10 Cities Poised For Greatness In 2012

Charlotte, N.C.
Obama, however, totally rode the Democratic National Convention in Denver to not only a win in Colorado, but to the White House. North Carolina's vote was one of the pleasant surprises along the way, and what better way to reward the city than with a convention of its very own during the week of Sept. 3.

If the president's looking for a feel-good story here, though, he probably shouldn't tread too far beyond the doors of Time Warner Cable (TWC) Arena. Charlotte area unemployment sits well above the national average at roughly 10% as joblessness in North Carolina in general sits at 9.5%.

That's a tight spot for a Democratic president to be in, especially in a city so far into NASCAR country that it's the home of both NASCAR and its hall of fame. Picking the home of Bank of America (BAC) for a convention will only make the city one-stop shopping for Occupy and other protesters. If you're a delegate or political junkie who knows his or her way around crowd nets and tear-gas canisters, however, it's not a bad place to pick up some barbecue, fresh-from-Asheville craft beer and a little bit of sleep between events.

Charlotte's counting on it and estimates of $150 million in revenue from more than 35,000 delegates and visitors.

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