we could try for the olympics
JoelThe NHL, NBA, FIFA, and NCAA baseball are each getting ready to crown a champion. It may be hard for many of us locals to get interested in them with no Bay area connection (or, in the case of FIFA, because of all that soccer), but Tampa is still alive in one competition.
The GOP Finals.
The Times reports that along with New York, Minneapolis and Cleveland, Tampa is a finalist for the right to host the 2008 Republican National Convention. … and the crowd goes wild.
Alright, so it is not exactly the Super Bowl. Or the Stanley Cup. Or maybe even the Arena Bowl. Or when the Devil Rays win from time to time. Still it’s at least nice to see the bid obligating Tampa to spend $1 million $12.7 million dollars is producing some results. This means we were at least able to outshine a lot of other competition to now stand as one of the best four bids, right?
Sure - if there had been any other bids. From a Tribune article almost two weeks ago:
Tampa is one of four cities that bid on the convention…
Oh.
Well at least we’re still in it. In fact Ohio Republican Party chairman Bob Bennett thinks we’re really in it. In a Plain Dealer article about Cleveland’s bid, Bennett says the GOP isn’t likely to go back to NYC so soon. And…
Bennett said he views the Twin Cities, at the center of another Midwestern swing state, as Cleveland’s direct competition. But he said that doesn’t mean either place is likely to top Florida’s Tampa-St. Petersburg area…
Oh.
Both our local big papers do bring up two possible conflicts with the 2008 convention: the Tribune says hurricanes could be trouble, while the Times says watch out for the Super Bowl a few months later.
Living in a major battleground state that by 2007 won’t have the luxury of being run by the President’s brother should make us a pretty good candidate.
What do you think? Do we have a chance? If so, do we all need to take a five-day vacation during the first week of September 2007?
Tags: compare, marketing, politics, tampa
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June 15th, 2006 at 5:12 pm
I think that it would be fun to have those money whoring gasbags er… I mean distinguished gentlemen here in Tampa. I wonder why the papers are coming out so negative on this issue? If the city keeps to its word and only spends $1 million on it who cares if a huricane slams us then? That is the GOPs problem not mine, I can read a weather map and don’t plan on being here in any case.
And we should worry about the superbowl coming just a short time later? Who cares about that either?
I have to wonder if the Democratic convention was being bid on would we see this vicious an attack?
June 15th, 2006 at 6:06 pm
Now, now. Tampa won the NCAA baseball championship not more than two weeks ago
If the city keeps to its word and only spends $1 million on it who cares if a huricane slams us then?
Has the city EVER kept to its word on such a thing? You know, because projects like the Sports Authority have worked out so well for the city.
June 15th, 2006 at 6:10 pm
I hear Colorado Springs is beautiful in the fall…
June 15th, 2006 at 8:00 pm
“I hear Colorado Springs is beautiful in the fall…”
Naw, them Floriduns moved there and ruined it
June 15th, 2006 at 8:29 pm
Kate, that’s gold
June 15th, 2006 at 8:49 pm
having been in philly for the 2000 gop convention, let me asure you: it wont matter to yr life
June 15th, 2006 at 9:07 pm
I say, because we are primarily democrat, there’s a possibility we could host (nice slap by Gov. Bush who seems to be Tampa-slap happy as of late), and yes, we all need to take that week off. Unless you’re an activist and then it’s all work, work, work…
June 15th, 2006 at 9:09 pm
sounds fun. it’s not like conventions are useless propaganda tools or anything like that. i can’t wait to hang out in the “designated protest” cage. sweet.
June 16th, 2006 at 12:19 am
Pros:
Getting to see Rhonda’s head explode as her visiting brethren compete for every available booth at the Mons.
Reading Mr. Fasono’s tales of the 2,000 fares to Nebraska for “sightseeing”.
Cons:
Getting to and from my downtown office.
Getting a cab.
Having to entertain the two “agents” that show up at my door for the pre-convention intimidation visit.
June 16th, 2006 at 6:22 am
pros- giving bad directions to republican party wankers.
- overcharging republican party wankers.
- laughing at republican party wankers.
- flipping off republican party wankers.
cons- Having to “entertain” the two agents that show up at my door for the pre-convention intimidation visit.
June 16th, 2006 at 8:06 am
Yes, it’s a GREAT thing for us:
1) It’s basically a week-long commercial for the Tampa Bay area….
2) These events are underwritten by coporations, so their CEO’s and leaders will be here en masse - seeing everything that the Bay Area can provide…
3) Thousands of tourists would be here for the week, providing a great bump for tourist-related businesses (from restaurants to retail shops)…
… As a Republican, I would proudly support efforts for the Democratic Convention to come to Tampa Bay. The party doesn’t matter when you consider the positive impacts we get. Especially with the Super Bowl coming shortly thereafter.
June 16th, 2006 at 10:58 am
Jim, the one difference is you won’t see mass protesting at the DNC in 2008 compared to the RNC. That can be looked at as a further financial boon for the region and it can also be looked at as a huge liability. (It doesn’t take much to bring roads to a standstill throughout Tampa Bay — one well placed protest and Kabbbbbbbbbbbloooooie!)
But your point about an industry boom for hotels and other tourist industries really should be stressed. August is the dead season for them and having a huge convention (and accompanying protestors) show up for the event would be like Spring Break twice in the year.
June 16th, 2006 at 2:17 pm
John,
You are right that protesters can cause some problems, but I would bet that there will be fewer protesters here than in NYC in 2004. For one, there probably won’t be a Bush in town (Jeb could possible be a delegate from Florida, but that would be it). President Bush won’t make an appearance as the lame duck, and he is more of a lightning rod.
I actually think have the business leaders in town is a bigger benefit - although less direct. If this is pulled off well, then they will go home with fond memories… so when they think of where to have their corporate meetings/retreats/conventions - or better yet when they decide where to expand or move their HQ, Tampa will be on their lists… The same effect doesn’t happen in NY or Boston - but a few years after the convention, Tampa Bay could benefit from private sector growth. (This would be hard to measure and impossible to predict, but it is a real possibility.)
June 16th, 2006 at 4:22 pm
Very true, i just pray they don’t consider it outsourcing like they have with business in the past that moves from the north or elsewhere in the country to the south. They’ll pay their northern employees a good clip more than their southern employees (someone commented on this a few weeks back and cited examples — it was Merideth or Laura or someone else on SOF). I know that jobs are jobs but it’d be nice to see us grow financially instead of just add more jobs and not see fisical growth in the form of pay rates and such (hope you get what I mean by that).
Cleveland’s mayor is talking like we are a lock. Al Austin better be negotiating with the city or other backers to pick up bigger tabs to throw this shin-dig. After putting the city down for more than the city promised, it’s a black eye on him as well as the rest of the guys in charge of the bid.
June 16th, 2006 at 7:10 pm
We have expressed our strong opinion at http://www.tampagold.blogspot.com.
June 18th, 2006 at 5:02 pm
Let’s not be naive here. The argument that it’s going to be some kind of a boon for the economy only applies to the business sector. Saying that it’s going to translate into an economic plus for the large majority of tampans is to subscribe to trickle down economics, a theory that has yet to ever show any positive results. As with any party’s convention, RNC or DNC, we’re going to get a much bigger bill plopped in our laps than we bargained for. I don’t care what the numbers look like now, it’s going to be more, and you can take that to the bank. This city doesn’t have the transportation infrastructure to handle an event like this, and unlike show business, any publicity is not good publicity. I love Tampa, but this is just a bad idea. But if everyone’s hunky dory with this, let’s just see what plays out and then we’ll decide.
July 29th, 2006 at 4:06 pm
[...] So last month we learned that Tampa is a finalist for the 2008 Republican National Convention. Actually I found it more facinating to see our two biggest local papers fall all over themselves to tell us about the horror that would be visited upon us were we to host the latest Republican coronat… I mean nomination. Things seems quiet now. [...]