August 28, 2008
Posted: August 28th, 2008 05:20 PM ET
The Mayor of Minneapolis is interviewed by a an iReporter.
The Mayor of Minneapolis is interviewed by a an iReporter.

(CNN) - The GOP may be hosting their national convention in Minneapolis next week, but the city's mayor - a Democrat who has long supported Barack Obama - has a plan to combat the scores of Republicans who are flocking to his city:

Get 'em all drunk.

In a CNN iReport from Denver, Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak jokes he's taking a page of George Washington's playbook when it comes to defeating the enemy.

Watch the mayor discuss his strategy

"I am going to be an incredible host and show them a great time, but there's a method in our madness. Remember when George Washington crossed the Delaware? There was a reason he was so successful is because the soldiers on the other side had been up all night drinking," Rybak says.

"So what we are going to do is invite the republicans in, be great - we've got the bars open until 4 a.m. - supply them with all things and then swoop in and win the election."

Filed under: Republican National Convention


ron   August 28th, 2008 9:59 pm ET

isn't that how Obama won both his senate seats, by deception your plan is not original. it's in Obama' playbook

ron   August 28th, 2008 9:56 pm ET

here's to sen. Obama who is the candidate of change, who picks as vp everything he as preached against. here's to Obama who wants us to move forward and leave old politics behind, but constantly quotes and tries to emulate old past presidents. here's to Obama who spent the best parts of his life in hawaii but suffers your pain. here's to the obamanites they are all hypocrites

Geri   August 28th, 2008 9:46 pm ET

I was born and raised in Minnesota and I certainly am appalled that any mayor would be so narrow minded. I hope they remember this when his election time rolls around.

Obama/Biden   August 28th, 2008 9:34 pm ET

McCain like Bush will bring more threat to our country. Obama/Biden ticket is very strong on national security and Biden as well as Obama is well respected around the world. Obama has better judgment on every single issues that we need on a president than mccain. That is why we must vote Democratic this November to prevent a second 9/11 and have someone who is ready for what ever decission to defend our national security in case of any plot.
Do not listen to the republican scare tactics and believe anything they have to say. The republican is the party we as voters should stay away from this November. They have done enough to our country and the economy and we cannot afford for more years of economic disasters and begging China to lend us money.

Anonymous   August 28th, 2008 9:32 pm ET

Hellooooooo... The Republican Convention is in ST PAUL....not Minneapolis!!!

Rybak is a Bozo   August 28th, 2008 9:22 pm ET

Rybak is an idiot . . . you're welcome for the revenue coming into your city. If I had a business in Minneapolis, there would be a big sign out front apologizing for the comments of Mayor Moron.

Vote Republican Minneapolis and get this clown out of office ASAP.

Vote McCain 2008

ann_in St_Paul   August 28th, 2008 9:18 pm ET

Hey Professor: LIGHTEN UP!!!!!

Nancyjo   August 28th, 2008 9:18 pm ET

The mayor is an idiot. Most bars in the Twin Cities declined to pay the permit fee to stay open late. The Mayor and City Council thought they would rake in the bucks from bar owners-many of whom have lost business since the smoking ban came in. He is as anti-GOP as possible, I hope the conventioneers spend their cash in St. Paul and the suburbs.

ann_in St_Paul   August 28th, 2008 9:14 pm ET

The convention is in ST PAUL you dopes!!!! Can't these reporters get it right???? Ugh....

jack daniels   August 28th, 2008 9:11 pm ET

the mayor sounds like a true jackoff

Zack   August 28th, 2008 9:06 pm ET

Its so sad that I am from MN... Are you kidding me.. even as a joke it makes us all look bad.. were not even funny anymore!! Why would anyone want to come to our state? Smooth move Mayor.. I hope you don't continue to represent me.. AUGH...

CW   August 28th, 2008 8:51 pm ET

Professor.

Three words: Water into wine.

james   August 28th, 2008 8:45 pm ET

SFlovesObama..........You're the perfect example of perversion and stupidity!

AUC   August 28th, 2008 8:40 pm ET

Tooooooooooooooooooooo funny!!! Hit the nail on the head.

Sol oduyale   August 28th, 2008 8:37 pm ET

This is very intresting. I have been listning to all this talking heads for about 2 weeks now and no one is dare to say what will happen when Obama lose's this election.
I tell you what will happen. All these white folks will get into the booth in Nov and say I will never vote for a black man. That is what all Hillary suppoters will do and no one has the gut t say it. This country is still black and white. Yes we have come a long way, but not long enough.
God help us with McCain the next 4 years.

Joshua College Station Texas   August 28th, 2008 8:33 pm ET

I love it. Let the idiots imbibe until they fall over. But the Republicans haven't needed liquor to become intoxicated. They are staggering around drunk on their own selfish ideals of materialism, disdain for others, and disrespect for the Constitution. The Neoconservative movement is indeed a liquid drug.

Ali   August 28th, 2008 8:26 pm ET

So what the mayor is saying is that he (the mayor) is a drug dealer

Sherry   August 28th, 2008 8:25 pm ET

I think the mayor should just set up a gambling room with Craps near the venue . . . I'm sure Senator McCain especially would appreciate it!

CM   August 28th, 2008 8:22 pm ET

Professor please remember that when you cast your vote. Cindy McCain is head of a major beer distribution company.

Shasta   August 28th, 2008 8:03 pm ET

Stop picking on our mayor. It was a joke- get over it.

Arkansas Undertaker   August 28th, 2008 7:54 pm ET

All Republicans are just a buch of old racist drunks anyway

Paul Revolution   August 28th, 2008 7:50 pm ET

You dumbing McCain supports, he's opening up to Ron Paul's Campaign For Liberty in Minneapolis where the REAL convention will be held.

deroy   August 28th, 2008 7:37 pm ET

who is his advisor? al franken or barbra streisand?

Dean A Lost Democrat?   August 28th, 2008 7:35 pm ET

I don't really think McCain has any problems after that bad sick Vegas side show act that Obama is pulling off?? lol haha haah please give me a break

JIM...TX   August 28th, 2008 7:31 pm ET

So you fools don't think there's going to be any conventioneers staying in St. Paul??? Heck they next door to each other. Chill out. Of course with as many Republicans NOT going to the convention, Minneapolis could maybe have extra room :)

kevin s.   August 28th, 2008 7:29 pm ET

And, in the midst of their revelry, the thugs of Minneapolis will steal their cars, so they can't get back to the hotel. Welcome to Minneapolis!!!

Greg   August 28th, 2008 7:16 pm ET

Beware Republican men!! walk with your rears to the wall while at the convention because St. Paul and Minneapolis is full of butthole pirates!!!

wanbligi   August 28th, 2008 7:12 pm ET

Since Minneapolis, St. Paul will be experiencing a big rise in temperature the next few days with the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, it's no wonder bars are staying open a little bit longer.

There will be so much "hot air" coming from the Republican convention and I don't think anybody gives a hoot about what they say anyway.

Ryan   August 28th, 2008 7:12 pm ET

It's a joke. Either laugh or scoff. Don't over analyze his commentary or warp it to suit your partisan views.

Anonymous   August 28th, 2008 7:04 pm ET

The convention is in St Paul NOT Minneapolis.. The two are not interchangeable, just as Washington DC and Washington State are not interchangeable.

Jim Crawford   August 28th, 2008 7:03 pm ET

Get it right CNN. The Republican Convention is in St. Paul NOT Minneapolis! St. Paul happens to be the capital of Minnesota. Repeat after me now. St. Paul. St. Paul. St. Paul. There you go! I certainly hope you can do a better job of reporting on the actual convention, but if you don't even know where it is, I have my doubts how you will handle the actual facts of the event.

Will, NJ   August 28th, 2008 6:43 pm ET

You don't need alcohol to make Republicans say and do stupid things. Save your money mayor.

Travis in Colorado   August 28th, 2008 6:41 pm ET

I hope this guy is smarter than he looks, because he looks like he has the intelligence and personality of a sno cone in July. Getting the Republicans drunk is the Dumbocraps master plan? Could they come up with a dumber plan? If so, would it involve calling McCain old? Because I think they already used that one. So, it looks as if the Dumbocraps are out of ideas. They were pretty much out of ideas since day one when they came up with "Yes we can." WOW! I'm beside myself with excitement!!!! NOT!

McCain 08!

JD   August 28th, 2008 6:40 pm ET

My home state baby! Good work mayor! I'd like to join in the festivities!

OBAMA 08

SFLovesObama   August 28th, 2008 6:39 pm ET

Professor you are boring. Jesus drank wine....OH NO! Why is it that right wing christians seem to have an IQ of 50? Look up this term: Dysgenic.

Maggie VT   August 28th, 2008 6:37 pm ET

I think it is funny especially since McCain and HIllary were doing shots in some foreign country a couple of years ago

Robert   August 28th, 2008 6:37 pm ET

This has nothing to do with politics. He's making a joke about it being political, but really, he's just hoping the convention parties will bring in business. If it were truly his strategy, he wouldn't announce it now would he? He's not announcing a strategy, he's promoting his city...in other words, he's doing his job as mayor.

JOE KILOZ   August 28th, 2008 6:37 pm ET

Y O U ' R E--A -S O R R Y--O B A M A-–S U P P O R T E R---

U N F I T--F O R -– Y O U R--O F F I C E

Jon in Ft.Worth   August 28th, 2008 6:35 pm ET

Um, I thought the convention was in St.Paul...not Minneapolis. Why is this this moron even being interviewed and who cares what he says? I would love to hear what the mayor of St.Paul would have to say about this idiot's comments.

scooter   August 28th, 2008 6:35 pm ET

Rybak has sat on my porch and chatted a number of times and yes he is a simple minded twit.. this is a guy who in the winter moves the snow back on the streets so his friends can go xcross country skiing on weekend. if there is not any snow he makes it. we are talking about a brillent man here.

No Way, No How, No Mccain   August 28th, 2008 6:33 pm ET

It is about time for Someone to speak up.

Anonymous   August 28th, 2008 6:29 pm ET

I can't imagine what the media and Dems would do if it was a Republican who had said this. Just goes to show how badly the Dems manipulate a story to fit their belief system.

wylieman   August 28th, 2008 6:27 pm ET

The conventions a JOKE! You already know who the candidate is going to be. Why bother having one? Same speech different day.

Buck12   August 28th, 2008 6:27 pm ET

Hey DJ...like most Dems you have absolutely no clue who or what Republicans stand for. The Dems generalize Republicans so badly that it's almost comical. Your statement above is as ridiculous as me saying all Democrats are ever taxing pacifists who love to burn the American flag and kill unborn babies.

Your statement shows ignorance and an inability to see the other side.

Inspired by Obama   August 28th, 2008 6:26 pm ET

Is this guy not stupid , opening his cards before the game ?

Well, like RACE palyed well for Obama, this can also work, who knows.

J.S.   August 28th, 2008 6:25 pm ET

He seems to forget–Most Republicans are more Conservative than liberal Democrats–even with their partying. Suppose this was meant to be a joke But it's kinda lame. A registered Democrat.

DJ   August 28th, 2008 6:16 pm ET

In addition to following GWB blindly into an unnecessary war, supporting economic policies that have thrown most of us under the bus, and so on, Republicans don't have a sense of humor either.

Professor   August 28th, 2008 6:16 pm ET

I hope the mayor was only kidding.

Drinking alcohol is a very serious matter. It is a great sin against GOD, and nearly all acts of evil ever perpertrated have involved alcohol consumption.

I am a Bible-believing Christian who has never touched an alcoholic beverage in his life. I pray that our political leaders – Democrats and
Republicans alike – will set a moral example here. Drinking alcohol is not funny, and jokes like this are not fit for print on cnn.com.

Jane   August 28th, 2008 6:15 pm ET

Demo leaders can say the most idiotic things a person could imagine, and their drunken followers will slurp it down as if it were the nectar of the gods. Nothing is too disgusting or immoral for them. Somehow, someway, they will try to paint it to appear "just right."

bildad   August 28th, 2008 5:57 pm ET

Simple minded twit.

Happy   August 28th, 2008 5:56 pm ET

****I AM SO HAPPY THAT WE ARE TOGETHER*** :)

YEAH DEMOCRATS!!!

As a family do not let anyone talk bad about Obama, Hillary, Gore, Biden, Bill, you and me....

WE ARE FAMILY!!! :)

john williams san diego, ca.   August 28th, 2008 5:56 pm ET

i know his parents are real pround of him.

MM   August 28th, 2008 5:56 pm ET

lighten up. This guy was just making a joke.

Z   August 28th, 2008 5:55 pm ET

That is just plain stupid. Democrats sure are sharp ones. HAHA

McCain 2008

Franky   August 28th, 2008 5:55 pm ET

Just make sure President Bush doesn't go. Other than that, I don't care...

Shawn - GA   August 28th, 2008 5:53 pm ET

Just like a Dem.... this is one big party, whoo hooo let's elect someone who has no business being President. WOOO HOOO

GM from MN   August 28th, 2008 5:49 pm ET

Yeah, Bars are usually only allowed to stay open until 2am in MN. Funny that policians can change the laws to suit thier desires.

anonymouys   August 28th, 2008 5:48 pm ET

m

Marxists for Obamessiah   August 28th, 2008 5:46 pm ET

Yep the media just yucks it up... imagine if a Republican mayor had said this. He'd be forced to attend rehab for the politically incorrect, like that guy from Grey's Anatomy.

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