Dallas in Strong Contention to Host RNC Convention

DALLAS -- It's still two years away, but Democrats and Republicans are already shopping for a city to host their 2016 conventions.
 
With glossy proposals and high stakes, there is a potential jackpot for the chosen city.  An estimated $150 million will be spent by the 50,000 delegates, party activists and media in attendance.
 
The GOP has narrowed down the field from 26 bids to a mere four: Cleveland, Denver, Kansas City, Missouri, and Dallas.

Everything is Bigger in Texas
 
Dallas, after all, belongs to the reddest of red states.
 
"I think the brand of Dallas fits very well with the Republican brand. You know Dallas is all about free market capitalism, low taxes, low regulation, and I think that's a message that resonates with the public," Phillip Jones, president of the Dallas Convention and Visitor's Bureau, told CBN News.
 
Texas means big, from trucks to skylines to the biggest drawing card of them all: money. That money carries extra pull now that Congress has cut the $18 million it typically hands out to each party convention.

How are things shaping up for the GOP in November? Chief Political Correspondent David Brody answered this and more on CBN Newswatch, June 4.

The host city will need to raise $60 million, even $70 million, and Dallas can guarantee a big chunk of that up front.
 
"In Texas we have something called the Major Events Trust Fund and that's a portion of the taxes generated by an event such as the Republican National Convention (that) can actually go back to the organization hosting the event and (be) used to pay for things such as security, transportation," Jones stated.
 
Competition Afoot
 
Meanwhile, Kansas City is promoting its GPS coordinates in the heart of America with the slogan: "All roads lead to here."
 
Denver is pointing out "America the Beautiful" was written in Colorado.
 
And Cleveland? Well, it's located in one of the most sought after states in presidential politics: Ohio.
 
The chosen city will get a giant economic shot in the arm, but with the world watching, there's also a risk.
 
"If everything goes smoothly that's one thing. But if you have a lot of protests, if you have a lot of traffic snarls and there are always traffic problems, there are always security concerns," noted Todd Gillman, Washington bureau chief for Dallas Morning News.
 
But when it comes to the chance of a 2016 Republican National Convention being held in Dallas, the chances are still pretty big.
 
"We want this very bad because Dallas last hosted the Republican National Convention in 1984 when Ronald Reagan went on to win, and we want to remind folks that one of the last winners for the Republican Party came out of Dallas," Jones said.
 
That symbolism may resonate with a Republican Party desperate to win back the White House.