Democrats Pick Charlotte: Southern Charm Meets Political Steel

In the end, was it Southern charm or the lure of the number 15 – as in North Carolina's 15 electoral votes? That combination, along with a compelling story and city leaders who really, really wanted the 2012 Democratic National Convention pushed Charlotte past St. Louis, Minneapolis and Cleveland. "Reaching for tomorrow" -- Charlotte's slogan while campaigning for the convention – fittingly echoes the president's "win the future" State of the Union refrain.

Charlotte welcomes its first national political convention and the international attention, the better to highlight the city's "can-do spirit." (It's a phrase you'll hear a lot in the next year and a half; Democratic National Committee chair Tim Kaine dropped it at a Wednesday walk-through with Mayor Anthony Foxx at the Time Warner Cable Arena, convention central.)

The initial televised views of the sunny city skyline after Tuesday's news played well across a snowbound country, though in the first week of September 2012, the possibility of lingering summer heat and humidity might not be quite so inviting. In this first post-announcement week, however, the mood of the city -- except for a few complaints about traffic -- is euphoric.

Kaine stressed that it was a tough choice, and he denied the conventional judgment that St. Louis was a close second. Each city had a story to tell, he said. But Charlotte's Southern profile and a state economy that has moved from "tobacco, textiles and furniture" to one driven by research and new industries won out. After his arrival at Charlotte's airport Tuesday night, Kaine seemed pleased with a decision he said was made with the support of a "very involved" president and first lady. "The feel was right."

He remembered that as governor of Virginia, North Carolina was a friendly competitor as both states worked to attract new business and economic development. Now, he hopes the enthusiasm generated by the Democratic presence in Charlotte might rub off on its neighboring swing state.

Kaine was even more upbeat during the Wednesday arena tour, led by Mike Crum, chief operating officer of the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority. Crum touted the size and flexibility of the space that's home to the NBA's Bobcats and the American Hockey League's Charlotte Checkers. "This one, though, is the Super Bowl," Crum said.

Between peeks into locker rooms and private club rooms, trailing journalists and Democratic officials, Kaine and Foxx continued to reinforce the Charlotte (and Democratic) narrative of "an innovative economy," one that's growing and diversifying. Kaine was then off to an afternoon meeting with Democratic Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper, the Denver mayor during the party's 2008 convention there that nominated Barack Obama. Charlotte's convention would be special since it's hosting "a sitting president of the United States," Kaine said before his flight to Denver.

Kaine was looking forward but also back, to 2008. Virginia and North Carolina voted for President Obama, shaking up the status quo, particularly in North Carolina, which – by a narrow 14,000-vote margin – went for a Democrat for the first time since Jimmy Carter in 1976.

"In 2012, we're not going to play on the old electoral map," Kaine said. A week after the Republicans meet for a Tampa, Fla. convention, the Democrats will plant their flag in the South, as well.

Obama also helped sweep in Gov. Bev Perdue, the state's first female chief executive. Perdue said in a statement that the state, the nation and the world will see "what hundreds of businesses already know – Charlotte's smart investments in infrastructure, cultural attractions and amenities have produced a climate perfect for work and play."

Her optimism comes after a 2010 midterm with mixed results in North Carolina. For the first time in more than a century, both houses of the state legislature went to the Republicans. But in U.S. House races, Blue Dog Democratic incumbents Larry Kissell, Heath Shuler and Mike McIntyre – who all voted against initial health-care legislation -- held onto their seats despite substantial financial support for their GOP opponents' campaigns.

During the 2008 campaign, Obama often visited this state few thought he could win; on election eve, he spoke to an enthusiastic crowd at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

As the economy dipped, so did his fortunes, though last month he posted a positive approval rating in North Carolina for the first time in a year. Recently, the president stopped by Forsyth Technical Community College in Winston-Salem to celebrate programs that train students, some laid off from textile and furniture industries, in the growing biotechnology field. In his speech there, the president previewed his call for a "Sputnik moment" advocating math and science education.

Michelle Obama, in her e-mail breaking the Charlotte news, said, "My very first trip outside of Washington as First Lady was to Fort Bragg, where I started my effort to do all we can to help our heroic military families."

Despite all it had going for it, Charlotte's initial confidence faltered a bit as the announcement deadline approached. The 18^th largest city in the country isn't good at shaking off controversy, and recently it had more than its share: pushback from some national union leaders who preferred St. Louis's friendlier union climate, a local NAACP leader who called the city a "racist bastion" and a white nationalist trying to book his own – much smaller – gathering. Shrugging things off – especially jokes about its "world-class" aspirations -- is not something Charlotte does easily.

Among those who never lost faith, Mayor Foxx would have to be at the top of the list. After his 2009 election, the youngest person and second African American to win the post received a call from the president. Since then, Foxx has not been a stranger at the White House; his most recent visit came late last month during the National Conference of Mayors.

A few months ago, Foxx told me he was confident the choice would be Charlotte, a city that's "proving its resilience every day." On Wednesday, he touted the city's "good infrastructure, good facilities," a light-rail train that delivers visitors just outside the arena door.

Foxx acknowledged publicized stresses in Charlotte-Mecklenburg schools -- the competition over shrinking budgets that has led to charges of discrimination in school closings and assignment changes. But then he pointed to a business and philanthropic initiative announced this week that has pledged $55 million to reform struggling schools and at-risk students. "We don't just have problems," he said. "We deal with them." As the Bank of America and Wells Fargo's Wachovia have struggled in the nation's second-largest banking center, Foxx talked about developing industries and a region poised to now become "the energy capital of the country."

Finally, what has worked for Charlotte in the past -- Southern hospitality streaked with steel -- might have been a deciding factor. In this case, Susan Burgess, the Charlotte city councilwoman who died in June, was an early believer in Charlotte's chances. Kaine said that shortly after he became party chair, she walked up to him and said, "I'm Susan Burgess. Here's a packet I want you to read" that touted Charlotte as the place for a convention. Her son, Jason Burgess, who was voted into her council seat, brought his 4-year-old son, Shade, to Wednesday's tour. "She was definitely a go-getter," he said of his mother. "I'm so proud."

Now, "the real work starts," DNC member Pat Cotham told me on Wednesday. The DNC said it will have a permanent presence in Charlotte by late spring or early summer. An estimated $40 million to $50 million must be raised and security plans finalized (another personal tie: Kaine and city police chief Rodney Monroe knew each other when Monroe had the job in Richmond).

Charlotte has 18 months to get comfortable with its close-up, to act nonchalant when visitors discover the city is more than the NASCAR Hall of Fame, and that a cultural complex that boasts three museums is one of the hottest spots in town. (That insecure defensiveness is catching, I'll admit.)

Cotham, who lived in St. Louis before moving to Charlotte, said she isn't worried. "We have so much to offer," she said, more than St. Louis. "I was in eighth grade when the arch went up."

Bless their heart.


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