Five cities braved yet another winter storm to make their case to the Republican National Committee Monday as to why they should host the party’s 2016 convention.
Three other cities rescheduled their presentations for March 21. While it’s too early to declare an early favorite, the RNC made one thing perfectly clear Monday: It will choose its host city based on business reasons, not on political considerations.
“To me it’s a business decision,” said RNC Chairman Reince Preibus.
The committee is looking for a site that can raise enough money to host the convention, and has the transportation network and hotel space to accommodate such a large event, he said. It wants media coverage to focus on its nominee, not on glitches such as fund-raising shortfalls or buses not getting delegates to the convention hall on time.
Once those financial and logistical criteria are met, Republicans may consider whether a site offers political benefits, Preibus said. But holding a convention in a particular state doesn’t seem to matter much as far as election results — the Republican presidential nominees hasn’t won their convention city’s state since 1992, when Houston hosted the GOP convention.
That could undercut one of the selling points for Columbus, Cincinnati and Cleveland, the three Ohio cities that are among the eight cities bidding to host the Republican convention.
“You can’t win the White House unless you first win Ohio,” said Columbus Mayor Michael Coleman, a Democrat who led his city’s pitch for the Republican convention.
Columbus also is bidding for the 2016 Democratic convention. Both parties understand the importance of Ohio, a large swing state, and know that Columbus is a key battleground there. The two parties’ presidential and vice presidential nominees visited the city 77 times during the 2012 campaign, he noted.
Kansas City, meanwhile, emphasized its fund-raising chops. Standing beside Kansas City Mayor Sly James was Jack Oliver, a Missouri native who managed President George W. Bush’s 2004 re-election campaign’s finances, and Linda Bond, who is leading the Kansas City convention bid’s fund-raising efforts and is the wife of former U.S. Sen. Kit Bond, R-Mo.
James said he’s confident Kansas City will “have everything we need and more” when it comes to raising money to host the convention.
Oliver, who has participated in the GOP’s five previous convention, said Kansas City “is the most organized I’ve ever seen” as far as being “prepared to raise the resources.”
“The response has been amazing by the Kansas City business community,” Bond said.
Coleman said Columbus won’t have any problem raising money either. He also emphasized Columbus’ track record in hosting big events — including Ohio State football games — and the fact that its convention center is only yards away from Nationwide Arena, home of the National Hockey League’s Columbus Blue Jackets.
The Columbus mayor also emphasized that he wasn’t going to say anything negative about Cleveland or Cincinnati, his city’s competitors from Ohio. The fact that three bidders for the Republican convention will tout Ohio’s virtues “makes us all stronger,” he said.
The RNC also was scheduled to hear presentations Monday from Denver, Phoenix and Cleveland. Cincinnati, Dallas and Las Vegas will make their pitches in two weeks.
