The Republican National Committee site selection committee announced Tuesday it would recommend Cleveland to host the 2016 Republican National convention. The recommendation means Cleveland will very likely be the host of the convention pending negotiations with the city.
"A Cleveland convention offers our party a great steppingstone to the White House in 2016, and I'm encouraged by the committee's recommendation," RNC chairman Reince Priebus said. "The team from Cleveland has gone above and beyond the call of duty and I think they're representative of a city eager to show the country all the fantastic things they have to offer."
Here are 21 reasons why Cleveland was a great choice:
1. Ohio is a swing state and important one: Every year since 1980 the candidate who has won the endorsement of the Cleveland Plain Dealer has won both Ohio and the presidency.
2. Lake Erie has tons of beautiful beaches within the Cleveland metro area and within driving distance of the city (Yes, it is safe to swim in them).
3. Museums at University Circle: The Cleveland Museum of Art (one of the best in the United States), the Natural History Museum, the Institute of Music, and Cleveland Orchestra are located conveniently together on Cleveland's East Side.
4. Playhouse Square, at the heart of Cleveland's theater district, is the second largest district after New York's Lincoln Center.
5. Dating back to 1840, the West Side Market is a historic open air marketplace full of delicious ethnic foods located near Cleveland's downtown.
6. Cleveland invented "rock and roll" AND has an entire museum dedicated to it. Cleveland disc jockey Alan Freed counted the term "rock and roll." The first rock and roll concert the "Moondog Coronation Ball" was held in Cleveland.
7. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is located on the shores of Lake Erie in downtown Cleveland.
8. And right next to the Rock Hall is the Great Lakes Science Center full of amazing science exhibits, and I-Max theater, and occasional nighttime activities.
9. Hippies? Cleveland has got them. Coventry Village in Cleveland suburb Cleveland Heights is associated with Cleveland's creative class.
10. It's got a casino in the heart of downtown! Cleveland's Horseshoe Casino is located right across the street from where the RNC would be held.
11. The Cleveland Clinic is one of the best hospitals in both the United States and the world and its facilities encompass large swathes of downtown and the suburbs.
12. Cleveland has amazing parks. The Cleveland Metropark spans 21,000 acres across the metropolitan area and is fun for biking, exercising, archery, and other activities.
13. There's a great zoo. Cleveland has an amazing zoo just south of downtown Cleveland. The zoo often has nighttime activities and is a great place for kids.
14. All from Cleveland:
(Superman was created in Cleveland by Joe Shuster and Jerry Siegel.)