Howard Dean To Reveal Democratic National Convention Site For 2008 In Next Few Weeks

“The Democratic Wild West at Denver”--Harper's Weekly July 4, 1908


Denver, 1908

Denver's Convention site is up
2008 Democratic Convention Watch

**Update--NYTimes "Denver Tries to Sell New Look to Democrats":

DENVER, Dec. 2 — In the competition between Denver and New York City to play host to the Democratic Party’s presidential nominating convention in 2008, Denver officials readily admit to being the new kids on the block.

New York, they say, has advantages in fund-raising, experience in running national conventions and a track record of success for the Democrats. The last two Democratic presidents, Jimmy Carter in 1976 and Bill Clinton in 1992, both strode onto the big stage in New York. Denver last held a convention in 1908, and the nominee, William Jennings Bryan, a Democrat, was trounced by William Howard Taft.

But if Denver prevails this time — a decision is expected by the end of the year — party members from around the country say it will probably be by virtue of a polished and highly organized effort to turn the city’s lemons into lemonade. A new location, Denver’s convention-bid organizers have argued to the party hierarchy, is precisely what the Democrats need.

The Rocky Mountain West, they say, is competitive politically and could decide the next presidency, with ranks of disaffected Republicans ripe for the picking and resurgent Democrats ready to be mobilized.

New and newly empowered Democrats across the region, like Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, who vaulted to majority leader with last month’s election, and Senator-elect Jon Tester of Montana, whose election helped swing the chamber, have been enlisted to cheer for Denver as well. A Western convention, they say, would bring recognition to a part of the country long taken for granted as the parties focused on the Midwest and the South.

Previously--
Almost there:

Washington - Democratic Party chairman Howard Dean could announce a decision within two weeks on whether his party's 2008 national convention will be in New York or Denver.

But he's not tipping his hand on what the decision will be.

"I am not leaning any different way," Dean said in a brief interview Saturday after a party executive committee meeting in Washington. "I have to go to Europe next week, and when I come back, hopefully, we'll be ready to announce it."

The final decision belongs to Dean, but Colorado Democratic officials say much of the party's upper echelon supports Denver.

Ramona Martinez, a member of the executive committee that met Saturday, said she thinks Dean also might be leaning Denver's way. "I think Dean is giving Colorado time to get everything ready," Martinez said.

She said she has heard concerns from fellow Democrats that delegates might be put in hotels too far from the convention site, "but I tell them, Denver's not L.A."

Democratic National Committee officials visited New York and Denver last week, and officials of Denver's host committee have another meeting scheduled for this week.

At Saturday's meetings, the DNC's Rules and Bylaws Committee reviewed the rules for such a convention, wherever it might be. It also endorsed a plan to stop the front-loading of the presidential primary season by offering more delegates to states that keep late primaries or even move them back.

Under the plan, Colorado would add two delegates to its current 48 if it keeps its presidential primary April 8.

The Democrats would miss a great opportunity by passing up Denver, and would appear to have moved back to the liberal elites by picking New York. As the New York convention was new territory for Republicans in a relatively hostile city, Denver could be the "new frontier" for the Democrats' presidential hopes as well as establishing themselves as a regional powerhouse. Of course, the announcement of Denver would mean blogger nirvana for local conservatives--and the intense media scrutiny could actually reinvigorate/reinvent Republicans and conservatives here in the West as well.

technorati: Denver Colorado New York Democrats Democratic convention 2008 election Republicans Nancy Pelosi John Kerry Hillary Clinton San Francisco liberals