Republicans Head to Tampa for 2012 Convention

By Kristina Wong
@kristina_wong
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ABC News’ David Chalian reports: The man or woman who takes on President Obama in 2012 will accept the Republican nomination in Tampa, FL, a traditional battleground in presidential politics. The Republican National Committee’s site selection team voted today to recommend Tampa-St. Petersburg, FL as the host city for the 2012 Republican National Convention. "We are honored and privileged to accept the bid from Tampa, Florida to host the Republican National Convention in 2012,” said RNC Chairman Michael Steele in a statement following today’s vote.  “The Tampa area boasts state-of-the-art facilities, exciting and vibrant downtowns, and a clear enthusiasm from the community to host our convention. We look forward to joining our compatriots in the Sunshine State for our convention in 2012," he added. The RNC has scheduled its quadrennial presidential nominating convention for August 27 – August 30, 2012. Tampa bested Phoenix and Salt Lake City in the competition to host the GOP gathering.  Democrats are also reportedly eyeing Phoenix as a possible host city for their 2012 convention.  However, the recently passed Arizona immigration law may be complicating the city’s effort to woo a national party convention.  Recent polls show a majority of Americans support the Arizona immigration law, but many critical Democratic constituencies have been calling for boycotts of Arizona and would certainly look unfavorably at the national party pumping hundreds of millions of dollars of economic activity into the state. However, Barack Obama’s political advisers have their eyes set on Arizona’s 10 electoral votes in 2012.  With John McCain on the ballot in 2008, the Obama campaign opted out of playing in Arizona.  In four years, there is probably no other state on the map that Team Obama believes to be as ripe to flip from Red to Blue as Arizona. Several Republicans also expressed wariness about seeing their party award Phoenix with the national convention so soon after the controversial law had passed and with a handful of national GOP figures, such as former Florida Governor Jeb Bush expressing opposition to the law. Democrats are also eyeing Charlotte, Philadelphia, and St. Louis as possible host cities for their 2012 convention.  The Democratic National Committee has scheduled its nominating convention for the week immediately following the Republicans, September 3 – September 6, 2012.