According to Drudge, GOP sources are saying that Minneapolis-St. Paul will be the site of the 2008 Republican convention.
Update: Here’s the AP report:
Republicans have chosen the Twin Cities of Minneapolis-St. Paul _ in the politically pivotal Midwest _ for the 2008 presidential convention, GOP officials said Wednesday.
The selection was expected to be announced later in the day, said the Republican officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity. The convention is slated for Sept. 1-4.
Losing out were New York City, Cleveland and a joint bid from Tampa and St. Petersburg, Fla., other cities that had sought the convention.
The four-day event will be held at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn., home of the National Hockey League’s Minnesota Wild.
By choosing the Twin Cities for 2008, the GOP will ensure plenty of news converge in media markets in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa _ all battleground states in the 2004 election and ones expected to be competitive in the next presidential race.
Minnesota had been seen by some as an unlikely host, with just 10 electoral votes and the nation’s longest streak of voting for Democratic presidential candidates.
In 2004, Democrat John Kerry won the state 51 percent to 48 percent. The last Republican to win a presidential race in the state was Richard Nixon in 1972 and the last national convention happened in when the GOP backed President Benjamin Harrison in an unsuccessful re-election bid.
But Minnesota’s national image as a traditional Democratic bastion has become outdated and the state was a hard-fought battleground in 2004 and 2000. Republicans hope to court voters in a region Republican and Democratic strategists alike say will play a critical role in winning the White House in 2008.
The Twin Cities, located along the Mississippi River, also are in the running for the 2008 Democratic convention. Democrats plan to hold their convention Aug. 25-28.
Update: Captain Ed is pretty jazzed about the whole thing:
This is a smart move, and not just because it will take place about 20 minutes from my house. Minnesota has been turning purple for the last few elections, and our neighbor Wisconsin even more so. This selection will motivate the state GOP even more than before and will have an impact throughout the entire Upper Midwest. Iowa barely went to the GOP in 2004, and Wisconsin barely went to the Democrats.
Norm Coleman will run for re-election in 2008, and he’s expected to square off against Al Franken for the Democrats. Regardless of his opponent, though, the Democrats will work hard to take the seat from the GOP, especially if Mark Kennedy can beat Amy Klobuchar this November. It will also spotlight Governor Tim Pawlenty, who has built a solid approval rating and demonstrated an ability to work across party lines to get things done — even if it has irritated Republicans here. Having the GOP at the Xcel Center will also remind people that Norm Coleman got that facility built and helped energize the economy of Saint Paul.
Needless to say, my fellow bloggers will be delighted to have the convention in our back yard. I had a great time in New York in 2004, and we’ll have fun showing off our state capital to bloggers from around the country. The only way this could get better is if the Democrats decide to show up here as well.
I was in Minneapolis for a convention a few years ago and really enjoyed the city. I would love to go to Minneapolis again to blog at the Republican National Convention.
Alright! In the memory of Wellstone.
There was a part of me that was hoping it would come here to New Orleans. Guess we’ll have to settle for Voodoo Fest instead.
i bet there is a great chance the Dems pick New Orleans
this makes sense, GOP has closed what use to be a huge gap in Minn. and Michigan
I read where the city of New Orleans withdrew itself from consideration for the Dem convention – I don’t know the “why”…
Hopefully the featured speaker will be James Lileks.
I would have preferred NYC again. I would proudly walk the gauntlet to Madison Square Garden! No offense to Minnesotans, but I really can’t imagine a less exciting place for a convention than MSP.
/ just sayin’
I look forward to seeing how the Minneapolis Star Tribune covers the convention. They might have to hire some Republican reporters just so they can understand what’s going on there. At least I’ll be far enough away from St. Paul to avoid the traffic.
I don’t imagine Garrison Keillor will be a guest speaker.
I wish they’d hold it in San Francisco. Just to, ya know, piss off the heathens…lol
Dammit.
Fine.
I mean, what can compare to Minneapolis’ gorgeous, sun-drenched beaches, its dusky women, its long, narrow avenues crowded with strip clubs?
Oh. Wait.
OK, I’m just jealous because we didn’t get it.
But eyeballing some math, here, it seems to me that florida might have been a better choice. The midwest is, yes, politcally important. But that important? (And I do realize I run the rist of overstating the electoral juice the convention brings. But if that’s a case, why blow that juice in a highly dubious state when you could use it to juice up a thinly-held battleground prize?
The article states that they’re gunning for coverage of Minnesota, Iowa, and Wisconsin. Which, together, have as many electoral votes as Florida. Which is a swing state, unlike NY or MN, and without which the Republicans cannot win.
OK. Sour grapes. But it’s a weird, bad decision to me. NY would have been a better choice as well.
oops. ok. so maybe MN and WI are battleground states. (and IA?).
I still think that the Republicans should be more worried about shoring up Florida, which is trickling ever-so-slightly leftward in a couple local races, and slightly leftward in gubernatorial terms. Anyhoo.
Man, I should really read more closely…
jdubious,
No it isn’t, it is an excellent choice for the reasons jp posted.
No one wants to have the convention in NYC or SF. Apart from both of those cities being very expensive to stay in no one needs to have to deal with the 45 ring Moonbat & MSM circus again. After all, who wants to wade through a crowd of temper tantrum throwing 2 year olds doing the equivalent of banging their spoon on the tray of their high chairs? Besides, there are still enough moonbats in Minnesota and Wisconsin that are sure to show up to provide a freak show.
langtry,
I can not imagine a more tedious place to have a convention then NYC.
OK… now in full chamber-of-commerce-mode, but…
your argument that minneapolis (and i’m sure it’s a fine city, though i’ve never been,) is desirable because of its lack of a “45-ring” moonbat circus seems to contradict your assertion (granted, implied,) that having enough moonbats to provide a “freakshow” is desirable.
And while jp’s posted reasons seem valid, they are also arguable. which is why i addressed them, albeit not explicitly in mine: that those three states, no particular one of which is even red-tinted as opposed to bluish, (ok, maybe iowa,) is worth Florida electorally.
And believe you me, the Republicans can very easily lose florida in 2008. (All things being equal.)
In a more sophisticated vein: Poot on Minnesota.
We’ll welcome all of you who want to come! (But beware- we have plenty of moonbats here too!)
Now how did the Twin Cities beat out Salt Lake City?
Mmmmm, I guess the GOP was looking for a more diverse city 🙂