Posted on 09/27/2006 5:29:46 PM PDT by indcons
ST. PAUL, Minn. - The state perhaps best known as the political province of Democrats Hubert H. Humphrey Jr., Walter Mondale and Paul Wellstone has a new calling card: host of the 2008 Republican National Convention.
A bipartisan crowd of party activists, local officials and business leaders erupted into cheers when official word came down Wednesday at St. Paul's Xcel Energy Center. The Twin Cities beat out three other contenders to host the four-day event starting on Labor Day 2008.
Even the Democratic mayors of Minneapolis and St. Paul celebrated, although it meant their cities are out of the running for the 2008 Democratic National Convention.
"I like to party whether it's a Republican or Democratic one, and we're going to have a good one right here," Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak said.
His counterpart, St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman, added: "This is about civic building. This is not about politics."
Political observers said the event will bring unprecedented national media attention and update the nation's image of Minnesota as a Midwestern enclave for Democrats. That's changed with the boom of fast-growing, Republican-leaning suburbs around the Twin Cities.
"It's a huge coup for Republicans throughout the Upper Midwest," said Tom Horner, a GOP political consultant in Minneapolis.
Together with the neighboring swing states of Iowa and Wisconsin, Minnesota will anchor a political event that hasn't happened in the Upper Midwest since the Democrats met in Chicago in 1996. Republicans held their last convention in the region 26 years ago in Detroit.
Minnesota has a nation-leading streak of picking Democrats for president, including a lonely vote for Mondale when he was routed in 1984 by Ronald Reagan. The last Republican to carry the state's presidential vote was Richard Nixon in 1972.
But the state has become as purple as a Minnesota Vikings jersey in recent election cycles.
"Hubert Humphrey died, what, 28 years ago. That's an eternity in politics," said Steven Schier, a political scientist at Carleton College in Northfield, Minn. "Our stereotype is that we're cold and liberal and Democratic, and we're still cold."
The convention doesn't come cheap. Coleman, the St. Paul mayor, said they aim to raise $45 million from private donors, but he sidestepped questions about the total cost and any commitment of public dollars.
GOP delegates and other convention-goers are expected to occupy 20,000 rooms in 100 hotels within a 25-minute drive of Xcel, said Greg Ortale of the Greater Minneapolis Convention and Visitors Association.
The area has more than 35,000 hotel rooms, according to data prepared to promote the cities' bid. The convention's Labor Day start would overlap by one day the traditional last day of the Minnesota State Fair.
"We're going to roll out the red carpet here," said Larry Dowell of the St. Paul Area Chamber of Commerce. "I'd say it's a crown gem for St. Paul. I don't think there's any convention that is more prized than a political convention."
The state's businesses are likely to chip in cash and throw parties, provide hotel rooms and shuttles, donate food and even make sure there are enough portable toilets, said Charlie Weaver, head of the Minnesota Business Partnership and GOP Gov. Tim Pawlenty's former chief of staff.
Weaver said the long-term benefits to the state could be "extraordinary."
"This is bigger than anything other than maybe an Olympics," he said. "It's the only thing that captures the attention of the nation for four to five consecutive nights prime time."
Sen. Norm Coleman, a Republican and former St. Paul mayor, said that when Xcel Energy Center was built, he dreamed of one day bringing a Stanley Cup to the arena. He credited the two-city, bipartisan bid and the battleground location with helping the Twin Cities win the convention.
"One of the things that we said when he made the pitch is, you've got Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa as battleground states - the heartland of America," Coleman said. "Whoever wins those states is going to be the next president of the United States."
GOP officials picked the Twin Cities over New York City, Cleveland and Tampa-St. Petersburg, Fla. Democrats responded by dropping Minneapolis-St. Paul from their short list, which now is down to Denver and New York City.
It will be the first national convention in Minnesota since 1892, when the GOP backed President Benjamin Harrison's unsuccessful quest for a second term.
Saint Louis would have been the logical option. But I'm not complaining. Minneapolis is only 4 hours away from Green Bay.
Well, they held their last convention in MASS. Following their pattern of choosing to avoid conflict, does this mean they'll now choose NYC?
If they were smart they'd pick Denver.
I won't be too surprized if in 2008 that Minnesota goes RED. I believe that the Republican candidate will run on the border issue among other things and that will cause many many Democrats to jump ship they will vote for this candidate perhaps the only Republican they case a vote for and vote Demonrat for the rest of the ballot.
I wish we'd get back to being the blue party. That map from 2000 has been ingrained too much imho.
Speaking strictly for myself I am just as happy they decided against my town. I love them and all that, but we can barely handle traffic on a normal day, let alone a week of what that convention would bring to us.
Right on. Red is for Commie 'Rats. I am a proud BLUE Republican.
Just saw Al Franken on the Daily show.
He is deeply saddened by the news.
Ummm, not a particularly good record, really. Take the last five elections:
Eagles up...
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