The great Republican get-together

-- Joseph Watson

As the dog days of summer come to an end, we Minnesotans eagerly await the State Fair. OnSept. 1, as the sun sets and we munch on the last of our Sweet Martha’s cookies, a different kind of fair will just be getting started in the heart of downtown St. Paul: the 2008 Republication National Convention.

The RNC will take place at the Xcel Energy Center from Sept. 1-4 and begin the Grand Old Party’s run for the White House. While most of us know the convention is on its way, a lot of us do notrealize the shear size of the event and the numbers are staggering: 45,000 delegates, 15,000 media, 8,000 bloggers and at least 50,000 protesters will transform a normally sleepy St. Paul into a bustling, futuristic metropolis.

The state of Minnesota is viewing this as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to showcase the Twin Cities metro area a premiere place to do business or vacation. Not surprisingly, both St. Paul/Minneapolis and Denver, host of the 2008 Democratic National Convention, stand to see an enormous economic impact. In a study by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development, early estimates are that the RNC will generate $148 million dollars in new spending, $162 million dollars in gross state product gains to the state and create 2,800 new jobs. These numbers are consistent with previous convention host cities and could even be larger. New York City, site of the 2004 RNC, experienced a direct impact of $212 million dollars in four days.

Currently President Bush is experiencing the lowest approval ratings in recent memory (25% nationwide), the war in Iraq is still going strong and we face the mortgage crisis across the country, making this convention pivotal for the Republican Party. With a theme of unity and forward momentum, the GOP will role out a laundry list of the who’s who in the Republican Party including California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and former New York City Mayor and presidential candidate, Rudy Giuliani.

But, where there’s politics, there will be protests. Big protests. St. Paul police say they are ready to handle the demonstrators and protesters during the RNC. The question is whether or not the city can handle them. For example, on Sept. 1 protesters will march from the state capitol to the Xcel Center. The problem is that organizers are expecting numbers up to 50,000 people. In June, the Pioneer Press reported that the route of the march, Cedar and West Seventh, could only accommodate 40,000 people. This doesn’t account any room for signs, medians or barriers.

To make matters worse, St. Paul Police estimate as many as 1,200 anarchists will be in town just to crash the party. Because this event is considered a National Special Security Event by the United States Department of Homeland Security, the United States Secret Service leads security planning. Key streets around the Xcel Center will be closed to car and bike traffic. In an even tighter perimeter, a special pass will be needed just to walk through.

Convention security shouldn’t affect Metropolitan State University classes during the week of Sept. 1-4, but do plan ahead. Many Metro Transit busses will run extra routes to help with congestion and most of the convention action does take place at night.

This won’t be the first time the republicans visit Minnesota and depending on the outcome, maybe not the last. In 1892, the 10th RNC was hosted by the city of Minneapolis and the GOP-nominated Benjamin Harrison, who later lost to Grover Cleveland. This year, John McCain will receive the nomination of his party on the evening of Sept. 4.