By Elena Temple-Webb
March 5, 2012

Just days before the Arizona presidential primary, Conference of Mayors Second Vice President Mesa Mayor Scott Smith hosted what some believed to be the last of the GOP Presidential debates on Wednesday, February 22. Jointly hosted by CNN and the Arizona Republican Party, the debate was held at the Mesa Arts Center in downtown Mesa.

Smith commented on what an honor it was for Mesa to host a presidential debate. “Mesa and Arizona will be the focal point of the entire country. This debate is pivotal. This could decide who goes forward,” he told KVOA TV in Tucson.

According to the Arizona Republic, CNN chose Arizona because the state’s issues in many ways mirror those of the country at large. Sam Frist, CNN’s Washington Bureau Chief and Executive Producer for its debate coverage said, “Arizona has had a rough time over the last couple of years,” noting that Arizona has been among the top states for foreclosure. “That makes it a good stage for candidates in a year when voters say their top issues are jobs and the economy.”

While GOP candidates Rick Santorum, Newt Gingrich, Ron Paul and Mitt Romney debated immigration, taxes and the No Child Left Behind education law, an in-depth discussion of domestic policy issues was largely missing from the debate.

Smith who also hosted a debate watch party in downtown Mesa with approximately 1,500 spectators said, “When it comes to the debates overall, there are important issues we have in this country that have not been adequately addressed by the candidates. Specifically, I have not heard the candidates offer any real plan for investing in our aging transportation infrastructure, which is essential for expanding export business and facilitating our nation’s long-term economic growth."

According to the East Valley Tribune, CNN producers praised the arts center as one of the best venues where they’ve hosted a presidential debate and Smith said he was proud of how smoothly the event went. The arts center was chosen from among several other Valley venues, including the Orpheum Theatre in Phoenix, the Phoenix Convention Center, and Arizona State University Gammage auditorium in Tempe.

Smith was pleased that Arizona and Mesa were in the national spotlight. “We’ve got the most beautiful facility, and we’re a very Republican town,” he told the Arizona Republic. “Hosting a GOP presidential debate in Mesa was an amazing experience, from the transformation of the Ikeda Theater in the Mesa Arts Center to the thousands of people celebrating at our ‘Debate on Main’ viewing party, the atmosphere in downtown was something I will never forget.”