September 13, 2006
DNC '08: Start Spreading The...
Could the Democratic National Convention return to New York City in 2008?
According to party sources and other Democrats who have consulted with members of the party's selection committee, NYC and Minneapolis-St. Paul are right outside the winners’ circle. NYC is said to have an edge -- at least for now.
The site selection committee had high hopes for Denver, located in a blinking-blue Mountain West state with a growing Hispanic population. But one Democrat briefed on the city's initial presentation called it "disastrous." Others confirmed that the general impression among site selection members of Denver was not positive, although a third iteration of Denver's bid, submitted last week, has been better received.
The city also lacks a union hotel, and even though the city’s labor leaders voted to table its outrage, it remains an obstacle.
The Twin Cities' bid meets the party’s nominal requirements, but several Democrats involved in the process worry about extended commutes from delegate hotels to events. Democrats also worry that Republicans have their designs on using the city for its convention.
Democratic donors, irate at the Republican Party’s 2004 fete in their city, have urged the party to choose New York. And that city’s bid has been the most impressive. One part of its presentation to the DNC consisted of a “lessons learned” discussion about the 2004 convention.
One unanticipated concern: the resolve of television networks to scale down their convention coverage. Holding the show in New York City would dramatically reduce the costs.
Some Democrats worry about the symbolism of choosing New York City over Minnesota and question whether the party will acquiesce to the cultural elitism of its donors. Others suggest that Sen. Hillary Clinton wouldn’t want to hold her nominating convention in her home state. But that concern is not widely shared among Democrats close to Sen. Clinton.
In New York today, a gaggle of party heavyweights are meeting at City Hall with Mayor Mike Bloomberg’s political strategist Kevin Sheekey to plot out their final persuasive push. They include Chung Seto, the former exec. dir of the New York State Democratic party, DNC member Emily Giske, Josh Wachs, an NBA official who worked under Terry McAuliffe at the DNC, and Gigi Georges, a former aide to Hillary Clinton. Madison Square Garden’s Shari Yost and top AFL-CIO official Suzy Ballantyne are representing their organizations. The convention begins Aug. 25, 2008. [MARC AMBINDER]
Posted at 03:37 PM
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磨料 | 09.15.06 05:13 AM
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Looks like someone has a different opinion...
Denver | 09.22.06 08:08 PM
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