Tuesday, July 17, 2018
After a cliffhanger vote, the Charlotte City Council has voted to keep its hat in the ring for the 2020 Republican National Convention. Mike Collins gets a recap of the decision from three Council members on opposite sides of the bid.
Debate over Charlotte’s hosting of the 2020 Republican National Convention came to a head Monday as the City Council voted 6-5 to continue pursuing the convention.
There was hardly any public outcry over the bid at the outset, but the opposition became more vocal in the past week since reports suggested the convention was all-but-certain to come to Charlotte.
Council Democrats were divided between supporting the convention for the economic impact of being on the world political stage and opposing the event because of the actions of the Trump Administration.
In the end, the economic argument, and the appeal of being bipartisan in polarizing times won out.
Can the two sides mend fences? Will there be any political ramifications for Monday's vote, especially among Democrats whose base urged opposition to the RNC?
GUESTS
David Boraks, WFAE News (@davidboraks)
Ed Driggs, Charlotte City Council, Republican - District 7 (@EdDriggsD7)
Julie Eiselt, Charlotte City Council, Mayor Pro-Tem, Democrat - At-large (@JulieEiselt)
Justin Harlow, Charlotte City Council, Democrat - District 2 (@DrJustinHarlow)