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President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama are joined by their children Sasha (left) and Malia after the president's speech Thursday at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, N.C.

(The Associated Press)

Some 80,000 people packed into the Denver Broncos' football stadium in 2008 to hear Barack Obama accept the Democratic party's nomination for president.

Sorry Portland: you won't get a similar opportunity in 2016, when the democrats next pick a presidential candidate.

Portland was among about three dozen cities asked whether it was interested in hosting the convention in two years, according to a report Tuesday on CNN.com.

"The city did get asked," Dana Haynes, a spokesman for Mayor Charlie Hales, confirmed in an email. "We declined to host the convention."

Haynes has not responded to questions Tuesday about why Portland isn't interested. This post will be updated if Haynes responds.

One possible reason: money.

It was just two years ago that then-Mayor Sam Adams balked at Portland hosting a Republican presidential candidate debate over costs. Eventual Republican nominee Mitt Romney later pulled out and organizers canceled the event.

Obama's 2012 DNC speech, of course, lacked the luster from the earlier event. Charlotte hosted the president at a 20,000-seat venue.

-- Brad Schmidt