Charlotte Wins Bid for 2012 Democratic National Convention ... LOL!

Today, those of us who live in Charlotte got a taste of what it would be like if the Carolina Panthers would happen to win the Super Bowl, and said Super Bowl happened to have been played in Charlotte. Okay, I'm exaggerating, but there are a lot of people celebrating in and around this city after news came this morning that Charlotte had won the bid to host the Democratic National Convention in 2012.

I won't write about that news here right now because all the other media outlets--near and far--are doing a great job reporting on how the decision was made and what we can expect--everything from hundreds of millions of dollars pumped into the local economy to never-experienced-before heightened security when the convention comes to Charlotte the week of September 3rd, 2012. The Charlotte Observer did an excellent job with its news coverage throughout the day. By noon, its website had several links on the homepage. You can read much of that news coverage by clicking here.

You can read First Lady Michelle Obama's lovely letter announcing Charlotte as the host city, and praising our "southern charm, warm hospitality, and an 'up by the bootstraps' mentality," by clicking here.

You can keep up with future developments by visiting the Charlotte In 2012 organizing committee's website at charlottein2012.com, which also links to their Facebook and Twitter pages.

Photo from facebook.com/barackobama.

Now here's the funny part.

I've been reading news stories online throughout the day about Charlotte landing the Democratic National Convention. And after reading all of the proficient and in-depth reporting, I stumbled across a hilarious blog post on Complex.com, the frequently updated website of Complex Magazine. It's titled "Congratulations Charlotte! 5 Things You (Probably) Didn't Know About the Host City of the 2012 Democratic Convention." According to writer Jack Erwin, those five things are:

1. "Charlotte" also refers to the name of a haircut.
2. Charlotte loves Bojangles.
3. Charlotte hates GWAR.
4. Juwanna Mann and Shallow Hal were both set in Charlotte.
5. Charlotte is the birthplace of Billy Graham and both K-Ci and Jo-Jo, and was also the one-time home of Carson McCullers.

But you have to read the article yourself to see how Erwin explains each point (along with a couple of amusing photos). Click here.

Now I hope none of my fellow Charlotteans gets angered by Erwin's remarks. I found them funny (and we do love our Bojangles'). And anyone who reads Grown People Talking knows how huge of a supporter of Charlotte I am. Besides, stuff like this reminds us to be proud, but to not take ourselves too seriously. Just like we shouldn't take anyone seriously who doesn't recognize that having the DNC come to Charlotte is good for the entire city and its residents, regardless of party affiliation or political views (so ignore the "anonymous" commenters on news websites and blogs).

Cheers to 2012!