Steve Pitt, chair of Portsmouth Cultural Partnership, described the prospect of being City of Culture as "an opportunity to do something spectacular".
BBC: DJ Rob da Bank backs Portsmouth and Southampton culture bid
But what finally changed Mr Obama's mind is no mystery: it was the imminent fall of Benghazi, the biggest city still in rebel hands, and the prospect of a calamity befalling its 700, 000 or so inhabitants.
Those aghast that a brash antipodean firm should dare to bid for one of the City of London's historic and hallowed institutions may not relish the prospect of a genuine bid.
He got a swish new home in Lenin Prospect, one of the city's grandest addresses.
One of the blacks, Lawrence A. Bell III, was the youngish president of the city council and seemed a good prospect.
The prospect of flattening a Pakistani city made Obama pause.
But all this might dilute the importance of the City of London as a big financial centre, a prospect that troubles the Conservatives.
ECONOMIST: Two views on new banking rules are better than one
And Ms Maguire believes that the prospect of losing her school from the city's education statistics will concentrate the minds of Serco.
Manchester City striker Carlos Tevez said he was relishing the prospect of facing his former club with a trip to Wembley at stake.
But then what would you expect from a city which, frankly, is hardly overwhelmed at the prospect of another chance to have its say at the ballot box.
But others, such as Denise Beauregard, a 53-year-old event planner from the city's Rosedale Park neighborhood, said she was so dismayed by the prospect of an emergency manager that she would put her tax payments into escrow until the manager leaves the city.
Over the past week, the Kansas City Royals have been the subject of several rumors due to their willingness to use prized prospect Wil Myers as a pawn to secure another legitimate and accomplished starting pitcher to compliment Jeremy Guthrie and the recently acquired Ervin Santana.
FORBES: Trading R.A. Dickey could be the Gateway to Greener Pastures for the New York Mets
The Hammers face Chelsea and Manchester City in their next two matches but Grant insisted they will not be daunted by the prospect of facing two of the top four teams in the league.
But an industry that doesn't need too much space, and brings in a lot of money and not too many people, also seems like a good prospect for a city that wants to slow down a bit.
The feeling in Baghdad, despite the news of a new push on April 2nd that brought troops ever closer to the city, is that that prospect is receding.
The worst recession the City has ever known is the result not merely of a slow global economy, falling stockmarkets, or the prospect of war though all play their part.
And it's raising the prospect of an unprecedented standoff next year if she wins November's election and becomes the city's first openly gay and first female mayor.
The prospect of massive rate hikes over the next three years has convinced many residents of New York City that small is not only beautiful but also makes good business sense.
The danger is not simply the prospect one or more of these rogue states' nuclear weapons could be used to destroy an American city - or perhaps an allied capital in the Mideast or Europe.
应用推荐