TU: Debate putting Jacksonville in country's spotlight

Although I wish no ill to UNF (and am glad for a little national spotlight time for them), I wish they had chosen a larger venue for this, so more people could go if the school truly didn't feel they had something larger.  As it is, many people, will be turned away after all the insiders get their seats.  It was a huge disappointment to me that UNF didn't use the sports complex where they have (at least used to have) graduations which has a huge amount of seating and could have been rigged to handle this debate.  I almost feel like it was set up for the insiders and not to allow folks like you and I to get in when it should have been planned to accomodate the largest number of people possible.

 

UNF grabs the political world's attention as Republican candidates face off again.

Posted: January 23, 2012 - 12:03am | Updated: January 23, 2012 - 7:49am

Jacksonville is getting ready, again, for its close-up.

For a couple of hours Thursday, the political world’s attention will focus on a University of North Florida performance hall where Republican presidential candidates will debate once more before Florida’s Jan. 31 primary.

Four million people are expected to watch on CNN.

“UNF can’t buy that kind of advertising. We don’t have a budget to begin to address that kind of national and international exposure,” said Sharon Ashton, a UNF assistant vice president chairing a committee on debate preparations.

National spotlights aren’t unknown to Jacksonville, a city that can remember a Super Bowl, almost 20 years of pro football and a smattering of tabloid crime dramas.

But the region’s political role as a right-wing bulwark has been more understated, and the decision to have the debate in Jacksonville was welcomed by some conservatives.

“It means that Jacksonville is important for them,” said Billie Tucker, a leader of Northeast Florida’s tea party movement. “We’re proud that it’s here and we’re excited.”

Getting the area’s Republicans fired up now will pay dividends in November, said Lenny Curry, the Jacksonville resident who is chairman of the Republican Party of Florida.

“North Florida is critical for a Republican to win the state of Florida in a general election,” he said.

“A presidential primary debate here just energizes this area.”

Want tickets? Here's how (to try)

To open the event to rank-and-file members, the party is releasing many of its tickets through a lottery for which people signed up online.

“The response to the debate has been overwhelming,” said Curry, who said organizers are still working through the final details of how tickets will be split up for the event, being sponsored by CNN, the Republicans and the Hispanic Leadership Network.

The debate will be inside the Lazzara Performance Hall, a 1,300-seat chamber in UNF’s Fine Arts Center where CNN crews will make temporary modifications for the broadcast.

Parts of the school’s student union will be used for candidate interviews and for television live shots, while more than 100 print and online reporters are expected to work from the building’s ballroom.

With the debate chamber closed to most, a live feed is being routed to nearby Robinson Theater to accommodate 750 students. Tickets to that area are being distributed to select university departments.

Beyond the debate floor, Jacksonville boosters are hoping some of the spotlight falls on the rest of the town.

But it’s not clear yet how much that chance will be exploited.

“There will be a lot of eyes on Jacksonville,” said Michelle Danisovszky, a JAX Chamber spokeswoman.

“We are having discussions on what we can do to showcase the city. We don’t have anything concrete at the moment. But we may have something more Monday.”

Curry sees some benefit to the city happening almost by osmosis.

“We fill hotels, we have press from all over the country, people eating in restaurants. … Think of a Monday night football game,” he said.

Curry’s hoping those visitors will carry back impressions of the town when they go home, the same way other business travelers have before them.

“Jacksonville, for years, when people visit here or they move here," he said, "... they say, ‘Wow this has been one of the best-kept secrets in the country.’ ”

steve.patterson@jacksonville.com, (904) 359-4263


Read more at Jacksonville.com: http://jacksonville.com/news/florida/2012-01-23/story/debate-puttin...

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Comment by Jack on January 25, 2012 at 1:42pm

Patricia, like you I too agree with much of what Ron Paul says and stands for. However, in my opinion he goes way to far with his foreign policy. I agree with him that we should not be spending so much money trying to police the world. But I think that peace through strength requires that we keep some of our bases throughout the world in order to matain our presence and to assure our ability to deter our enemies with a quick response to protect our national security interests when needed. It is dangerous and naive to think that if we leave them alone they will leave us alone. That did not work with Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan, it's not going to work now with Iran and the middle east, have we not learned anything from the mistakes of the past? For that reason alone Ron Paul scares the hell out of me. I would be much more comfortable with him as Chairman of the Federal Reserve. I think that was the job he was born for and that is the position I think that he would be perfect at. It is a job tailor made for him.

Comment by Patricia M. McBride on January 25, 2012 at 12:38pm

PS   I think Ron Paul's son will be president one day.  He isn't as severe and disagrees with his father on several things, and like his father, he is a very smart young man.

Comment by Patricia M. McBride on January 25, 2012 at 12:35pm

I agree Jack.  I already have another Ron Paul video, which is totally unrelated to the blog, on another blog I put up.  On facebook, I delete their posts and unfriend them (and have managed now to clean out most of them from my friends list :).  You would think when they see I use a Gingrich logo that I might not want to read all their negative Newt stuff and all there warship Ron Paul stuff, but .................

I would love to see Ron Paul put in charge of the Federal Reserve.  It is an area he has a passion for and I think he would clean the place floor to ceiling and publish every single nasty thing they have done or planned to do!  And for that, I could support him :).

Comment by Jack on January 25, 2012 at 10:29am

Patricia, its pointless. You can not have a logical, rational conversation with an irrational, illogical person. They just keep regurgitating the same garbage over and over again without giving your opinion the same respect that you give theirs. That was the point that I was trying to make in an earlier post. The Ron Paul cult family is doing more harm than good for his campaign. Like you I am voting for Gingrich in the primary, and like you I will vote in the general for whoever gets the nomination because I agree with you 100%, in the end the most important thing is getting this Anti-American, socialist hack out of the white house. It is probably going to end up being a choice between Romney and Gingrich in the primary because Paul and Santorum just do not connect with enough of the republican base. Romney is the establishment's and media's choice and is being force fead on us just like McCain was last time and just like last time I am afraid that if Romney gets the nomination that Obama will win the election. Romney has been trying to distance himself from the Tea Party in order to gain the independants. He considers us "We the People" to be insignificant. Gingrich supports us and is counting on us "The Tea Party" to help him win the election and get as many Tea Party conservatives elected into the House and Senate as we can. It is going to take someone with big gonads and a lot of help, support and conservatives backing him in order to stand up to the washington establishment and liberal media. Someone with big ideas and a spine to bring about the kind of drastic changes this country needs in order to get it turned around. I personally think that Newt is that man. Ron Paul in my opinion would be a good choice for VP or even a better choice to replace Ben Bernanke as chairman of the federal reserve.   

Comment by Patricia M. McBride on January 25, 2012 at 6:42am

No Roma, you did not accept my decision.  You chose instead to post tons of garbage that I have already seen and discounted because I have read other things and know that most of it IS garbage.  I stand by what I said.  The Paulites supported their man last time, and they continued right through the last 3 plus years and picked the torch right back up as soon as he decided to run again.  I left a group, because I knew no consideration would be given to any other candidate period no matter how good the other candidates were, and I don't do groupy which is what that is.  I have posted an article from this morning for you since posting things about the other person's choice and supporters seems to be in vogue!  I did not insult you.  I restated what you said in less than glowing terms, but it is what you initially said...........if Paul doesn't win, you will pencil him in anyway.

Comment by Patricia M. McBride on January 25, 2012 at 6:38am

Ron Paul’s Crazy Supporters Heckle Rick Santorum


By Javier Manjarres

Stuart, Florida-Republican Presidential candidate Rick Santorum addressed a crowd of 500, including several of his ever-present ‘fans,’ the Ron Paulinistas. Santorum captivated the crowd by hammering home his case for being most conservative candidate in the Republican field. Max, an immigrant from Rome, Italy, living in Stuart said that he was wholeheartedly supporting Santorum because he felt that Santorum shared the same values as he did. Darlene Fuggata of Hobe Sound echoed what Max said, and went even further to state that Santorum was her clear choice in the race because he was by far the “most substative” and conservative of the four remaining Republican candidates.

To add a little flavor to the event, Ron Paul’s supporters showed exactly why they are pereived as the ignorant, selfish and disrespectful fantatics that they are. Famously, and on queue, Ron Paulinistas disrespect candidates that differ in the slightest way from their ‘Messianic’ and ‘pure’ idol, Congressman Ron Paul. Rick Santorum, like many other candidates, will never be able have an intelligent and substative dialogue with these Paul fanatics.

Santorum said it best when asked about his Ron Paul ‘fanbase,’” Since he is not campaign here(Florida), I guess they have nothing better to do.” Ron Paul is not campaigning in Florida, even as Florida is seen as the state that could very well decide who the Republican nominee will be. Apparently, Paul does not think much about the Florida voting electorate, as he continues to poll last in Florida. Ron Paul finished last in the recent South Carolina primary election. Watch the video.

Comment by Patricia M. McBride on January 25, 2012 at 5:30am

Roma, I am not and will not support Ron Paul.  Nothing you can say will bring that about.  I do and will continue supporting Newt Gingrich, because I believe he is the best man for the job.  I will however support whoever wins the nomination even if he is not my guy.  I want Obama gone and doing what I plan to do should result in Obama being defeated in November.  That is my stance.  What part of that don't you get?

Comment by Patricia M. McBride on January 25, 2012 at 5:26am

I am not being insulting or inhumane Roma, so don't put this on me.  We need to get rid of Obama.  That is our first objective and we need to put someone in the office of the president who will get rid of what he has done or at least begin that process as it will take a long time to weed out all the nut jobs he has placed in our government who agree with every little thing he has done and wants to do.  Anyone who isn't on board for that is part of the problem and not part of the solution.  I plan to vote for the nominee for the republican president which ever man ends up being the person.  This is not the time to decide to be for myself and continue supporting one of the 3 men who will be a loser in their bid for the white house even if it is the man I supported.  I will rally behind the person the majority has chosen because that is what Americans do, and it is what republicans do.  If a person is not capable of that, then, they are not a republican and certainly aren't looking out for the best interests of the country.  That is not an insult or inhumane, it is how it is.  I stopped watching Glenn Beck pretty much although I read some of what he has written, but I allow myself to remain a free thinking person.  Clearly, you are not on board for removing Obama; you have decided if you don't get what you want, you will take your marbles and go home.  I didn't put those words into your mouth, you have clearly stated that in your comments on this blog.  I have just restated what you have already said, so I am not insulting you or being inhumane?

Comment by Patricia M. McBride on January 25, 2012 at 4:58am

And Roma, how old is this???  20 years?  30 years?................quite truthfully, I don't care, because I have seen it before presented by another Paulite, and I already know the words are cut and taken out of the context of what was said and meant.  I would say from his appearance, this is from maybe way back when he was in the congress or pre-speaker period?  You are supposed to be a very smart person.  Please explain to me how you can't understand someone might say something like this and not mean what you think they do as Romney was governor of one of the most liberal states in the country and did what the people of that state wanted.  He tried to do some things that were not as liberal (since he isn't one), but in the end, he followed the lead of the people of the state........................and that is what elected officials are supposed to do.  Gingrich was the most successful speaker of the house ever from where I am sitting.  He completely turned our country around, and he did so working with democrats (as Romney also did) and a democratic president who really was an American and wanted what was best for the country and was actually a person capable of thinking past the nose on his face.  The current resident has no such wishes as everything is all about what HE believes in and the heck with the country.  The Ron Paul movement is pretty much the same thing which is what caused me to remove myself from one group that I belonged to, because I like to think I have a big picture mentality, and as I told my speech professor (who was also in charge of the theatre at our school and at Brown up in Providence), I am not a groupy, never have been a groupy, and never will be a groupy when he told a couple of us we could hang at his office.  I don't swoon over movie stars or politicians.  I will always make decisions based on my beliefs and what I think is best for my country and who would be best for this country, but I am flexible and adaptable.  I will not do as the cult you belong to does and be so blinded that I refuse to do what is best for the country.  The rhetoric I hear from you is that of someone who has a serious problem pretty much like the liberals have a serious problem. 

Comment by Jack on January 24, 2012 at 11:32pm

And who has endorsed Mitt Romney? Non other than the King of the RHINOs, John McCain and oh yeah lets not forget Charley Crist. Need I say more? That pretty much says it all. Hell to win the tri-fecta all he needs now is the endorsement of Sen. Bill Nelson.

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