Las Vegas' famous Strip. (Las Vegas News Bureau/Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority)
WASHINGTON — The GOP would have faced a mutiny from social and religious conservatives if it had picked Las Vegas for the 2016 convention.
Key leaders on the right warned party chairman Reince Priebus away from Sin City, as we reported last month.
As if that pressure wasn’t enough, the Nevada Republican Party invited even more a few weeks later, when it dropped rejection of same-sex marriage and abortion rights from its platform. Evangelicals were appalled.
Vegas host committee leaders sought to save face Thursday by saying they voluntarily withdrew from the competition, citing not the image issues but concerns about scheduling and preparing the city’s massive convention center. Whatever the true reasons, the right was thrilled.
“We are pleased to learn today that Las Vegas has withdrawn its bid to become a host city — a decision that comes only weeks after the state party ignited a party-wide firestorm by stripping pro-life and pro-natural marriage language from its state platform,” said Tony Perkins, president of Family Research Council.
“After two failed presidential cycles, the GOP can’t afford to jettison the planks of life and marriage, which would only alienate a segment of voters which is the difference between victory and defeat,” he said.