GOP Debate Brings Spotlight To Cleveland; Observer Is There

Observer reporter Mike Deneen with MSNBC's Willie Geist.

View Image Gallery

After much anticipation, the first 2016 Republican Presidential Debate came to Cleveland on August 6, 2015 at Quicken Loans Arena. As with most things political, Lakewood residents viewed this event through a partisan lens. Local Republicans hoped it would be a first step toward capturing the White House. Lakewood Democrats saw it as a chance to see media sensation Donald Trump and the 16 other candidates, widely disparaged as “The Clown Car.” There is one point upon which both sides could agree….the event went very well for Cleveland. The city hosted thousands of visitors, and debate protests were peaceful. It was an excellent preview for what everyone hopes will be a successful GOP Convention at “The Q” in summer 2016.

Thanks primarily to Donald Trump, the 9 p.m. primetime portion of the debate was viewed by 24 million people, a record audience for a non-sports cable TV broadcast. The 9 p.m. stage consisted of the top ten candidates in national polls, including Trump, perceived front-runners such as Jeb Bush and Scott Walker, and local favorite John Kasich (Ohio’s Governor). The 5 p.m. debate, which consisted of the seven lowest-polling candidates, pulled 6.1 million viewers, which is also a very strong number by historical standards.

Although the debates began at 5 p.m., there was a full day of activity downtown. National media descended on Cleveland in the early morning, with morning shows such as “Morning Joe” reporting from downtown. Media trucks were lined around “The Q”, and the media filing room was busy by 9 a.m. Downtown had a festive atmosphere during the day, not unlike Indians’ Opening Day or a Cavs playoff game. Clevelanders went to hot spots like East 4th street to seek out celebrities and try to get photos.

“I’m curious to see who’s here from the media,” said Jane Kander George, a Lakewood resident who spent lunchtime on East 4th. MSNBC had a stage set up nearby, with most of its major personalities appearing throughout the day. CNN and many other media outlets were located on Huron Road, while Fox News, the official co-host of the debate, was set up inside the arena. Among the other celebrities that attended the debate were Steven Tyler of Aerosmith and Rick Harrison from “Pawn Stars.”

Like many who gathered downtown, George was anxious to see the debate. “I’m looking forward to seeing what they have to offer,” she said. As with many local residents, Donald Trump and Governor Kasich were of particular interest to her. Tom Jelepis, a former longtime Mayor of Bay Village, was also among the East 4th lunchtime crowd. “My wife Bev and I are longtime political junkies,” he said enthusiastically. Jelepis is thrilled that the debate was held in Cleveland. “It’s just a lot of fun,”he said, “It should be great….democracy at its finest.” Unlike most residents, Jelepis was looking forward to both of the debates, including the 5 p.m. “Happy Hour” debate. “Both debates will be interesting,” he said.

Naturally, not everyone was quite as serious about the debate as Jelepis. Mary Coleman, another local spending lunchtime on East 4th, had a different perspective. “I’m doing some people watching before the comedy show,” she quipped. When asked what she was looking forward to in the debate, she answered, “Donald Trump getting stuck in a wind tunnel.”

The debate took place on an ideal weather day in Cleveland….it was sunny, no rain and not too hot. That, along with the wonderful reception from local residents, made a great impression on the national media. “I’d move here if it was like this every day,” said MSNBC’s Steve Kornacki about the weather. He, like most political media, expects to spend a lot of time in Ohio in 2016. Not only will Cleveland host next year’s GOP Convention, but many political analysts believe that Ohio will determine the general election in November 2016. “The fact that the Republicans  are starting [their debates] here shows its importance,” said Kornacki. Despite Kasich’s modest poll numbers entering the debate, Kornacki thought he’d be a factor. “He’s getting a lot of traction nationally,” he said.

There were over 100 protesters outside the debate, representing a wide range of issues. Among the groups represented were Black Lives Matter, Pro Life Ohioans, Moms Demand Action, and marijuana legalization advocates. Timothy Kelly, a Cleveland resident, was among the pro-life protesters across the street. “I thought it would be appropriate to say to John Kasich that he should support the Heartbeat Bill,” he said.

Lakewood resident Deb Sweeney was among the Democrats that gathered to watch the debate at Market Garden Brewery. The group played a game of “Debate Bingo” where players could win if candidates said certain key phrases. Sweeney, a Hillary Clinton supporter, enjoyed the evening. “It was good entertainment….it was a fun debate, it went a little bit too long. I look forward to the next one.” She expressed confidence that the Democratic candidate would do well against the eventual GOP nominee. However, she and other local Democrats expressed frustration that the Democratic field (particularly Bernie Sanders) is not getting enough national media attention.

Michelle Bashian, a Lakewood Republican, spent the day volunteering at the event. She was one of hundreds who helped to make the debate possible. She liked Trump, and thought all the candidates performed well. “They all did well for themselves,” she said on her way home from the arena.

Whether “blue” or “red” there is one thing Lakewood voters agree on….no one knows how the Trump story will end. Will he be nominated? Will he drop out? Will he run third party? When the GOP returns to Cleveland in summer 2016, we'll have a clearer picture. In the meantime, we don’t know where the story is going, but we expect a fun ride.