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Denver and Kansas City have been officially eliminated from the race to hold the 2016 Republican National Convention - leaving just two cities, Cleveland and Dallas, vying for the top spot.

Not everyone was enthusiastic about the remaining possibilities. The reaction on Twitter was as sarcastic as it was swift:

i'd rather be lit on fire and pushed into traffic while listening to Nickelback than go to Dallas in the summer. - john r stanton (@dcbigjohn) June 25, 2014

"Oh good, more time in Ohio," said no campaign reporters after today's announcement. - Garrett Haake (@GarrettHaake) June 25, 2014

ABC News did a slightly more objective comparison of the attributes of the two cities. Here's what we came up with:

Swinginess:

Deep in the heart of a deep-red state, Dallas is far from an election battleground. Cleveland, on the other hand, teeters on the edge of the "ultimate swing state" - and hosting the convention there could tip the scales in the GOP's favor, as Mitt Romney lost Ohio's 18 electoral votes by just 3 percentage points in 2012 while he won Texas' 38 votes by more than 15 points.

But because it's located in a swing state, Cleveland is also in the running to host the 2016 Democratic National Convention - and, presumably, it won't get both. Besides, the Cleveland host committee has reportedly raised only $25 million to Dallas' $45 million.

Size:

Dallas, the ninth most populous city in the country, clearly outranks Cleveland (48th) when it comes to population. But Cleveland's Quicken Loans Arena, which seats more than 20,500, certainly rivals Dallas' American Airlines Center, which seats nearly 20,000.

Temp:

The prospect of vising Texas in July, when average temps hover around 96 degrees, puts a damper on Dallas fans' enthusiasm. Cleveland's average July temp is a much more palatable 83.

Dining:

Both cities boast an impressive array of dining options: Cleveland has Lola, a bistro run by Iron Chef Michael Symon - but Dallas has Five Sixty by Wolfgang Puck, a revolving restaurant atop the skyline-defining Reunion Tower. Dallas probably beats Cleveland when it comes to barbeque and Tex-Mex - but Cleveland likely wins at hot dogs.

Attractions:

One big point in Dallas' favor, especially for a group of political junkies, is the recently opened George W. Bush Presidential Library, which includes a display of the 43rd president's post-White House paintings. But can the library compare to the glitz of Cleveland's Rock & Roll Hall of Fame?

Track Record:

If you base your decision on track record, Big D is the clear winner. Cleveland last hosted the RNC in 1936, when the party nominated Alf Landon. (Spoiler: Landon lost to FDR.) Dallas, on the other hand, last hosted in 1984, the year then-incumbent President Ronald Regan defeated Walter Mondale.