Conventional Thinking
What does hosting the 2016 Republican National Convention mean? We ask five Clevelanders.
Stuart Garson
Democratic Party of Cuyahoga County, chairman
I would have the Democratic one if I had my druthers.
I've heard from others that it would be a loss to the Democratic community to get the RNC. I don't think conventions are going to deliver the state to one party or the other. That comes down to old-fashioned campaign work and who's got the better candidate.
Umberto Fedeli
Fedeli Group, president and CEO
This is symbolic of how the community can work together for the common good. Take Mayor Jackson. Here's a Democrat mayor who promotes a Republican convention, because he knows it's good for his town.
Jim Rokakis
Thriving Communities Institute, director
I find their choice of Cleveland to be interesting, because the kinds of positions being pushed by the right wing of that party will not go over well in Northeast Ohio.
They need Ohio. [If the convention] moves [Ohio] 2 or 3 percentage points in a presidential election, it could be the difference.
Dan Moulthrop
City Club of Cleveland, CEO
Set aside the economics. Whether it's a political convention or the World Cup, you never get out of it what you invest into it. You do it for different reasons. It allows us to tell the story of Cleveland's resurgence on the national stage. Thousands of people coming for five, six or seven days of uninterrupted press coverage focused on the city.
I think that Cuyahoga County is so god-awfully Democratic that we need a little bit of diversity. It's in the best interest of the community to have its biases challenged.
Ashley Oeken
Engage Cleveland, executive director
It's great that Engage Cleveland was involved. It's helping the next generation prepare itself for things like this. People hear so much that young professionals don't get a voice, and it was cool that the Cleveland community said we want [the RNC] to hear from our young professionals.
It would do a lot for young professionals in the city to see the convention come here and be able to say, "Hey, I picked Cleveland. I choose to live in this city because it is awesome. And guess what? Now one of these conventions is coming here."
