Brooklyn Will Vie to Host 2016 Democratic National Convention, de Blasio Says

Source: New York Times

Brooklyn, a nexus of the new Democratic left that has morphed from working-class enclave to a gritty, global arbiter of cool, will vie to host the Democratic National Convention in 2016, Mayor Bill de Blasio of New York City said on Friday.

In a formal bid, the de Blasio administration proposed Barclays Center, the rusty sports and entertainment arena in Brooklyn’s bustling downtown, as the anchor venue for the quadrennial gathering, with accommodations and other events to be spread across the city’s other four boroughs.

A Democratic convention in Brooklyn, arguably the most liberal redoubt of one of the country’s most liberal cities, would be a stark departure from the recent tradition of political parties hosting their conventions in swing states like Florida and Colorado, which can be critical to clinching a national campaign.

And it would raise a number of intriguing angles for national Democrats, who are confronting the rise of a resurgent left challenging the moderate values of a party that has tacked to the center since the years of the Clinton administration.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/07/nyregion/brooklyn-will-vie-to-host-2016-dnc-de-blasio-says.html