes place when the real issue is who gets the nomination. Check out the Reagan speech from Detroit. He was spectacular no matter where he was.
http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/ronaldreagan1980rnc.htm
Cleveland sports teams have not won any championship in more than 50 years. Is that the message we want to send?
I agree that Perry is showboating. The dumbazz doesn't realize he could've sewn up the Republican nomination by sending in the Texas National Guard and other Texas units to secure the border.
It's not like Obama would have responded by sending in the 82nd Airborne Division.
That, my friend, we both can agree upon. My wife just asked if I would like to volunteer. I told her that if the nominee is another Mitt Romney, I’m not interested. I’d love to see Cruz get the nod.
Cleveland is an awesome place to live if you have a well paying job and experience living in other metro areas. I lived on the west side for over ten years and had 85% of what I had in Chicago and New York, without having to spend half my life in traffic and half my income on housing.
Yeah.
Something wrong with Hugh.
ping
Ah, good old Cuyahoga. Fond memories. I won first prize money in a trivia contest naming the Cuyahoga as the river so poluted it burned.
Maybe the RNC will subsidize the thugs from union-towns.
Makes for a better shiow, eh?
You nailed it. Why go into the bluest of blue cities in Ohio. It is 53% black and non-Hispanic whites make up only 33% of the population. It is going to be a real zoo.
My favorite Cleveland story remains the day the Cuyahoga River caught fire (1969). Actually, it caught fire several times prior to that, but the ‘69 river blaze damaged a couple of railroad bridges.
Yes, I know that the river has been cleaned up since then, but very few cities can lay claim to having a local body of water catch fire, not once, but several times.
My second-favorite Cleveland moment is when Mayor Ralph Perk accidentally set his hair on fire with a cutting torch.
Of course, the damage Perk did to his hair was nothing compared to the damage his successor (Dennis Kucinich) inflicted on the city. The fact that Kucinich was voted out—and later served multiple terms in Congress—tells you all you need to know about Cleveland, even if the city has a great symphony and a world-renowned medical center.
Texas is in the bag for Republicans; makes more sense in terms of electioneering to hold a convention in a swing state.
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