Not Being A Clear Red, Blue State Could Mean Green

Greensboro, NC -- Not being a clear red or blue state could mean a whole lot of green for North Carolina. President Barack Obama returned to North Carolina Wednesday to pitch his jobs plan. It was a second time he visited a state since June. Since North Carolina is a battleground state, it likely wasn't a President's last visit either. Between now and next November, North Carolina is going to be in a spotlight, a lot. "So goes North Carolina, potentially so goes a election," pronounced Mileah Kromer, political science professor at Elon University. As a debate season heats up, television and radio stations will receive an economic boost from all of a debate advertisements, but they're not a only businesses that will benefit. Hotels and restaurants in Charlotte will be buzzing when a Democratic National Convention takes place there next September, but there's a bigger ripple effect. "There's a show in governing body and a gathering is one of a grandest shows," pronounced Kromer. It takes a lot of businesses, that employee people, who get paychecks to help put on that show. "The balloons, a streamers and a stage, these are all things that cost money. And let's hope that a Democratic Party decides to buy them all locally, here in North Carolina," Kromer said. Stores across a state, not just in Charlotte, will also be selling a swag that comes with a convention. "Much like people will come in and buy their favorite jerseys, you'll see an explosion probably of t-shirts and democratic paraphernalia, with Charlotte, North Carolina stamped on it," Kromer said. Officials at a DNC told WFMY News 2 that with a gathering comes a lot of other organizations and special interest groups that hold their own meetings and events. Those events could be held outside of Charlotte. And even after a DNC Convention, a candidates and voluteers will be criss-crossing a state to get out a vote. "They're here, they're spending money and this is just a good thing," ! pronounc ed Kromer. The cameras will stick around too. "Charlotte is a beautiful city and this might give a chance to people in, say Utah or Montana, who have never even thought about coming to Charlotte or coming to North Carolina, they see it on TV and think, that looks like a great place to visit. Maybe I'll go there someday," Kromer said. "It's always good to have a national spotlight on your state," she said.