Charlotte NC Lands 2012 Dem Convention

Charlotte, North Carolina, the "Queen City Of The South," has been chosen to host the Democratic 2012 presidential convention. Charlotte had vied against St. Louis, Minneapolis-St.Paul, and Cleveland. Analysts say the city is a good fit for the Obama voter profile.

It also should be no surprise that, demographically, the city is well represented with the voters who made up the coalition that propelled Obama to victory in 2008: 33% of its residents are black, 11% are Hispanic, nearly 40% have a bachelor's degree (the national average is 27.5%), and its median age is 33.2 years (the national average is 36.5). For the whole state, 21% of the residents are black, 7% are Hispanic, nearly 26% have a bachelor's degree, and its median age is 36.6. But Charlotte also has potential drawbacks for Obama and the Democrats. For one thing, the city is closely associated with Bank of America, a recipient of the federal government's bank bailout. The bank's corporate headquarters are located in the city, and the Carolina Panthers' football stadium is named Bank of America Stadium.

The Republican convention will take place in Tampa. Two southern cities, interesting.