Utah Republicans are mulling a bid to host the 2016 GOP convention. Our insiders and readers weigh in on whether this is a good idea.
Selected anonymous comments:
I see the Republic Party steering clear of the Mormon label after the Romney run. No matter how hard Salt Lake tries to shrug that label and vote in Democratic mayors, the national media would simply stick to the stereotypes as they did with the MoOlympics. Also, do we have a big enough convention center and hotel rooms needed to host a convention?
Utah is already a safe bet for any Republican running for POTUS. No real need to spend time and money here. However, it might be good for the local economy if it were to happen.
The Republican Party should take advantage of the opportunity to show off good Republican Governance. Utah is the top state for business. Utah has the highest ACT scores, so our education system must be doing something right. Utah has low unemployment. Utah’s approach to welfare is through a Department of Workforce Services that trains people and encourages them to work, and amazingly enough, they do. All of these things should be showcased for the country so they can see what good conservative policies could do for them.
I know the cost is high, but I am always in favor of putting Utah on the map. And as a Republican, I would be in favor of bringing the Democratic convention here as well. Let people see our state.
If congress would honor to our western states the same statehood promise it already kept with all states east of Colorado, Utah would not need to attract conventions because Utah would have access to its abundant natural resources currently locked up on federal lands.
It would be a nice change to have the GOP convention in a state that will actually go for the GOP candidate.
Business is business, hundreds of jobs, and millions in tax dollars to the state. “Hell, yes” says a 2012 DNC delegate.
Too expensive. All that fundraising will distract the party from defeating Jim Matheson.
I have worked at Dem & GOP conventions all over the country, and believe me, hosting one is not worth it.
There is no economic upside to hosting the event, and we don’t get extra electoral votes for the headache either.Sure, why not? We did a great job on the Olympics and other events. Utah is a better place than most.
Conventions are great for the economy — we really need a convention hotel to have a shot at hosting big conventions like these. We recognize the need for limited (post-performance) government incentives for tech companies like eBay and Adobe so why not for the tourism and convention industry?
Waste of time and resources. Why bring attention back to Mormonism and Mitt Romney’s failed campaign?? PLEASE…not one dime for this effort.
I don’t see how the Utah party benefits from hosting the convention. The kind of media attention that occurs during a convention is not the kind that is good for the Utah Republican Party. The party needs more attention as a mainstream conservative party. Hosting a national convention brings attention to the extremes. Fund raising undoubtedly suffers, too. It’s a bad idea that shouldn’t be pushed just to provide a resume item for the current party chair.
I would rather have the Olympics again. Who hosted the last RNC ? People will forget 2 days after.
I’m a Democrat, but I believe anything to bolster and help the Utah economy is a good thing.Â
These same Republicans voted against the building of a new hotel downtown. So much for job creation, free enterprise, etc. And, the last thing we need in Utah is even more Republican influence in a Presidential election!Why not? The money will be welcome and Utah is one of the most solidly Republican states in the union.This convention will never come to Utah without a convention headquarters hotel next to the Salt Palace. Republican legislators who want to host the RNC shot themselves in the foot during the last session by killing a post-performance tax incentive to help build a privately-funded hotel. Too bad for them and for the rest of us who want this event to come to our state.As wonderful as Salt Lake City is, and as much as we love sharing the best Utah has with the world, the fact is that these selections are made with an eye to increasing Republican turnout in key battleground states. Utah will not likely serve that role in any election in the near future. In addition, the thought of $30,000,000 to be raised from the GOP in this state is daunting. There probably wasn’t $30,000,000 in donations in all of the races during the 2012 election. It’s a nice thought, but it is completely out of reach.
This conclave of conservative cahooters would mean a stronger hospitality industry and maybe the Zion Curtain would finally fall. Go for it GOP!Great for the local economy, but will probably need to approve more liquor licenses. R’s like to drink too. Maybe they could arrange a tour of the new Govt. Data Center and check their e-mails and phone records while they are here.Too expensive. The state would end up footing part of the bill. Plus, Utah is no swing state. What would be the advantage for the national GOP?Sure, why not? Bring in lots of money and load the city up with perverts. It would be good business for escorts and the DABC.
They will never get it. It is akin to Provo trying to land Treasures Strip Club from Las Vegas.It doesn’t hurt to go for it, but it is unlikely Utah would be awarded the convention.This will be used as a tool for SL County and their cohorts to assert the NEED for a taxpayer subsidized convention center hotel.The Republican nominee will come to Utah to fundraise anyway. We might as well focus those donations behind the convention and get the economic benefits that come with it.
There aren’t enough hotel rooms in Salt Lake to qualify. It is plain and simple. That is not an endorsement of the proposed convention hotel, either. It is just a statement of fact. Salt Lake will not win the bid without more hotel rooms. So, we are talking about nothing here.
Respondents include –Â
Fred Adams, Stuart Adams, Jess Agraz, Scott Anderson, Laura Arellano, Patrice Arent, Bette Arial, Neil Ashdown, Bruce Baird, Heather Barney, Steve Barth, Jeff Bell, Tom Berggren, Mike Bertelsen, Ron Bigelow, Emily Bingham-Hollingshead, Rob Bishop, Laura Black, Nanci Bockelie, Charles Bradley, Jim Bradley, Ralph Brown, Chris Bleak, Curt Bramble, Joel Briscoe, Ralph Brown, Aaron Browning, Ken Bullock, Ric Cantrell, Maura Carabello, Marty Carpenter, Rebecca Chavez-Houck, Kay Christensen, David Clark, Kim Coleman, Peter Corroon, Tim Cosgrove, Fred Cox, Lew Cramer, Gene Davis, Richard Davis, Brad Daw, Alan Dayton, Margaret Dayton, Mike Deaver, Brad, Dee, Joseph Demma, Jake Dennis, Dan Deuel, Jeff Dixon, Brian Doughty, Carl Downing, Randy Dryer, Susan Duckworth, Donald Dunn, Alan Eastman, Becky Edwards, Scott Ericson, Chase Everton, Jessica Fawson, Janice Fisher, Wendy Fisher, Lorie Fowlke, Ronald Fox, Claire Francis, Ryan Frandsen, Adam Gardiner, Jordan Garn, Ernie Gamonal, Luke Garrott, Dave Gessel, Sheryl Ginsberg, Natalie Gochnour, Robert Grow, Karen Hale, David Hansen, Neil Hansen, Joe Hatch, Jeff Hartley, Dan Hauser, Lynn Hemmingway, Deidre Henderson, Neal Hendrickson, Casey Hill, Lyle Hillyard, Kory Holdaway, Randy Horiuchi, Ben Horsley, Bruce Hough, Scott Howell, Greg Hughes, Miriam Hyde, Allison Isom, Casey Jackson, Eric Jergensen, Mike Jerman, Jonathan Johnson, Michael Jolley, Gordon Jones, Leslie Jones, Pat Jones, Kirk Jowers, Jeremy Keele, Brian King, Scott Konopasek, Steve Kroes, Chris Kyler, Carter Livingston, Fred Lampropoulos, Clark Larsen, Douglas Larson, David Litvack, Larry Lunt, Matt Lyon, Ben McAdams, Daniel McCay, Gayle McKeachnie, JT Martin, Maryann Martindale, Jason Mathis, Bob Mayhew, Karen Mayne, Bret Milburn, Derek Miller, Rob Miller, Ethan Millard, Brett Millburn, Karen Morgan, Jeffery Morton, Mike Mower, Holly Mullen, Wayne Niederhauser, Mike Noel, Randy O’Hara, Ralph Okerlund, James Olsen, Val Oveson, Kelly Patterson, John Pearce, Helen Peters, Karen Peterson, Frank Pignanelli, Becky Pirente, Marie Poulson, Jason Powers, Tami Pyfer, Joe Pyrah, Mike Reberg, Jill Remington Love, Lauren Richards, Holly Richardson, Robin Riggs, James Roberts, Luz Robles, Ross Romero, Carol Sapp, Don Savage, Bryan Schott, Shauna Scott-Bellaccomo, Jay Seegmiller, Jennifer Seelig, Patrick Shea, Randy Shumway, Soren Simonsen, Jeremy Slaughter, Brendan Smith, Brian Somers, Carol Spackman-Moss, Robert Spendlove, Barbara Stallone, Howard Stephenson, David Stringfellow, Mike Styler, Shinika Sykes, Juliette Tennert, Gary Thorup, Kevin Van Tassell, Royce Van Tassel, Doug Thompson, Michael Waddoups, Laura Warburton, Chuck Warren, Christine Watkins, LaVarr Webb, Todd Weiler, Alan West, Mark Wheatley, Larry Wiley, Ted Wilson, Carl Wimmer, Mike Winder, Travis Wood, Thomas Wright, Crystal Young-Otterstrom
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