Why Cleveland will host the next GOP Convention

Cleveland and Dallas were announced Wednesday as the two finalists to host the 2016 GOP Convention, and I have no doubt which one of them will come out on top.

It has been said many times but it is worth repeating again: no Republican has ever won the White House without winning Ohio. The Buckeye State may be even more important than ever to the GOP since it was the state that gave America a second term of President Obama. With it's 18 electoral votes, it is the second largest battleground state prize after Florida, and you can bet that winning it will be a top priority for whoever wins the GOP Presidential nomination.

The last time Cleveland hosted a GOP convention was in 1936 when it nominated Alf Landon to run against FDR, and the last time Dallas was the host city was in 1984, when it nominated President Reagan for re-election. Although Texas is much larger than Ohio with 38 electoral votes, it is a reliably Republican state. Having a Republican Convention in Dallas would be like having a Democratic Convention in San Francisco-holding a convention in a state the party can take for granted and would in no way help in winning the White House.

But I believe there are other reasons why the GOP will avoid having their next national gathering in Dallas. Part of it is due to the last Republican President, who by sheer coincidence lives in and has his presidential library in Dallas. Despite former President George W. Bush's approval numbers having increased significantly since he left office, having the convention in his home city might end up reminding voters about his policies and why they disliked his administration in the first place. If the convention was in Dallas, it is a pretty sure thing that Dubya would have to have a speaking slot, since it would be awkward to hold the gathering in his own backyard and not invite him. But if it was in Cleveland, then it would be a lot easier for the party to disinvite him.

But the more significant danger to the GOP in holding their convention in Dallas is that it would run the risk of giving Texas Senator and Tea Party champion Ted Cruz a starring role at the convention. At a time when mainstream Republicans are fighting off against the Tea Party, having the convention in the home state of one of the Tea Party's most recognizable faces is not on their wish list. Giving Cruz a starring role could also run the risk of reminding voters about the government shutdown, something the party would like everyone to forget.

The only way I can see Dallas beating Cleveland in hosting their convention would be if Cleveland was unable to raise the necessary funds in hosting the event. Dallas has a variety of high-net worth GOP donors that would make raising money for the gathering a piece of cake, which has even more significance after Congress passed legislation stripping away public financing of political conventions. But even if that were the case, I think it would be more likely that the party would be willing to go into debt in order to win Ohio-and the White House-once again. 

Voice of Shaggy in "Scooby Doo" Dead at 82

Radio legend and former American Top 40 host Casey Casem died this morning in Washington State at the age of 82. Casem died as the result of complications from Lewy body dementia, a type of dementia that is often associated with Parkinson's disease. His daughter Kerri broke the news this morning on FaceBook.

If you are 30 or younger you probably never heard of Kasey Casem, but chances are you would recognize his voice. From 1969 to 2009 Casem voiced the role of cowardly teenage slacker Norville  "Shaggy" Rogers, the best friend and owner of the beloved canine Scooby-Doo. Together with Fred Jones, Daphne Blake, and Velma Dinkley, Scooby and his gang of five have solved various mysteries as part of the crime solving group Mystery, Inc.

Casem first voiced the role of Shaggy in the popular Hanna Barbara Saturday Morning Cartoon Scooby-Doo: Where Are You (1969-1971) and played the role in subsequent series such as Scooby-Doo and Scrappy Doo (1979-1980), The New Scooby-Doo Mysteries (1983-1984) and A Pup Named Scooby-Doo (1988-1991). Casem's last performance as Shaggy was in the direct-to-video movie Scooby-Doo and the Samurai Sword. 

Just a few weeks ago, Casem was involved in a mystery case himself when he went missing. He was later found at a hospital in Washington State. For a long time now, there has been a huge family fued between Kasem's second wife Jean Casem and his children. Back in October, His oldest children with his first wife Linda Myers claimed that Jean had blocked contact with them for three months. Just a month ago Kerri Casem was granted conservatorship of her father despite Jean's objections.

The voice actor who entertained millions on radio and TV lost his ability to speak when he was diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia. In a statement, Kerri said that even though her father "is in a better place and is no longer suffering, we are heartbroken". If you ever watched Scooby-Doo on Saturday mornings, you probably share that same sentiment.

Schweirtzer comments point to potential run against Hillary

With countless prominent Democrats announcing their endorsement of Hillary Clinton this early in the game, it was a surprise to hear one of them say something negative about the former First Lady.

In an interview with Time Magazine, former Montana Governor and potential 2016 Presidential contender Brian Schwetizer said he would make a better President than Hillary, pointing to her ties to Wall Street and her vote for the Iraq War Resolution as liabilities.

While his candidacy currently has no chance of beating the Clinton machine, his candidacy might cause Hillary some major headaches in the Iowa, a state whose economy relies a lot on agriculture. Not only does Montana also rely heavily on agriculture, but Schweitzer also served in the U.S. Department of Agriculture during the Clinton Administration. So having the chance to pick a candidate who knows a thing or two about agricultural issues might give some Iowans something to think about.

In 2008 Clinton placed third in the Iowa Caucuses against eventual nominee and President Barack Obama and John Edwards. Although Schwetizer doesn't have the starpower that Obama did, beating Hillary in Iowa or coming very close to her in the nation's first presidential contest  would have the potential to destroy the "inevitability" factor for the Democratic nomination that she currently has. So if Schweitzer gets in the game, it's a possibility that the Clintons will have to worry about Iowa all over again.