October 07, 2009 05:56 PM UTC

McInnis "Forgets" Pueblo on "Reboot" Tour, Pitchforks Likely Cause

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• by: Colorado Pols

We’ve brought up the decision by gubernatorial candidate Scott McInnis to hang his hat on support for the Army’s expansion of the Pinon Canyon Maneuver Site a number of times–usually associated with the words “strategic blunder” or “alienating the base.” Though arguably helpful to with the military vote in El Paso County, elsewhere the issue of the Army’s repeated attempts to drive ranchers out of the area doesn’t play well with conservatives or liberals.

It would seem that McInnis’ campaign understands this to at least some degree, as the Pueblo Chieftain reports:

Scott McInnis was always known as a high-energy campaigner, but his first whirlwind tour for governor this week may be a case of too much speed for Pueblo voters.

McInnis, the former six-term Republican congressman, announced his candidacy on Monday in Denver and immediately set out on a quick blitz of the state, heading for Grand Junction, Glenwood Springs, Delta, Montrose, Alamosa, Walsenburg and then-zoom-onto Colorado Springs.

But no stop in Pueblo.

“Soon,” McInnis’s spokesman Josh Green said Tuesday. “We’re working on organizing an event there.”

Make no mistake, McInnis will be greeted by “Not One More Acre” protest signs in Walsenburg, but Pueblo is the economic hub of Southern Colorado, and opponents to the expansion of Pinon Canyon are probably more numerous in Pueblo than anywhere else in the state. We have trouble imagining his public rally would go very well down there, and that’s why there isn’t one.

Oh! We see the Chieftain was kind of enough give their readers a trip planning heads-up:

McInnis, who’s also come out in favor of the Army’s expansion at the Pinon Canyon Maneuver Site, [Pols emphasis] will be in Walsenburg [Thursday] from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

From Rocky Ford, use state highway 71 to state highway 10 westbound. Pueblo residents, just a short drive south on I-25. If you’re interested in some unplanned fireworks along the route of McInnis’ carefully-manicured reannouncement tour, saddle up for Walsenburg!