But the game plan changed again in June, when organizers plucked CarolinaFest 2012 from the racetrack and moved it to downtown Charlotte.

Convention officials pointed to logistical reasons for shifting it closer to official convention venues. Still, the change led to swelling rumors that Democrats were struggling to meet their fundraising goals.

The Charlotte in 2012 Convention Host Committee is the nonprofit arm charged with raising enough money to run the convention, and it has a $36.6 million contract with the DNCC.

For the first time in history, this host committee is operating under a set of strict fundraising rules: It’s not allowed to take money from corporations, PACs or lobbyists, and it can’t accept individual donations of more than $100,000.