Tampa picked to host 2012 GOP convention
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2010/images/05/12/art.rnc.gi.jpg caption="Tampa has been chosen by the RNC to host the 2012 GOP convention."]Washington (CNN) - Tampa-St. Petersburg was chosen Wednesday to host the Republican National Convention, a weeklong political event that culminates in the official selection of the GOP’s presidential nominee in 2012.
Phoenix and Salt Lake City were the two other cities in the running for the right to host the convention. Both cities were notified of the decision to choose Tampa-St. Petersburg and indicated interest in hosting the 2016 convention, a Republican National Committee source tells CNN.
“The Tampa area boasts state-of-the-art facilities, exciting and vibrant downtowns, and a clear enthusiasm from the community to host our convention,” RNC Chairman Michael Steele said in a statement. “We look forward to joining our compatriots in the Sunshine State for our convention in 2012.”
The RNC sent a delegation to visit all three cities over the past two months to see firsthand the municipalities' infrastructure, hotel room capacity, transportation, accessibility and entertainment options.
The RNC Site Selection Committee’s recommendation Wednesday that Tampa-St. Petersburg be chosen as the host city must now be formally approved by the full RNC membership when it gathers for its annual summer meeting in August.
“Tampa has put a great deal of effort into showcasing their city and what they have to offer,” said Site Selection Committee Chair Holly Hughes. “We are looking forward to a successful convention in Florida,”
Being awarded the convention brings international exposure and pumps perhaps as much as $170 million into the economy of the host city, according to an estimate provided by the RNC. Republican officials say that 45,000 people attended the 2008 Republican National Convention held in Minneapolis/St. Paul where Arizona Sen. John McCain received the presidential nomination.
The Democratic National Committee, which is considering 10 cities including Charlotte, Cleveland, Philadelphia, Phoenix, St. Louis and Tampa Bay will announce its decision in late fall, according to a Democratic source with understanding of the process, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
Makes sense as this is the only state under consideration that will even remotely be contested for the GOP candidate in 2012.
Maybe to celebrate the end of the convention they could light the bay on fire.
GOP are in trouble in Florida as well as Arizona and this is a sign of someone is in the Bushes.
rubio will fail
"Tampa Bay" is not a city — it is, you know, a *bay*. Body of water. With bridges and stuff.
So is it "the Tampa Bay area" — including Clearwater & St. Pete, and Sarasota at a stretch — or is it just Tampa?
At least all of these folks playing "dress up" in their Colonial Tea-Party garb will hopefully leave a lot of their money behind.
The end of the Benedict Arnold loving president will be over in 2012, and ron paul will take his place and end the Federal Reserve.
what is the gop pandering to flordia now.they shuold make some money wuth rubio and steele leading the charge.
So the GOP's boycotting Arizona, too, eh?
What's going to be the theme of the GOP convention this year?
"Flashlights; Are they the work of WIZARDS?!?"
"When Science Contradicts The Bible: Why We Must Fix It So The Sun Goes Around The Earth."
"Conservatives: Boldy Taking America Into The 16th Century!"
Good Luck people of the Tampa-St. Pete area. Hopefully they won't wreck the place.
So, they chose the lesser of three evil states, Floriduh!
Ed..only DNC wreck cities for example Chicago
This is great! Let's get all those tea baggers, wing nuts and other anti-American elements in Florida and then see if we can somehow separate Florida from the continental United States. They can then declare it their own country and maybe put Palin, Hannity, Beck, Limbaugh and Coulter in charge...oh, if only...
Just in time to help Halliburton and BP clean the Spill Baby Spill !
Seems brilliant to host a major event in a city prone to hurricanes that time of year.
Evidently, RNC Convention planning delegates are representative of the average conservative IQ.
Doesn't Tampa have a lot of strip cubs? LOTS of $ to be spent by these moral hypocrites
Duck: That is a terrible thing to say. Why would you say that? Are you a pyromaniac?
Becky in St. Pete. They didn't choose "Tampa Bay"...they chose "Tampa."
Haha this convention is going to create more jobs than the stimulus will ever create or save
dang I was hoping they would have picked some place in Alaska that way the newly wealthy Sarah Palin could host and they could see Russia from her back door. Plus with all the polar bears up there at least the color will be mostly the same....a practically all WHITE convention..Mike Steele withstanding.
Do we get to see Sarah in a bathing suit?
How quickly they forget about hurricanes.
Good luck with that.
Oh goody, by then the BP oil slick will have slaughtered every living creature along the gulf coast, and that's includes Florida too. Just perfect timing for repuke chants of "drill, baby, drill"!
Yeah, we'll drill alright, a big fat empty hole in your big fat republican empty heads.
"Haha this convention is going to create more jobs than the stimulus will ever create or save"
To borrow from your own blather: They're only temporary.
Ron Paul 2012