TRUTH TRUMPS GENDER: Why I Still Support Jared Polis for Governor

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by: NoMistakesJustHappyAccidents

By Nancy Cronk

As a former early childhood educator for eleven years turned political activist and community leader, then business woman, I have always chosen candidates in primaries who are endorsed by unions, and when all other things were equal, chosen women candidates. I’ve worked for political action groups, recruited women and people of color to run for office, and run for office myself. I firmly believe we need more women, union members and people of color in office at every level in the land, and have spent years of my life working toward that goal. As a result, I’ve paid attention to Colorado politics for a long time and know the importance of fact-checking tv ads intending to brainwash the masses.

In the Colorado gubernatorial race, three prominent names have emerged as contenders: Jared Polis, Cary Kennedy and Mike Johnston. After losing a statewide Treasurer’s race to Walker Stapleton in 2010, Cary Kennedy re-emerged hoping to take on Stapleton a second time, reaching out early to the education union community and winning their support. Mike Johnston has not been able to shed the dark cloud of his anti-teacher’s union SB10-191 bill, but won the early support of the pro-increased regulation of guns community. Jared Polis is a champion for renewable energy, early childhood education and civil rights. Both Cary Kennedy and Mike Johnston have commercials paid for by PACS and Jared Polis’s team has run commercials as well. Recently, the race turned negative and ugly when the Teachers for Kennedy PAC, unbound by the candidates’ oaths to not attack other Democrats, slammed Cary’s Democratic opponents with accusations they are against public education, implying her record on public education is perfect.

Let’s do some fact checking:

When it comes to Kennedy’s alleged perfect record on education, the truth does not support the claims. In fact, Cary Kennedy supported private school vouchers in the form of Colorado House Bills 03-1160 and 04-1442. Not only that, but Cary Kennedy supported the very bill her campaign slams Mike Johnston for authoring – Senate Bill 10-191!

Teacher’s for Kennedy PAC attacks Polis on Kennedy’s behalf, implying he is no friend to the teacher’s unions. In fact, the National Education Association has not only supported and endorsed Jared Polis every term he ran for Congress since 2008, but they also gave him an “A” rating – every time. Unlike Cary Kennedy who supported vouchers in Colorado, Jared voted against private school vouchers every time the vote came up in Congress. Before that, the Colorado Education Association endorsed Jared when he ran for his seat on the State Board of Education!

As a former educator who has followed Jared Polis’ career closely for two decades and familiar with his long record supporting public education, I scratch my head wondering what else may be behind these virulent attacks on Polis by the Kennedy campaign and their allies. I know Colorado history too well to be persuaded by misinformation. I’ve personally known Jared Polis for years – not only has he been a strong supporter of public education and public school teachers, he has also been a champion for lgbtq rights, renewable energy, women’s equality, immigrant rights, health care reform, small business ownership and protecting seniors. He has supported firefighters and civil servants and fought to protect their interests. He has donated to, supported and fundraised for literally hundreds of other Democratic candidates at all levels to build progressive coalitions in Colorado and beyond.

In the end, truthfulness trumps gender every time. My well-researched vote is for Polis.

Nancy Cronk
Business woman

Former Candidate House District 37
Emerge Colorado Fellow 2014
Former Fellow and Recruiter, Center for Progressive Leadership
Former Organizer, Change that Works
Former Chair, Senate District 27
Former President, Progressive Women of Colorado
Lead Organizer, Colorado March Against the War on Women
Former Board Member of Cunningham Fire Protection District (7 years)

10 thoughts on “TRUTH TRUMPS GENDER: Why I Still Support Jared Polis for Governor”

DavidThi808 says:

June 5, 2018 at 11:18 am

You raise a very good question – why are they attacking Jared with lies?

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Voyageur says:

June 5, 2018 at 1:10 pm

If Jared fans burst into rage at these mild third party ads, do they really think the Republicans will give him a free pass in November?

Stop playing the victim and talk about some of this state's needs: starting with TABOR.

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1. gertie97 says:
  
  June 5, 2018 at 1:39 pm
  
  I'm with you, V. As long as TABOR remains intact, all the rest is noise.
  
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2. mamajama55 says:
  
  June 6, 2018 at 7:42 am
  
  Haven't seen anyone "bursting into rage" on Polis' behalf, at least, not on this forum. Fact-checking, research and reasoned arguments doth not rage make….even if it happens to contradict your position or throw shade on your preferred candidate.
  
  For myself, I've concluded that I will be happy with either one of the Democratic frontrunners (Kennedy or Polis), although not with Johnston. I heard Kennedy speak two days ago, will hear Polis at a meet n greet in Fort Morgan today at 10 am.
  
  Jared Polis Fort Morgan Meet and Greet
  Start: June 06, 2018 – 10:00 am
  End: June 06, 2018 – 11:00 am
  Café Lotus
  307 E. Kiowa Ave
  Fort Morgan, CO
  
  All three of the D governor candidates were for public charter schools at some point, back in 2010. Polis was friendly with charter school advocates while on the Colorado Board of Education. Both Kennedy and Polis supported SB191, the " bill that tied student test performance to teacher pay and evaluation.
  
  Johnston is still a strong advocate for charters. Polis has voted against diverting public education funding to charters consistently, as a representative. He has funded a network of public charter schools, the "New America Schools".
  
  All three candidates also have detailed plans to deal with TABOR. Someone more versed than I in legislative procedure can compare the 3 plans from the candidate websites, and see whose plan is most practical.
  
  As far as next fall, if Polis is the nominee, he is far more likely to continue to be attacked by oil and gas funded PACS ( the "Vital for Colorado – vital for Broomfield – vital for ________") or their ilk than by from the left or unions. If Teachers for Kennedy is still going after Polis when/if he's the nominee, then we may want to take a good look at their funders.
  
  Morgan Carroll, in her address to Morgan County Dems, said that Cambridge Analytica and their ilk hurt us most by making us (Democrats) turn against each other, and secondly by questioning the whole small-d democracy premise – that votes matter, that the people are in charge, that we can make incremental change.
  
  The Russian hackers disseminated targeted posts on social media to divide Democrats and to make them give up, become cynical, and not vote. So we need to stay in our heads, not our hearts, in this primary season. Stay with the facts, keep a cool head, keep our eyes on the prize.
  
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  1. Voyageur says:
    
    June 6, 2018 at 8:52 am
    
    Dealing with TABOR is a lot more complicated than tossing a position paper on a web site, MJ.
    
    Web sites pledges are even more meaningless than party platforms.
    
    What impresses me about Cary is her deep and far ranging command of fiscal issues and years of experience dealing with them. And, yes, a winning, caring personality that helps her build coalitions that actually can bring about change.
    
    Like you, I can support either Cary or Jared, though I far prefer Cary. And in the unlikely event that Four-gun Mikey or the Tattoed Lady wins the primary, well, they are still much better than Trump clone Victor Mitchell, the likely Republican candidate.
    
    What I can't support is a blowhard like Nancy Cronk, raging inchoately at anyone who dares criticize her perfect in every way panjandrum.
    
    "Virulent attacks", my ass.
    
    It's called Democracy. It's a messy process.
    
    Stop whining and deal with it, Nancy.
    
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  2. Conserv. Head Banger says:
    
    June 6, 2018 at 9:46 am
    
    "The Russian hackers disseminated targeted posts………" Interesting to bring that up and worth while to re-post this information.
    
    While "political showboat" Devin Nunes gets all the attention from Fox and other media, the Senate Intelligence Committee is quietly doing its job, and in a bipartisan manner. The Committee has issued a report saying there is no reason to dispute the findings of our intelligence community that the Russians interfered in the 2016 election. More alarmingly, the Committee has reported that the hacking and interference is continuing in advance of the mid-terms. Trump says or does nothing, just as his Moscow master orders. You won't hear about this on Fox either, or from any of the other far right wing talking heads so loved by Andrew and Moderatus.
    
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    1. gertie97 says:
      
      June 6, 2018 at 4:54 pm
      
      Not even Ryan buys Trump's spygate whining.
      
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mamajama55 says:

June 6, 2018 at 7:56 pm

V wrote:

What I can't support is a blowhard like Nancy Cronk, raging inchoately at anyone who dares criticize her perfect in every way panjandrum.

"Virulent attacks", my ass.

You may want to get that projection problem looked at. I hear that if it persists for more than 4 hours, you should take it to the ER.

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1. Voyageur says:
  
  June 7, 2018 at 6:35 am
  
  And you were doing so well staying away from the cooking sherry. Just can't stand not smearing people who disagree with you, can you?
  
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Marian Berry says:

June 10, 2018 at 8:04 am

What's up with the personal attacks, Voyageur?

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