TU: Debate putting Jacksonville in country's spotlight

[Patricia M. McBride]

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

By Steve Patterson January 23, 2012 - 12:03am

Debate putting Jacksonville in country's spotlight

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.’ ”

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

[Jack]

Patricia, I do however think that it's funny that all of the Ron Paul supporters keep attacking Newt and calling him a progressive and saying that he is not a true conservative when Ron Paul himself pretty much endorsed him on stage last night. Just about everybody in fact has endorsed him, Ron Paul, Rick Perry, Herman Cain, Sarah Palin, hell even Chuck Norris has endorsed him (lol). Most of these people are Tea Party supporters. Newt himself is a very vocal Tea Party supporter and has been from the very beginning. As for Newts baggage, I don't care how many wives he has had. I don't want to marry him, I want to elect him and his personal life is really none of my business and none of my concern. As for Ron Paul, I do not agree with very much of his foreign policy and I think that his fanatical almost cult like followers are doing him a disservice. Their radical loyalty is so somewhat excessive and probably chases more potential voters away than it draws in.

[Patricia M. McBride]

One wonders Jack if that will end up being what it is.  I also have a great deal of heart burn over the foreign policy Paul talks about, and I feel it leaves our allies in even worse straights than they are with Obama if that can be imagined.  And yes, Newt is the smartest guy in the room, and he isn't perfect and never was.  He is, however, a darn sight better than what we have now baggage and all :).  He is not a young man anymore either and is a grandfather who has the same concerns as all the other grandmothers and grandfathers in our country who are afraid for those children and what Obama will do to their futures.  The hopes and plans everyone has for those children will be eliminated if we do not get Obama out and change the change back and make it better and cut the federal government, and I have such hope that one of the 4 men running can do that even if he isn't the man I support, and he doesn't get the whole job done in the first 4 years, so people will regain their pride in their country and in themselves for being Americans and people will get back to work and we will heal from this horrid experience of the last 3 plus years.

[Jack]

Patricia, you are beating a dead horse. This site has been ambushed by the Ron Paul cult family. I agree with you 100% but there are those on here with such a narrow minded view of things that you can never get through to them. You and I are quickly becoming the minority on here. I too like Newt, even though I was originally rooting for Herman Cain, I was actually hoping for a Cain/Gingrich ticket. Like you I would also vote for Paul if he were to get the nomination but his supporters do not have the ability to think logically. Also like you, if I absolutely have to vote for Romney in the general election I will but I will have to hold my nose just like I did when I had to vote for McCain. Newt has had a long career and he has made plenty of mistakes along the way. I do not agree with him on everything but I do believe that he is the smartest one left and I believe he is the only one left with the gonads to stand up to Obama and the washington establishment. Yes there are a lot of spineless RHINOs in washington but Newt isn't one of them. Even Ron Paul said in last nights debate that he agrees with Newt on everything except foreign policy which is what I dissagree with Ron Paul on. So if even Ron Paul likes Newt then Newt can't be that bad can he? Hell I would even vote for a Gingrich/Paul ticket. Now wouldn't that make Obama and the Washington establishment piss their pants?........................and it would sure be fun to watch....lol 

[Patricia M. McBride]

These 3 clowns as you call them are also well thought of by other people, and truthfully, I like Newt Gingrich; however, unlike you if Ron Paul got the nomination, even though I think he is a nut job, I would vote for him, because all 4 of the people running are far better than what we have now including the guy you like and even Romney who many people don't like very much.  I self respect will not be damaged one little bit, because one of these fine men must win the white house back or we all lose our freedom and our country to the lunatic in the white house now.  I can't and will never be able to understand anyone who supports their candidate and participates in the process but then, says if my guy doesn't get the nomination, I will still vote for him even though he lost and someone else won the majority of the votes.  In a way, it isn't any better than Obama running our country for the benefit of the minority as he has done for the last 3 years while pushing his class warfare over and over and over trying to brainwash people into his way of thinking and for some at least it is working.  I had someone on one of my walk lists that was not concerned about jobs or the economy.  She was concerned about greed and making people pay their fair share without even realizing she expected to benefit from someone else's property being taken from them and was the one who was greedy.  It is the same mentality.  I don't dislike you guys, but you are in your own world and certainly, does not equate to where the rest of us are who want this man out of the white house period and will vote for the man who get the most votes at the republican primary even if it isn't the person we supported orginally...............and I guess all but one of the candidates will throw their support behing the winner...................but Paul will have a Charlie Crist moment!

[Patricia M. McBride]

Sorry Roma, but people who will not vote for the repubican candidate are throwing our country under the bus and giving Obama the election which in essense means you might as well vote for Obama if you make it possible through your actions for him to win a second term.  Don't feel sorry for me in the least, I will have a clear conscience and you can tell your grandchildren instead of accepting the choice of the majority of people, you chose to play a child's game and write in a name of someone you knew could not possibly win instead because when the majority did not choose your candidate, you decided to take your marbles and go home.

[Patricia M. McBride]

But by saying your stand is more important than getting rid of a total disaster president and biding your time, you are throwing your country under the bus and had better consider where you want to live in the future, because this country won't be a place anyone wants to live in, and by your action, you have aided and abetted the enemy.

[Patricia M. McBride]

I won't do that.  First and foremost I want Obama out, but I will work very hard to get people who have not been engaged, engaged and active!  By the next presidential election after this one, we who are engaged must get as many people awake and aware as we can and both political parties have to know that they do not run things.................the people do!

[Patricia M. McBride]

I am beginning to see a pattern that is not unlike what democrats do.  I am not wholly sure, but I think having people become engaged may not be what is wanted by either party as they have both been doing whatever they wanted for so long, I believe they want that to continue.  However, I think if they do not change their ways, both parties are going to find themselves having more problems than just a few "awake" Americans trying to reclaim control over their country, how much foolishness we will accept when it comes to our rights and freedoms, and who represents them!