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November 14, 2016 11:33 AM UTC

I’ve Had Enough of the Colorado Democratic Party

  • 22 Comments
  • by: madmike

(Promoted by Colorado Pols)

Last Wednesday I changed my party affiliation from Democrat to Unaffiliated.  I did my best to stick with them in spite of my many misgivings about the positions that our state Democratic leaders staked out on a number of issues.  A few years ago I circulated an online petition which gathered over 5000 signatures asking Gov. Hickenlooper to intervene in the dispute between the Douglas County Board of Education and the Douglas County Federation of Teachers.  And in spite of the fact that all I got for that effort was the sound of crickets, I stayed with the Colorado Democrats.  For more than a year I made calls and wrote letters to Sen. Michael Bennet pleading with him to oppose the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline.  He not only voted for it, he had the nerve to vote to override President Obama’s veto of that bill.  But I stayed with the Colorado Democrats.  I also wrote and called Senator Bennet’s office asking that he publicly state his opposition to a lameduck vote on the Trans Pacific Partnership.  I got no response whatsoever.  But I stayed with the Colorado Democrats.  This spring I attended my local Democratic caucus and proudly gave my support to Senator Bernie Sanders’ candidacy for President.  And I was elated when he won our state by a hefty margin.  Then the Colorado Democratic Party threw its support behind Hillary Clinton.  I was angry with what they did, but did my part by voting for Secretary Clinton.

Then last Tuesday happened and I finally had enough.  I’m tired of the elitist, centrist, corporate-friendly, anti-labor arrogance of people like Michael Bennet, John Hickenlooper, Rick Palacio and others who look down their noses at people like me, people who have gone along with their schtick, telling myself that it’s better to let them have my vote than letting the other side win.

Not anymore.  I’ve also had enough with this website and the people who run it.  If you see your mission as one of propping up the positions of the people I’ve mentioned here, I guess you should feel good about yourselves.  But if you measure your success by how much you move the needle in favor of progressive ideas and values, you have certainly fallen short.

There is a lot of talk in the media right now about an effort being formulated to redefine and remake the Democratic Party.  Part of that effort could involve finding state party leaders who are more in tune with the plight of average Americans rather than with Wall Street, big banks, big agriculture, pharmaceutical and insurance companies, and the rest of corporate America.  I hope that movement happens and that it happens very soon.  The 2018 congressional election is right around the corner.  In the meantime, I will remain unaffiliated.  That is, unless the Colorado Democratic Party changes its tune or until something better comes along.

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22 thoughts on “I’ve Had Enough of the Colorado Democratic Party”

  1. This country is basically a center-right country. Extremists of either party don't do well (McGovern in 1972 as a prime example; Goldwater in 1964 as another, altho "extremism" wasn't the main reason for his loss). Do you really think that Bernie Sanders would have been elected if he had gotten the nomination? Think about how the far right PACs would have portrayed him.

    And what makes you think that "moving the needle in favor of progressive ideas and values" is the correct way to go? I know of a number of regular posters here who really want that needle moved and were distraught, as an example, when the single payer amendment was overwhelmingly defeated. I wasn't; my state taxes would have more than tripled with no benefit to me.

    Looking for Dem state party leaders who are more in tune with the plight of average Americans sounds like a Trump line. And, nothing wrong at all with being a "centrist." But, do as you please. Regards,   C.H.B. 

    1. I agree with what you expressed, C.H.B.  It was very well written.

      I also believe the United States is a center right country. I think most Americans are centrists at heart.  The Far Right and Ultra Progressives make voters nervous.

      I feel most comfortable as an Unaffiliated, but I do usually vote in the GOP primary because Democrats have so few primaries.

  2. Have a great life, Mike.

      I look

    forward to a Democratic party where people use the term "moderate" without sneering.   But you're going to leave Zapatero feeling lonely.

  3. I agree. After this disaster I can't think of any reason why someone would want to be a Democrat. The Democratic Party is headed for annihilation, and soon.

    But don't blame Colorado Pols, they're just low level employees. 🙂

    1. As usual, M., your comment is way off the mark. The Dems do need to do some serious soul-searching and regrouping. But headed towards annihilation? Likely not. The Republicans also have issues concerning the common sense conservatives vs. the Alt. Right, as one example. No matter which party one belongs to, or claims to belong to, the next four years will be quite an interesting ride. 

      2. I think about my Minnesota small-dairy-farmer-grandfather, an ardent Democrat, and I can can come up with a long list of retorts to your statement, "…I can't think of of any reason why someone would want to be a Democrat".  I would speculate the many life-long Dems here are as interested in bringing our party back to its core values as me. I'd further speculate the majority of Republicans long for the same thing.  

        That begs the question, "What would they do with you?"

      3. It does seem like every time someone declares one of the two major political parties dead, it bounces back quite nicely.  Most voters are not married to either party, even if they are registered in a political party.  They are quite comfortable moving between both parties.

        Both Republicans and Democrats tend to overreach, when they control everything, and voters are quick to pull them back when they do.  That is the challenge facing the GOP now.

        Democrats need to figure out how they can be more than an urban/coastal party.

    2. *lowers face to mic* "WRONG!"

      This shit show will only make the Democrats stronger. We've needed this purge for a long time, and although this will be a rough 2-4-8 years, we'll regroup, stronger and smarter than ever.

      You see, we have hope. All I see on the right is non-sympatico factions fighting for who gets to wield the strings to control Puppet Trump.

      1. I'm 71, budded.  I can't wait another 30 years to see a woman president or decent treatment of my latino inlaws.  My last bolt is Elizabeth Warren in 2020.  Bernie will be 79 in 2020 and needs to step aside.  Maybe Elizabeth can unite the lefties and feminists whose disunity gaveus president Trump.

  4. hey, this guy managed to get his diary promoted……..some one is paying attention, tho it's surely not our beloved Thurston Howell Bennet III.

    I could've, would've written the same diary and be heaped with scorn from most of the regs around here, but it never would've been promoted.

    I’m not lonely. I always knew there were others like mike ’round here. Maybe someone will pick up on his points. I’m too disgusted to write another “Told Ya So” diary here at ColoradoPols.

    And Bennet, being the rudderless human he is, will take this as a sign he didn’t move enough to the side of Trump and all he stands for.

    1. It will tell a lot about the direction of the Democratic Party.  The one thing they really need is someone who can be a full-time chair.

      Choosing a governor, senator, or congressperson, causes some conflicts with their day job.  It is hard for them to "reach across the aisle," when they are carrying the banner of their party at the same time.

      Frankly, the same could be said about the DCCC, NRCC, DSCC, and NRSC.  These groups just pit senators and representatives — who should be working together — against each other.  

  6. I agree with some of this. In terms of should the party be moderate or liberal or progressive – I think we should welcome all of that and talk it through.

    What has me giving up on the Democratic Party is two things. First the belief that it knows better than the people. Fundamentally there's a belief that the mass of voters just don't understand that the elected officials know what's best for them. There's no problem with Kansas, there's a problem when a book is titled "What's the Matter With Kansas."

    Second, it's the total sell out to Wall St and the wealthy. Favoring the rich is not a liberal or even a conservative value. It's a corrupt value. And the Democratic Party is every bit as owned body & soul by the wealthy as the Republican Party. I'm good with disagreeing with my elected officials on how liberal to be. I'm not good with their sticking it to everyone to favor the rich.

    And from the above I can understand someone voting for Trump. I don't agree with doing that, but I understand it.

    2. When someone shoots themselves in the foot, you don't say, "Well, that was an unusual choice. I'm not going to be judgmental. Tell me what you were thinking." Kansas has shot itself in the foot, and is bleeding badly. 

      ….Brownback’s glorious experiment looks like massive debt, credit downgrades, hospital closures, drastically underfunded schools, massive healthcare cuts, raided budgets, perpetual revenue shortfalls, and as reported this week, massive job losses.

      In the bizarro world we live in now, the foot-shooter (Governor Sam Brownback) gets put in charge of “gun safety” for the whole country, as one of Trump’s top economic advisors.

    3. If you ever actually read the book, david, you will learn 'what's the matter with kansas" was a famous essay by WilliamAllen white berating it for left wing tendencies going back tobits anti slavery founding.   And did I read right. Your mom is now a democrat?

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