Dallas and Cleveland remain on RNC 2016 short list

The field started with half a dozen cities vying for the 2016 Republican National convention. Since early 2014, the field has been narrowed as numerous cities, including Las Vegas, were booted off the list for one reason or another. Now, we’re down to the final two. It’s Midwest versus Deep South.

Report from ABC News:

Just two cities remain in the sweepstakes to host the Republican Party’s next presidential nominating convention.

Republican National Committee members on Wednesday named two finalists: Dallas and Cleveland. The decision eliminates Denver and Kansas City, Missouri from the running.

Several cities have been competing for months to host the 2016 Republican National Convention, which attracts thousands of political activists, donors and reporters every four years. RNC leaders are expected to select the winning convention site later this summer.

“I can say to my fellow Republicans that we should be excited for the 2016 convention,” said Enid Mickelsen, of Utah, who leads the RNC’s site selection committee. “These world class cities know how to roll out the welcome mat, and more importantly they have the ability to provide our next presidential nominee a launching pad that will put a Republican in the White House in 2016.”

Money is a key concern for Republican leaders charged with selecting the site. RNC officials who were forced to divert limited resources toward the last two conventions insist they cannot do so again. Most cities expect a convention price tag of between $55 million and $60 million.

Dallas has long been considered a major player in the competition, in part because of its coalition of wealthy donors with ties to the Bush family and the oil industry.

I’ll go out on a limb here and say that I can’t see how the GOP picks anywhere other than Cleveland at this point. Dallas may be attractive, as stated due to the donor network and ties to the Bush family, but Ohio is a must-win for a Republican to take the White House in 2016.

A Republican convention in Texas would be like a Democratic convention in California or New York. Why waste the resources to build up news coverage in a state which is a sure-win come Election Day?

Then again, I’ve been wrong more than once so we’ll see. If money was driving this decision, you would have thought Vegas was a sure bet (so to speak) given billionaire Sheldon Adelson’s sway within the party.