The Denver Post’s politics page reports, and no it’s not the first time you’ve heard it, and no it’s not the last time you’ll hear it either before in the event that it becomes a thing:
Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper is taking steps toward a presidential run in 2020, holding meetings with veteran political players, ahead of a visit to Iowa next month for an official trip that is sure to draw attention.
The Democrat’s actions in recent months signal to his closest associates and top party strategists that the former Denver mayor and two-term governor is more serious than ever about mounting a White House bid against President Donald Trump.
“John’s sense of timing in politics is his lucky star. It served him well when he ran for mayor and then governor. It may do the same for a run in 2020,” said Alan Salazar, Hickenlooper’s former chief political strategist.
Because we have addressed this possibility for as long as it’s been an item of speculation–in fact long before anybody seriously imagined Donald Trump becoming President of the United States besides Donald Trump–we’ll spare readers another long-winded rundown of the pros and cons of Gov. John Hickenlooper running for President in 2020. The short version is that Hickenlooper has led a relatively charmed political life in Colorado politics as an unconventional and sometimes lovable oddball whose record is fairly moderate but generally pro-Democratic–with a few well-known blind spots.
With that said, whether Hickenlooper has what it takes to become the next Bill Clinton–and we mean that in all the good ways–or is more like the next Martin O’Malley in what we can expect to be a large field of Democratic presidential candidates for 2020, is not at all something we feel comfortable predicting at this point. There is a sense of wide-open opportunity for Democrats after Trump’s chaotic likely-only term in office, but how Hickenlooper’s sometimes clunky “post-partisan” brand fits into this emerging new matrix is anybody’s guess. We’re not ready to buy proverbial stock, but we surely wouldn’t rule him out.
If Hick does pull it off, we’ll be excited to host the first Oval Office edition of The Get More Smarter Show.
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Admittedly, Hick’s eight-year record of quiet inaction and non-accomplishment in Colorado will probably look pretty darn good by the time we’ve run off the tracks and into the abyss of year four of the Drumpf Chaos-and-Destruction Tour . . .
. . . unfortunately, the country’s desperately going to need a skilled Democrat (yet once again) to clean up the yuge fucking mess David Dennison leaves (and that will be a job far beyond the benign neglect of our Governor DoLittle).
Meh.
I think last time this came up I said something like, "Oh, dear God, please no." This is still my sentiment.
In D.C. there is a lot of talk about Hick running with Kasich. Both deny it, but that is not much of a issue in Beltway world. The back issue is they would be creating a separate center party composed of both parties. Which may be something viable in 2020 if the guy in the WH and the backup guy are not impeached and thrown out of D.C. and they are in Florence.
Hick should run against and beat Gardner in 2020.
Although some of the Bolsheviks on this site would blow a gasket at the thought of Hick as Colorado’s junior senator.
Who would be worse: Bennet the Plutocrat or Oil & Gas Hick?
If I thought that Hick was honest, I'd support his candidacy for national office. But he isn't. His staff consistently spread lies about how many jobs (116,000!!!) oil and gas employed in Colorado, when the real numbers were like 27,000.
He nominated Glen Vaad to the PUC. He had a blue ribbon commission on oil and gas which took a year and millions of dollars to get us 4 more well head inspectors, and 1000' setbacks on a few carefully selected drill sites. He underwhelmed us with his response to the Firestone house explosion from untended pipelines.
He's good for the grand public gestures, though. He did maintain that Colorado would adhere to the Paris climate change goals. He kept us focused on renewable energy goals when AG Cynthia Coffman defied him about it.
So who would be worse, oil and gas Hick or Wall Street Bennet? I think we should nominate a Democrat worthy of the name. If you think that makes me a "Bolshevik", I'll take it.
Of course, I'll vote for the D nominee. But these bought off corporatists should not take voters for granted – at their peril.
Hick should help find a way to beat Gardner in 2020.
But first, after the Legislature is done for this year, Hick should find a way to support Democrats running in Colorado. Thus far, his "influence" doesn't seem to have much impact.
In 2012, the US Representatives from Colorado were: DeGette, Polis, Tipton, Gardner, Lamborn, Coffman, Perlmutter.
The 2012 Colorado House: 37 Democrats, 28 Republicans
The 2012 Colorado Senate: 19 Democrats, 16 Republicans
John is too old. It is time for the Boomers and oldsters to get out of the way.
The Dimocrats should never have candidates over the age of 55.
younger candidates need to earn their way. If they can't defeat the elders they won't defeat an R
Bull pucky.
The oldsters should become compost as Dick Lamm suggested.
I guess I missed that obit. When did Dick finally do his duty?
Took him long enough, huh?. . .
He spoke of the duty to die less and less the older he got. I think he is still with us above ground.
He'll be 83 next August. Teaching ethics and public policy at DU. I was mad at him for his dog whistle immigration stances that paved the way for the Peter Boyles and Tom Tancredos and David Williams of our modern Colorado political landscape.
But, on the whole, I think that he was a decent Governor.
Hick would be a very good senator.
Hick can do ad consulting for the Dem nominee maybe. He wouldn't be in my top 3 choices among the group rumored to be running.
Bernie and Biden are way too old, hillary is a sore two time loser and Warren won't take a DNA test. Gillibrand strikes me as too lightweight. That leaves me hoping against hope that klobuchar gets in this thing. So, in a field like this, a moderate geek chic guy might be a contender.
Why, exactly, should Warren take a DNA test? What government services do you believe she has received that would merit this requirement? What laws would you cite in support of your position? What other evidence do you have?
It smells like you have been smoking alt-right wacky tobacky.
Warren and the DNA test in 2020 will be the Obama and the missing birth certificate was in 2012.
Right. When people hear her speak and look at her track record for fighting effectively for the little guy and gal, they'll forgive her wistful longings to be a member of the Wannabe Tribe.
Warren has claimrd native american status . Appently, it ain't so. I'm sure she'd take the test and releasr it if she thought it would make this go away. My wife, btw, is 1/8 Cherokee and proud of it.
As tolaws, I can't cite a law that says you have to use some common sense, Corky. But it wouldn't kill you to give it a try.