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September 09, 2009 09:18 PM UTC

Like It Or Not, Penry's Getting Noticed

  • 21 Comments
  • by: TaxCheatGeithner

(As we pointed out last month, this is Penry’s most desirable frame–as long as it isn’t overshadowed by reality. – promoted by Colorado Pols)

Notably absent from today’s front page is any mention of Chris Cillizza’s profile of Senator Josh Penry’s campaign to become Colorado Governor:

http://voices.washingtonpost.c…

“Republicans have lost credibility as a governing party,” said Penry in an interview with the Fix as part of our “Rising” series looking at up and coming politicians. “At the state level we weren’t relevant on the nuts and bolts questions of governing.”

Penry believes those failures and not a fundamental change in the makeup of the Colorado electorate is responsible for the Democrats now controlling both U.S. Senate seats, the governor’s mansion, five of the seven Congressional districts and the state House and state Senate.

He insisted that Colorado remains a “center right” electorate, pointing to the failure of recent progressive ballot initiatives as evidence that the state’s voters haven’t changed all that much over the past few elections.

The real problem, according to Penry, is that “we have a real credibility problem with a center right electorate.”

It seems Penry’s message of making a clean break from the same old candidates who deliver the same old election night defeats for the GOP is getting noticed.  

What say you, fellow Pols readers (poll follows)?  

Will Penry's Campaign Against The "It's My Turn" Approach To Nominating Candidates Be Successful Next Year?

View Results

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Comments

21 thoughts on “Like It Or Not, Penry’s Getting Noticed

    1. The only amendments to pass last year were A-50 which raised gambling limits to provide funding for community colleges, and A-54 (which is embroiled in court battles as we speak.) The “conservative” initiatives like you mentioned also failed.

      Voters may have shot down “progressive” initiatives like A-58 and A-59, but what Penry declines to mention is that they also voted no on A-52, which he wrote. Personally, I hope he continues to point to last year as evidence for why voters would support his ideas, because it just gives me a chance to talk about how truly awful his ideas (like A-52) are and how voters have already shot him down.

  1. The GOP establishment is doing everything it its power to coronate Penry. If they had it their way, McInnis would drop out tomorrow, and Penry would be free to raise money with nobody else competing for dollars.

    So don’t make Penry into some grassroots hero who is changing the GOP from the outside in. He’s as inside as you can get, and the only thing that’s changed between now and when McInnis and Penry announced is that Scott McInnis has shown himself to be an inept candidate. It has nothing to do with McInnis’ sense of entitlement (i.e. “It’s my turn”) and everything to do with his inability to run a halfway decent campaign for Governor.

    1. …of those in the “establishment” you refer to recently, and McInnis is the strongly favored candidate among them.  He has the connections and proven fundraising ability.  Those are more important to them than anything.

      1. Because everything I’ve seen has said otherwise. Of course, I’m not a Republican. I just calls em like I sees em. Plus, Penry is catering to the far-right base, and his campaign has been the exact opposite of McInnis’, which explains why so many people who might be supporting McInnis have jumped ship since he was mulling running for Governor earlier this year.

        Want to make a bet though? If McInnis doesn’t drop out, and he by some miracle ends up winning the GOP primary, I’ll donate $25 to his campaign–or the campaign/candidate of your choice. If he does, or he loses by 20 or more points, then you have to donate $25 to the campaign or candidate of my choice.

  2. How dare you put a straw poll on this post!!!  This is not the time for that.  It will only cause intra party consternation.  

    And I think people would be happy if McInnis would drop out.  

  3. So when will Penry offer some? Trot out the ever-favored tax cuts?

    It’s hard and getting harder for him to go after Ritter for not making the “tough choices” when he hasn’t offered any in return.

    Penry is an opportunist. We will see if this year contains an opportunity for him.

  4. This article in isolation isn’t that big of a deal.   However, when you combine it with all of the other national attention Penry’s getting (Christian Science Monitor article for example) and his seemingly flawless roll out of his campaign, it looks like he’s building serious momentum.  If he raises a fair chuck of change this quarter and continues pounding his message, he’s going to be a serious contender this time next year.  

  5. that he represents a break from the kind of Republicans that lost the party credibility when he has openly endorsed teaching creationism in public school science classes. That is exactly the kind of policy preferences that has lost the Republican Party credibility with center and center right voters. On the one hand, he is trying to appeal to the Republican fanatics and on the other he is trying to make all of us believe he isn’t one of them. Reminds me of the phrase “Both Ways.”

      1. Mr. Penry endorsed Janet Rowland’s suggestion that we teach creationism in public school science classes and he was slammed for it by the editorial board of the Grand Junction Sentinel.

        And he hasn’t disavowed his endorsement. Instead, he has said he won’t campaign on the social conservative agenda. What he is suggesting is he is what Ralph Reed created in the late 80’s and early 90’s, a stealth candidate for the religious right. In other words, he will support such positions if he is elected but he won’t talk about it during the campaign. Hardly an honest approach to the voting public.  

    1. The Republicans were voted out for being right-wing extremists who let the state wither while they tried to come up with yet another way to push James Dobson’s agenda of hating gay people and preparing for the second coming. Penry’s solution to that problem is more of the same. Only younger! And sexier!

      It’s sort of the Not Your Father’s Oldsmobile platform of the far right. You saw what happened to Oldsmobile.

        1. He wants to cut spending but doesn’t say where, just offering the usual “line by line” on how to do it. So, Josh, you’ve been in the legislature for a while. Why haven’t you gone through the budget “line by line” and argued to the JBC? You can go to JBC meetings, you know. Anbody can.

        2. “I’m a social conservative, but I think the public’s had enough of us acting like we’re holier than thou.”

          But Josh, what will you do if and when the GOP wins back the Legislature and starts putting socially conservative bills on your desk? Will you veto them on the grounds that lawmakers shouldn’t act “holier than thou,” or will you proudly sign them?

    2. The real problem, according to Penry, is that “we have a real credibility problem with a center right electorate.”

      Credibility that will not be restored by endorsing teaching creationism in the science class.  He runs to the right and far right and wonders why the middle doesn’t follow him.

      Like many R candidates, Penry mistakenly believes the problem for Rs is that they haven’t been R enough. And by that he has in mind a further right than most of us in the middle can follow.

      Aside from the wingnuttery here are some Issues where Penry’s notion of center right is less than resonant with the center

      – Pinyon Canyon

      – school vouchers

      – budgeting restrictions (like AB and Amendment 52)

      – funding for higher ed

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