CHARLOTTE, N.C.-- Picking the site of a political convention, where parties officially nominate their candidates for President, takes a great deal of careful thought. The choice of Charlotte, N.C. by Barack Obama and the Democratic Party highlights a renewed focus on the "blue South."
In 2008, Obama won Virginia -- red since 1964 -- and North Carolina -- red since 1976 -- by slim margins. So far in 2012, he is statistically tied with Republican Candidate Mitt Romney in both states.
The Obama campaign believes it can carry the states again, helping to push Obama over the top on Nov 6. Just a five-hour drive from Richmond, Charlotte is the home of Duke Energy and Bank of America. It is a city that went big for Obama in 2008.
The convention brings together politicians, media and representatives from each state to nominate a candidate, ratify the platform he'll run on and party. Every media outlet, advocacy group and delegation has multiple parties after the day ends.
In the old days, conventions were heated political battles that could make or break a party's chances in the general election. Now, thanks to primetime television, they are largely spectacles designed to give each party the chance to define themselves to voters.
Here in Charlotte, that's exactly what the Democratic Party is attempting to do. With dramatic speeches by first lady Michelle Obama and Julian Castro, the mayor of San Antonio, the party is trying to remind voters why they gave Obama a mandate for change in 2008.
"And if our parents and grandparents could toil and struggle for us -- if they could raise beams of steel to the sky, send a man to the moon, connect the world with the touch of a button -- then surely we can keep on sacrificing and building for our own kids and grandkids, right?" the first lady asked the cheering crowd Tuesday night.
The "blue South" is not a dream entirely out of reach.
However, North Carolina will be a tough sell for the Obama's in 2012. If the most recent poll taken is any evidence, Romney will take the state. In fact, if the most recent poll in each swing state is taken, Romney and Obama will be in a race decided by, you guessed it, Virginia.
The most recent Virginia poll has Romney and Obama exactly tied, and the state could put either one over the top if the election were held today.
The increased importance of Virginia is no surprise to senior Sen. Mark Warner, who expressed the importance of collegiate Virginia in an interview with The Collegian.
"Young people can be the difference in this election," Warner said. "Whether it is students at a great private school like the University of Richmond spiders, or one of Virginia's private schools that rank among the best in the country...The young people know this election is a decision between the future and past."
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Contact staff writer John McAuliff at john.mcauliff@richmond.edu
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