The Republican National Convention... the county's goal!

Cleveland advances in competition to host Republican presidential convention in 2016

Congratulations Cleveland! You made the cut and are off to the next round. I'm sure the 25 republicans that call you home are so excited to know that there will be 5,060,453% more of their political ilk in the city in 2016, if you win... I mean when you win!

Oh and Columbus... Suck it losers! Sorry, it's a blog. I had to bad mouth something.

I actually went on Google images and looked for a picture to put on here for "Columbus sucks". Didn't find any. Not a one. Found a bunch for Ohio and Ohio State but no Columbus. I did find this one though which made me giggle...

Why aren't there any "Columbus sucks" pictures? I bet if I was to look up "Cleveland sucks" I could scroll through images until I passed out. Is it because Columbus only has 1 major sports franchise? Possibly. Is it because the Scioto River never caught fire? Maybe. Is it because if you ask anyone who lives in Columbus if they have a bad thing to say about the city they'd say no and then annoy the piss out of you with an almost Canadian barrage of civic pride? More than likely.

So what's to be done to fix the image of Cleveland? I see 3 approaches that you'd think would work like tumbling dominoes... but they aren't for some reason.

1. Change the mind of Ohioans - Ohioans as a group seem to me to be set in their ways. Hundreds of years of history have painted a picture that you can't change in the matter of a few years. We are torn between the farmlands, the suburbs, and the cities. The country life, the suburban bliss, and the urban experience. Our cities, towns, and townships are our homes and fortresses. We want to pick and choose who are in them and never venture too far out of them. The moniker of Ohio as a political battleground state is oh so true when you strive for progress. We see differences in opinion as something that isn't to be discussed but as something to be closely guarded and defended at all costs. As the rift between class, race, political affiliation, and religion divide us we are crumbling under the weight of our pride. Cleveland, the once great giant, has lost it's identity in the state of Ohio. It seems as if everyone has an opinion on why but the fact is that the further you subdivide the many cultures of Ohio you see that they are all moving in a different direction. This bogs down progress in the mud of debate. Until the city government of Cleveland, the Cuyahoga county government, and the state government in Columbus start to work together for the betterment of all of our big cities equally we will continue to lose business, population, and face. So as an Ohioan, the next time someone puts down Cleveland don't put your chin to your chest and take it! Fight for a city in your state and change someone's mind. Make them say "Really?".
2. Change the mind of Americans - River fires, heartbreaking sports teams, race riots, bankruptcy, crime, corruption, and the housing crisis all are part of the lore of Cleveland. Just ask anyone in American. These events define us as a city... but that's not all. In my lifetime the City of Cleveland has made strives to paint over the graffiti of our past. Stadiums, the arts, healthcare, environmental impact, and safety make up just a part of this city's renascence over the past 20 years. Like a phoenix, this city has made the effort to rise from the burning river to better itself and make itself more inviting to residents, tourist, and businesses. Infrastructure improvements are at an all time high in the city but this isn't field of dreams. It's a snowy depressed wasteland... but there is hope. It snows just as much here as Chicago, New York, and Boston. We have a waterfront on both a lake and a river just like those cities and others. We have professional sports teams, 4 star restaurants, and the arts just like big cities. We have universities, hospitals, casinos, and mass transit just like big cities. We have a history filled with triumph as well as defeat just like those cities. We are the status quo! So what's the issue? It's strange to see it all laid out like this. In the 24 hour news cycle that we have it's easy to point out the flaws and publicize them for America to see. So why is it that people continue to visit New York after the events of 9/11? Why do people feel it's safe to visit Boston after the marathon bombing? I just laid out how it's fair to make a comparison between Cleveland and those cities but for some reason we can't shake our mistakes. Cuyahoga county is making a play for the Republican National Convention to do just that. The county is desperate to show off what Cleveland has become just like the Great Lakes expo did in 1936 and 1937. Bring people into the city and show them what they are missing. Celebrate what the American dream is all about. Remind people that although there have been bumps along the way this city picks itself up, grows a callous, and pushes ahead.
3. Change the mind of Cuyahoga residents - Oh boy... how is it that it's easier to change the mind of people who have never stepped foot in Cleveland than it is to change the mind of people who visit here every day. Why is it that when a new building goes up and new jobs are created people can pick it apart down to its smallest least significant part. Everyone has an opinion about what's going on in Cleveland. Few have solutions. Well let's get uncomfortable shall we... white flight. It's scar on this city is deep and throughout the 60's and 70's it destroyed the population of Cleveland. Inner-ring suburbs grew with fearful citizens and then after a decade or so outer-ring suburbs grew with even more fearful people trying to distance themselves from their stereotypes and bigotry. The highways that cut this county into pieces granted suburbanites quick and safe passage to and from their jobs in Cleveland. Architectural masterpieces were laid to ruin, Playhouse Square was almost destroyed, and progress seemed to grind to a halt. For years the city was left to rot with a declining population and for what? Fear?! Unbelievable. Now thankfully that scar is starting to heal and we are all better for it. Now, however, we see a new flight... Family flight. Urban areas are no place to raise a family. The crime, poor schools, and lack of a decent sized back yard have families running for the already established outer-county suburbs. Millennials are the new baby boomers of our generation. They are the target group and the future of urban survival... but once they have kids they're off to greener pastures. I can sympathize with this idea but George Carlin said it best when he called it "Child worship". Soccer mom's, PTA parents, implanted GPS microchips, and play dates are almost to the point where we would prefer see our children in a bubble safe from the world. We forget the fire that tempered us into the people we are today. Some get it though... you probably call them hipsters. Hell I call them hipsters. The bearded, biking, urban neo-pioneers are the leaders of the group of people trying to better where they are. Sure they're different and almost exclusionary but they have the same hippie spirit that changed the previous generation. They have the power to bring people into areas once thought too dangerous or run down or off limits. They see the potential in low taxes, low property values and rent, and close proximity to the entertainment they enjoy. They see the financial benefit in thrift shopping, bike riding, and community gardens. They love vintage from buildings to clothing to way of life. There is hope. The Cuyahoga county of tomorrow needs to shed its fear and its politics in order to achieve a better life for all of us. We need to see the city not just as a place to go to see a game but as a place to live and work. Clevelanders are your brothers in this Cuyahoga family.