Opinion: DNC passing on Columbus will prove costly

The year 2016 will be a big year for politics, especially for the race to the White House. The run for holding office truly begins after each political party holds their national conventions.  Next year the Democratic National Convention (DNC) will take place in Philadelphia in late July. The decision for the convention to take place in Philadelphia came two weeks ago. Democrats chose Philly for many of the historical surroundings in the area. However, there were two cities also in the running to host the convention, New York and Columbus. It should have been a very obvious selection when Ohio is such an important state in regard to elections. However, Democrats flushed this obvious choice down the drain. They might have let the DNC 2016 be a regret for years to come.Democrats passed up on the Columbus bid due to the city’s lack of hotels in the area and the city’s small airport according to The Boston Globe. Columbus might have a lack of hotels in the area and the airport might not be a powerhouse travel hub, but that’s not everything to winning an election. Consider Ohio’s notorious reputation as a swing state and the idea that winning Ohio wins the White House. Like the old saying, “As Ohio goes, so goes the nation.” In the last ten presidential elections Ohio has voted for the candidate who went on to eventually become president. Looking at the last ten presidential elections, Ohio has voted Republican five times and Democrat five times. Our state is truly a swing state. The Democrats may have possibly made a costly move for 2016.The Republican National Convention (RNC) in 2016 will be just 143 miles northeast of Columbus in Cleveland next year. The Republicans made that decision in hopes of pulling ahead in the Ohio ballot booth. Cleveland was chosen by Republicans for getting their message flowing in Lake Erie. Republicans need control of Ohio headlines, and the RNC will bring them. Republicans made this decision for strategy. They want publicity. They are craving the same kind of attention President Obama had from 2008 to 2012 when he was basically a temporary Ohioan for how often he was in the state.This move for Democrats does not sound like a move that will be detrimental to the election, as it’s just choosing a city, right? That is where many are wrong; the decision to pass on Columbus will truly give the party setbacks especially with winning the state of Ohio. The party cannot just expect to win the state of Ohio every presidential election. It requires campaign stop after campaign stop. If the Democrats had chosen Columbus, there would have been at least a little less stress on their campaign. Even if the bid of Columbus cancelled out Republican efforts in Cleveland, that still would have been a success for the political party. This decision will leave liberals playing a little catch-up come next year.Columbus has proven itself capable of hosting big events. Columbus hosted the National Hockey League’s All-Star Weekend in late January of this year. Ohio is becoming a place for various big events. Later this year Cincinnati will host the Major League Baseball All-Star Game. With Republicans taking eye on Cleveland, this might be a costly loss of opportunity for liberals.While not choosing New York is an obviously good decision, due to its very liberal background, passing on Columbus is not. The Democratic National Convention will regret not competing with Republicans in the near future. Ohio is the battleground state of the United States of America. Winning is what both parties set out to do come November of next year. Democrats made their decision based on an airport and a couple less hotels around the city. Comfort is not what is important here. If you want to win an election it may take dealing with challenges. Waiting in a small airport or having a hotel in the suburbs would not be the end of the world. What is more important is the Republican influence that will be very prevalent in Northeast Ohio next year when liberals are too far from the very crucial Ohio headlines. While Philadelphia has the history behind its city, Ohio has the history behind winning presidential elections.