Once again, the nation has overlooked the city of New Orleans.
This time it was the Commission on Presidential Debates that added insult to injury when it rejected New Orleans as a site for one of three 2008 presidential election debates.
The commission’s decision not to hold a debate in New Orleans may have shocked some people, but we were not surprised. We were, however, surprised at the specious reasoning offered by the members of the selection committee.
New Orleans, according to the commission, has not adequately recovered from the devastation of Hurricane Katrina to host such an important and grandiose event.
How can the commission accuse New Orleans of not being prepared when Oxford, Miss., one of the cities chosen over New Orleans to host the debate, severely lacks the minimum number of hotel rooms required by the commission?
Just two weeks ago, New Orleans successfully hosted the State Farm Bayou Classic football game, which attracted more than 200,000 guests. This number far overshadows the attendance expected for the debate, which would attract only about 3,000 national and international journalists.
Not only is the city capable of hosting such large events as the Bayou Classic, but it also holds the bragging rights of hosting the upcoming Nokia Sugar Bowl, BCS Football Championship, Mardi Gras and the NBA All-Star game – four events that will attract hundreds of thousands of people, more than any debate ever could.
Seven presidential candidates named New Orleans as a favorite location to hold the debate: Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, John Edwards, Chris Dodd, Joe Biden, John McCain and Sam Brownback. These candidates submitted letters to the commission stating that New Orleans was an ideal location.
The presidential candidates, along with four local universities – Loyola, Tulane, Dillard and Xavier – took forceful measures to rally national support for the debate, including gathering endorsements from such prominent newspapers as The New York Times, USA Today and The Washington Post.
New Orleans is afflicted with many of the problems topping presidential candidates’ domestic agendas; from a sub-par public education system to a rapidly rising crime rate, from a growing healthcare crisis to race inequality. Why not put these issues into perspective by using New Orleans as a backdrop?
The commission’s decision was a reminder of the attitude of rejection and neglect adopted by the federal government following Katrina.
Without large-scale events like the debate that can bring attention from high profile politicians and media outlets, New Orleans can never gain the national support it needs to fully recover.
We urge people to show the Commission on Presidential Debates and the rest of the country that we have faith in the recovery of our city, and that when sites of future notable events are chosen, New Orleans is and will continue to be a major player.
