Will Democrats regret holding their convention in North Carolina?

If Democrats chose to hold their national convention in Charlotte, N.C., out of political considerations — as opposed to, say, the lovely weather and great hotels — "they goofed," says Stuart Rothenberg at Roll Call. President Obama narrowly won the Tar Heel State in 2008, but it now looks like a "mess" for Dems: Unemployment is 9.7 percent, the unpopular Gov. Beverly Perdue (D) is not even trying to win re-election, the state Democratic Party's executive director just resigned amid sexual-harassment allegations, and the state is about to show its conservative colors by passing Amendment One, a sweeping constitutional ban on gay marriage and all civil unions. Was choosing Charlotte a miscalculation?

Democrats really blew it: Picking North Carolina "looks like a big mistake in retrospect," says Ed Morrissey at Hot Air. With 2008 seemingly an anomaly, it's doubtful N.C. will be the "swing-state beachhead" Democrats anticipated. And on top of all the problems Rothenberg lists, Democrats are having trouble even raising money for their convention, because Big Labor isn't chipping in due to North Carolina's anti-union "right to work" laws.

"Choosing North Carolina a mistake?"

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

Actually, Charlotte is still a great pick: Don't forget that Obama still leads in the North Carolina polls, says Rob Christensen of The Raleigh News & Observer. The Tar Heel State is more moderate than most Americans think, and while Obama may fail to recreate the magic of 2008, Mitt Romney isn't igniting any sparks here either. If conservatives sit on their hands and Democrats don't, Obama could win — a pretty strong "validation of the Democrats' decision to invest their resources and hold their national convention here."

"North Carolina is a battleground state for 2012"

The Democrats' best hope is the anti-Amendment One crew: Obama's biggest problem in North Carolina is that he lacks the volunteer army he developed in 2008 during his tough primary fight against Hillary Clinton, says D.G. Martin at The Pilot. The solution? Amendment One. Yes, the anti-gay measure will probably pass on May 8, but the opposition is "passionate, well-organized, broad-based, and well-funded." If they shift their energies and focus to the Obama campaign, he might just keep the Tar Heel State blue in November.

"Amendment One to Obama's rescue"