The Rocky Mountain News reports that Denver has taken the lead in informal website polls on which city should host the Democratic National Convention.

At noon Tuesday, 41 percent of respondents in the unscientific poll favored Denver, 33 percent favored New Orleans, 15 percent backed Minneapolis-St. Paul and 6 percent supported New York. As word of the finalists spread late Tuesday, Denver’s poll number increased to 51 percent.”The Web has come into play,” [City Councilwoman Elbra ]Wedgeworth said.

It’s not just about revenue. As Steve Farber, who co-chairs the Committee working to bring the convention to Denver points out:

“….a Denver convention aims not only at nudging a red state into the blue column but also at pushing a whole region in that direction. “This is the West’s Democratic convention,” he said. “For Democrats to win, they have to start focusing on the West.”

If you want to weigh in on the convention site, Daily Kos provides an opportunity that the DNC may take into account. You can also add your thoughts in the comment section. Right now, Minneapolis is leading on the site.

If you need more reasons to vote for Denver, Diane Carman at the Denver Post has several.

We also have more tamale kitchens, taquerias and big-burrito joints than the other three convention contenders combined, providing unlimited photo ops for candidates who want to get ethnic with the hot, sought-after Latino vote.

And with local Democratic icons former Gov. Dick Lamm, former Mayor Federico Peña and Sen. Ken Salazar weighing in variously on immigration, we’ve got every side of that issue covered.

The Pols should feel at home here too. Carman writes:

Forget windsurfing; John Kerry can appeal to the Gen-X voters by kayaking through Confluence Park. Al Gore will find it’s easy being green with Rep. Mark Udall. Barack Obama can shoot hoops with former Mayor Wellington Webb and Carmelo Anthony. And Hillary Clinton can take a meeting with James Dobson to solidify her born-again conservative street cred.

Consider me sold on the idea. The News also posts some interesting statistics for Denver:

Population*……556,835

Median age*……34.1

Average family size*……3.33

Life quality ranking**……10th (T)

Best places to have a baby***……5th

State and local taxes***……$5,535

Mothers who smoked during pregnancy****……7%

Household income*****……$43,978