Detroit Receives Invitation to Bid for 2008 GOP Convention
Andrew Norton
Detroit was among 31 cities that received invitations to bid for the GOP Convention in 2008. Detroit last played host to the GOP Convention in 1980 when it saw Ronald Reagan become nominated as the Republican candidate for president. So, if you are thinking that Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick will not place a bid simply because he is a Democrat, think again. It was Democratic Mayor Coleman Young who helped host Ronald Reagan and the GOP Convention in 1980. It will be interesting to see what (if any) response Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick will give.
The Democrats also have Detroit on their short list of about a dozen cities to host their 2008 convention. Hopefully this is a sign that after hosting the recent Super Bowl and baseball All-Star game the nation is realizing what a great place Detroit and Michigan is to host major events. I hope that it is not a political maneuver from both parties to play to the large number of African-American voters residing in Detroit and instead because they know that Detroit can host major events without a glich.
Catch the Detroit News article - GOP invites Detroit bid for '08 convention - 02/16/06 - The Detroit News