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Aerial photo of Cleveland on June 1, 2011. The city is fighting to get either the 2016 Republican or Democratic national conventions -- and should at least best Columbus, unless the city squanders its natural advantage, writes Brent Larkin.

(Thomas Ondrey, The Plain Dealer, File)

If Columbus lands a national political convention for 2016 and Cleveland does not, the likely explanation will be obvious:

Cleveland somehow found a way to squander an enormous advantage.

That’s because this wrestling match for attention between Ohio’s two largest cities is actually a mismatch. As a convention city, Columbus can’t compete with what Cleveland offers. If you live in, say, New Mexico and have to choose between spending four August days in downtown Cleveland or Columbus, 99 percent of the time you’re going to choose Cleveland.

Twenty-five years ago, Cleveland journalism legend Dick Feagler would regularly poke fun of the state capital as “a cow town with a couple of Hyatts.” Or, “To become Ohio’s largest city, Columbus annexed large areas of farmland where cows outnumbered people. Much of the population, when addressed, says ‘Moo.’ “

Feagler was right when he wrote it, but Columbus has since grown up. In many ways, the numbers suggest Cleveland and Columbus are two cities heading in the opposite direction. With more than 800,000 residents, Columbus’ population is now more than double Cleveland’s. Greater Cleveland remains significantly larger than central Ohio, but even that margin is shrinking.

Both cities are seriously pursuing either the Republican or Democratic national conventions in 2016.

Republicans are up first. Detailed proposals were submitted to the GOP last week, so let's let's take a look at how this competition stacks up.

Air service is a key element to any convention bid package. Three markets similar in size to Cleveland and Columbus -- Charlotte, Denver and Minneapolis -- all hosted recent political conventions. It’s no coincidence all three are hubs for major airlines.

The loss of Cleveland’s hub status with United Airlines is a bad blow to the city’s bid. But Cleveland Hopkins International Airport still probably has a few more direct flights to and from big cities than Columbus.

In the number of hotel rooms and quality of a convention arena, it's pretty much a wash. But while both arenas are first rate, Nationwide Arena in Columbus is newer - and a bit nicer - than Cleveland's Quicken Loans Arena.

There the similarities end. In every other key component to landing a convention, Columbus isn’t in the same league.

Cleveland has a vastly superior public transportation system, including rapid transit service from the airport into the heart of downtown.

Both cities have quality convention centers. Cleveland’s is newer. Both have quality restaurants in or near downtown. Cleveland has more of them.

Then there’s the attractions. That’s where this becomes a blowout.

Columbus has a couple places worth visiting. Cleveland has a couple dozen. Downtown offers the largest theater district (Playhouse Square) outside of New York, scenic tours of the lake and river, the Rock Hall, Science Center and a casino. Just minutes away is one of the greatest cultural centers (University Circle) on the planet, the West Side Market and -- like Columbus -- a world-class zoo.

Cleveland’s business and civic leaders seem committed to aggressively pursuing both conventions. Greater Cleveland Partnership President Joe Roman said he is confident of raising the $12 million any successful convention bid requires. And Positively Cleveland CEO David Gilbert said the city meets or exceeds all the Republican requirements for submitting a winning bid.

Cleveland Public Hall was home to the Republican National Convention in 1924 and 1936. Four times since 1974 the city has made a run at hosting a presidential nomination convention, twice advancing to the finalist stage before falling short.

Work on the 2016 bid has been under way since the summer of 2012, when County Executive Ed FitzGerald and Gilbert scouted that year’s Democratic convention in Charlotte.

But anyone who underestimates Columbus does so at their own risk. In Michael Coleman, Columbus has an effective cheerleader mayor who has made attracting a convention one of his highest priorities. By his own admission, cheerleading isn’t Mayor Frank Jackson’s strength. So it’s worth worrying that the political leadership in Columbus might do a far better job of lobbying on their city’s behalf.

Coleman spokesman Dan Williamson is already pitching that every four years Central Ohio now becomes “the center of the political universe.” That’s because no Republican has ever won the White House without carrying Ohio. And no region in the country is more important to a Republican’s chances than the Columbus area.

If the center of the universe argument is an exaggeration, it’s a small one. Outside of fundraising visits to New York, the four major candidates for president and vice president made more campaign visits to central Ohio in 2012 than any other place in the country.

But in terms of its political importance, Greater Cleveland is a very close second to the Columbus area. And for all of Northeast Ohio’s enormous problems, it has so much more to offer as a convention host that the two regions are hardly worthy of mention in the same breath.

If political, civic and business leaders here do their jobs, it’s impossible to imagine either political party choosing Columbus ahead of Cleveland.

While landing a 2016 convention wouldn’t be a game-changer for the city, it’s a prize worth pursuing.

Losing out to Columbus would be humiliating and inexcusable.

Brent Larkin was The Plain Dealer's editorial director from 1991 until his retirement in 2009.