Democrats Pick Charlotte for Convention

Democrats have selected Charlotte, North Carolina to host the 2012 Democratic National Convention. Charlotte’s primary rival for the convention was St. Louis. Minneapolis and Cleveland were also finalists.

According to Michelle Obama:

“I am thrilled to make sure you are the first to hear some very exciting news. Charlotte, North Carolina will host the 46th Democratic National Convention in 2012. Charlotte is a city marked by its southern charm, warm hospitality, and an “up by the bootstraps” mentality that has propelled the city forward as one of the fastest-growing in the South. Vibrant, diverse, and full of opportunity, the Queen City is home to innovative, hardworking folks with big hearts and open minds. And of course, great barbecue.”

A likely reason for the final selection was that President Obama appears to have a better chance of winning North Carolina than Missouri in 2012. He won North Carolina in 2008, only the second time a Democrat has won since 1960, and early polling shows that he may be poised for a repeat performance. In contrast, he narrowly lost Missouri, despite the fact that Missouri had voted for the winner in all but one presidential election since 1904. Missouri also voted heavily Republican in the 2010 midterm elections.