February 26, 2010 09:42 PM UTC

Calling All Bennet and Romanoff Supporters

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• by: BICora

Quick! Without looking name all of the current Colorado R Senate candidates.

You can’t do it, can you?  I couldn’t – I had to look them up.

Sure, Norton. (*Which one?)

And most of us here on Pols would get Buck and Wiens. Ok

A few of you would get Cleve Tidwell.

Is that all?

C’mon….

Steve Barton is the 5th.

If primaries are a good thing for candidates and the party, we gotta do better than this.

I’ve not been convinced primaries are always a good thing, but I will acknowledge that so far the D primary has made at least one of the candidates a better candidate.

I understand why supporters get emotionally invested in candidates. And why they go all negative on the other guy(s) and get all defensive.  

I also understand why it’s sometimes easier to come onto a blog and write things that you wouldn’t say face to face.  I currently have all three flavours of CO political neighbors – R, D and indifferent. We talk politics sometimes- but we’re friendly to each other. And the only name calling I’ve ever heard is joking. (And I’ve never considered it a negative to be called “liberal.”)

I don’t think I’ve been overly critical of the D candidates or their supporters, and maybe more criticism will somehow make one or both of them better candidates. But surely not here- take it to the relevant campaign directly.

Let’s have a primary, let’s stick to the process as it is for now (though can we please make the primary earlier in the future?).  

But let’s also agree that whichever candidate we get as the D nominee, he’ll be a better CO Senator for Colorado D’s than any of the five potential R’s. For those of us who know our D preferance let’s focus on R opposition.

I’m not suggesting the primary is over, but let’s stay focused on our preferred candidate’s positives.   And let’s really start focusing on the R opposition.

I like Senator Bennet.

I didn’t know anything about his past when he was appointed except that he was Superintendent of DPS. But I learned about him over the year.

A big issue for me early was his commitment to support President Obama.  I mean I engaged in 08 (caucused and assemblied and etc) to get the President elected so it mattered to me that the new guy, that we never voted for, would support our President.  

As I got to know him in the Spring and Summer (I attended two townhalls with him) I liked him.

He’s voted the way I would have wanted him to all but once and I think he’s very electable in the general.

His fundraising seems to be on par or ahead of prior D winners.  

His private sector background is a plus in the general. I’ve heard D’s bash him for his prior employer’s R politics, but I think that helps in the general.

I know a few DPS teachers who are unhappy about things he did or didn’t do – also a potential plus in the general. Not that those teachers are giong to all of sudden realize they do like him, but because in my neighborhood and elsewhere the swing voters are generally encouraged by D’s who are perceived to have stepped on the teachers union. If not encouraged, indifferent.

He supports a public option, and despite his skepticism that it can pass, he’s leading the revival. And Colorado wants a public option  – sure more D’s than R’s and U’s, but even a fair number of R and U voters want it to.

He has never held elected office before. I think that also helps in the general.  Sure, he’s more unknown, but as voters get to know him (assuming he can afford the media to get in front of them and the skill to define himself before the R’s define him) that weakness can be addressed. And I think in the CO general this year, those candidates perceived as new to politics will benefit from that perception.

As for Norton, Wiens, Buck, Tidwell and Burton: more later, but

*Norton:

Which Norton?

All five –

What have they done before now?

Have they held elected office before? Do they now?

What policy or legislation or other big events distinguish their elected office (if any) background?

What are their most significant positives and negatives as a general candidate?

to be continued