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July 16, 2010 06:21 PM UTC

Bipartisan Groans At Prospect of Benson Candidacy

  • 37 Comments
  • by: Colorado Pols

As discussion begins to move away from whether or not plagiarism-tainted GOP gubernatorial candidate Scott McInnis can survive the present scandal (consensus: he can’t), several names are circulating as possible replacements for McInnis on either the primary or general election ballots–depending on what legal strategy GOP leadership ultimately chooses to pursue.

One of the names that has come up early and relatively often in these discussions is 1994 Republican gubernatorial candidate and University of Colorado President Bruce Benson. Benson, as the argument goes, has experience with a campaign at this level, has name recognition and a good deal of respect from moderates (and even some Democrats)–and, above all, has the kind of personal wealth necessary to make up for what would be a massive fundraising deficit to Democratic nominee John Hickenlooper.

So those are the positives for a Benson candidacy. The negatives? Well, for starters, Benson lost that 1994 election by a considerable margin, with conservative minor-party candidates pulling more than their usual share of the vote. Benson, furthermore, was one of the main proponents of 2005’s Referendum C, which, as you know, is the kiss of death in many Republican circles. It would take about fifteen minutes for the Republican rank-and-file to realize this, after which you’d see enthusiasm for Benson drop like a stone.

As for Benson’s performance as President of CU? Not much to speak of so far–Benson was hired primarily on the strength of his ability to raise private funds, and fight for CU’s fair share in the legislature; but since he took over, a combination of economic pain among would-be private donors and severe cutbacks from the state has left him very little success to point to. What’s more, we have heard from friends with ties to the University of Colorado that Benson’s “focus” on political ideological matters at CU, something he reportedly talks about quite frequently even in unrelated settings, has kept tensions in some academic departments escalated.

In short, Benson has negatives that would impact his ability to court either the Republican or Democratic base. His performance as CU President has not lived up to billing, and his last foray into electoral politics was a humiliating defeat. Most importantly, the Republican candidate for governor will not be expected to win at this point, and would be selected to help prop up the ticket–is serving as little more than a cheerleader for three months really what Benson wants to do?

With this in mind, and especially given Benson’s promises to CU to give up politics and focus on the institution’s needs if they gave him the presidency, to abandon CU for the first political opportunity that presents itself would be a grave mistake, and a stain on Benson’s legacy. For all these reasons, we just don’t think he’s the one.

Comments

37 thoughts on “Bipartisan Groans At Prospect of Benson Candidacy

  1. the whole McInnis stays in for primary , then drops out, providing a vacancy so the committee can appoint still depends on Mcinnis being willing to fall on his sword after the primary? They can’t kick him off the general ballot against his will at that point? Or can they?

    If not, it seems their hopes to replace him with anyone except the other legit through their own process candidate, Maes, are akin to the hopes for victory (whatever that would look like) in Afghanistan based on partnership with a successful, reliable Karzai government.

    1. His arrogance has been on display all week and if he wins the primary he will consider it divine providence that he will win the general.

      Get the popcorn out folks along with the treadmill because we are going to be watching a post-Ritter fratricidal war within the Republican Party for a long time.

      The Tea Party Maes crowd will see this as a validation of their efforts to root out the old guard while the corporate conservatives will know that any prospects of making real gains in the general will melt away when the extremists start getting media attention.  Nevada is a prime example where Harry Reid was on the ropes then the Republicans went with an uber-conservative and now he is ahead by seven points in the polls and pulling away.  Nothing spells defeat like letting a Tea Party extremist speak in public.

      1. if enough top Colorado Republicans are breathing down his neck, he’ll give in.  If he were entirely arrogant, he wouldn’t have spoken to the press so early.

          1. He is reported to have said that such a move would be a terrible blow to you, the Republican voter, a ‘bait and switch’ he called it.  You all deserve Scott McInnis.  Or Dan Maes.  It’s a tough call I admit–cheat and liar or grafter?  

  2. The part of this post I can speak to is the ideological lens through which Benson views everything he does at CU. Benson’s ideological bias is everywhere. He just talks all the time about the need for “balance” in the classroom, and instructors self-censor. You can’t have an honest conversation at CU about Benson without this coming up.

    And, where’s the money?! The ONE thing he was supposed to be good at?! #FAIL.

    1. In addition to all the things said above, Benson is a moderate, pro-choice (even having given money to the effort to allow public funding for abortion) and one of the elitest crowd of Republicans.  Those people may think they control things, but they will be in for a rude awakening if they try to do this.  The Central Committee is dominated by the true believers as is the executive committee.  I don’t believe that either of those committees (whichever is the vacancy committee) would stand for Benson.  This isn’t 1994 folks.

      With that said if Benson was it, Hick would have a real fight on  his hands.  Benson is smart and committed to things that Republicans today aren’t usually committed to can lend and raise money (He and his wife both were Bush Rangers).  Not sure he would get along with the legislature, no matter which party controls it, but he is a guy who can run a large organization.  I might even vote for the guy.

  3. Folks should be more concerned with Jane Norton stepping up to the eventual vacancy (after her loss to Buck in the Senate Primary).  

    And isn’t that a great consolation prize?  “Jane, you wanted the US Senate, but here’s the Governor’s Mansion, instead.  

    Oh – and your campaign manager?  He can stay on as Chief of Staff…”

    Convenient, isn’t it?  

    1. If Maes wins, he is not stepping down for Norton.  Besides, Norton got her money from DC so Charlie Black could pull some strings.  I don’t think that audience really cares about what graft can be obtained in Colorado.  They are specialists.

    1. His adultry is with his current wife and that was acknowledged by him as not a great thing in his previous campaign.  As far as I know, never any hint of anyone else.

      As for the killing his wife.  The Times just got it wrong.  Mere rumor.  I sat next to his ex-wife at the 1994 Republican State Convention.  Had she been threatened in that manner, the police would have been involved.  Trust me, she was the definition of a “woman scorned” at that point.  If he had threatened to kill her, she would have gone straight to the sherriff.

  4. More like far left gripping. The dead guvs shouldn’t even type the word “bipartisan” anymore without fearing swarms of locusts, earthquakes, and cats and dogs living together in peace.  

        1. The Tea Party is the SOUL of the Republican Party, only certain Republicans don’t understand that.

          “He is a very shallow critic who cannot see an eternal rebel in the heart of a conservative.”

          -G.K. Chesterton

          Can I get that as an open thread quote someday? Didn’t think so.

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