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November 10, 2009 05:47 AM UTC

For Gov. Ritter, The Stakes Just Got Much Bigger

  • 18 Comments
  • by: harrydoby

After last week’s gubernatorial races in Virginia and New Jersey, someone at the Republican Governors Association probably slapped their forehead and said, “Hey – Colorado’s a recent Red state with a vulnerable Dem Governor”.  And then promptly picked up the phone to have a little chat with Wadhams, McInnis and Penry (in approximately that order).

Because this is where Obama was nominated, and the close ties our state delegation has with the administration, I believe it really will turn into a referendum on Obama’s first 2 years in office.

I predict this race is going to get a disproportionate amount of national attention from both parties. Expect to see visits from Obama, and slashing attacks from the national GOP and 527s.

Game on!

Will the extra attention help Ritter's chances?

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18 thoughts on “For Gov. Ritter, The Stakes Just Got Much Bigger

    1. Funny how quickly people forget elections.  2004 for instance?

      Honestly, if I hear one more person suggest ’10 will be all about Obama, I’m going to be slightly more annoyed than I am right now.

      1. 2010 will be a referendum on the economy – specifically, Obama’s handling there of, and the effects on Colorado specifically.

        As inspiring and courageous Obama was during his campaign, both he and Ritter share a cautious nature that may not be the best course right now.  

        But they also share the fate of being hamstrung by a system (our mess of a state constitution, a recalcitrant US Senate, respectively) that allows neither of them much room to maneuver.

        Maybe the attention will in fact, get Ritter to step up his game and provide him better opportunities to demonstrate the leadership qualities we voted for.

          1. CT, I don’t at all believe the VA/NJ races were referendums on Obama.  I merely posited that that’s the current Republican wishful thinking, and likely contributing to Penry’s decision to clear the path for McInnis.

            However, the economy (especially when bad) always dominates major elections.  Both Ritter and Obama will ride the wave or be sucked under by the undertow.  

            I just feel that Colorado also will be a national battleground once more, which is a natural outgrowth of our rising political profile as much as it may be due to the perception of Ritter’s vulnerability.

            1. As I see it, and have mentioned above, the Gov has three main issues to overcome:

              1) the economy–which is mostly out of his control, but he needs to keep it central in his messaging and in showing concern and leadership to move past it. (Colorado is actually doing much better than most states, so he CAN run on that, but he needs to figure out the best way to frame that in a manner that doesn’t ignore people’s malaise and concerns).

              2) state budget issues–related to, but not only caused by, the above.  This problem has been a long time in the making, as most astute observers know, but it hangs on the Governor.  I think he is handling this pretty well, but if things don’t improve in the economy, and more cuts keep coming, he loses support (in spite of all the GOP rhetoric about not wanting Govt to grow, people on both sides of the aisle love them that Govt money, if deeds speak louder than words).

              3) an unenthusiastic base–progressives, labor, many environmentalists, JO and others, are not feeling the Gov’s love.  Will they vote for McInnis?  Probably not.  Will they stay home next November? Quite likely.  In VA, although Obama won by nearly 8 points, McCain voters turn out was 8 points higher than Obama voter turn out last Tuesday.  A lot of folks stayed home because they are sick of hoping that Democrats will show bold leadership (because as candidates they say they will) then become frightened of their shadows once they get elected, standing with the dead skunks–right in the middle of the road.

        1. You have good reasons there, but I have recent history.  Do you remember Bush?  His approval rating was almost as low then as when he left office.

          Still feeling gruntled, don’t worry.

    1. You know, I used to be like you. I used to be a purist; I used to believe that a pure, strong-willed belief system could accomplish things. Well it doesn’t. American politics is and always will be mined in compromise. Until you learn that, JO, you won’t ever be satisfied, nor appreciative, of the wonderful system we do have.

      I’m all for moral purity. But I don’t think chiding those who don’t agree with your purist stance is good politics whatever you believe.  

      1. And I would add to that that has time has gone on I have seen that what I thought was the best approach at times was wrong. When you accept that those that disagree with you may turn out to have a better approach, that makes you even more open to other ideas.

      2. I see now that you’re right. I should be satisfied with what we’ve got. Countin’ our blessings as as I type. And I realize: I’m satisfied. There, that wasn’t so hard.

        I now appreciate the wonderful system we have: 17.5% unemployment, 45 million uninsured, trade deficit in the trillions, Goldman Sachs gettin’ the big bonuses they deserve plus H1N1 vaccine, only two active wars at the moment, importing a greater percentage of our petroleum than ever before (more is better!), San Diego still above sea-level, mostly, probably not too many innocent people executed in Texas, a better health care system than Zimbabwe… Whew, the list goes on, doesn’t it? Thanks for pointing it out.

        Let’s compromise, definitely. Let’s vote against the health care reform bill; that’s a compromise, I guess, and hey, I’m satisfied. Let’s back a Democrat who voted against the bill or else we’ll find ourselves with a Republican who would have voted against the bill.

        And I realize now that a strong-willed belief system can accomplish nothing. Never has. Never will, so let’s calm down. Let’s limit slavery to the South. How about if black people are allowed to ride in all but the first three rows of the bus, and to attend classes in white high schools at night? And if it’s raining, let’s let ’em wait at the end of the lunch counter for their take-out. Let’s compromise and just prosecute every other lynching. Let’s let women who don’t want babies give them up for adoption, and if the father is a rapist, well, let him adopt the baby while in jail if he wants. I’m cool with all that. Amazing what accepting the Accepted Wisdom will get you.

        Of course, I’ll miss the flack from the Learned Experienced Ones, the LEOs of Utopia on Earth who know how to go along to get along, but I’ll be so zonked out that maybe I won’t notice.

        Just give me time to learn the Art of Calm. Please? Enough of this Urgency of Now stuff. First, I’ll just say a prayer to St. Soporifica, then ask you to read one of these Ritter bedtime stories to me while I swallow my Skyler medicine, and I’ll fall asleep in a few….. Zzzzzzzzzzzz. Zzzzzzzzzzzzz.

        1. You don’t know what cap-and-trade is or how close the margin was.

          Until you find out, you sound kind of stupid repeating the same shit over and over again.

          Forty-four Democrats voted against it. Markey voted for it. It just barely passed. She’s going to get a lot of crap for it in her district. Markey is on the Democrats’ side.

          1. Q. Rep. Markey, why did you vote against health care reform?

            A.: I voted for cap and trade.

            Q. Rep. Markey, what do you say to people in your district who don’t have health insurance?

            A.: I voted for cap and trade.

            Q.: Rep. Markey, are you on the Democrats’a side?

            A. Sometimes.

            http://www.openleft.com/diary/

            1. Markey’s vote didn’t impact whether or not her constituents would have health insurance. The vote wasn’t close on this bill; her constituents will have health insurance because the entire House agreed, even if Betsy didn’t.

              Rep. Markey knows how to get things done. That’s why she’s in Congress, and you’re not.  

              1. IF three votes out of 435 had reversed, the bill would have failed 217-218.

                But “close” is a matter of perception, and the argument seems to go: Markey’s vote didn’t matter (“didn’t impact whether”). So, why should we care whether she’s re-elected? This is what you call knowing “how to get things done”?

                As for “that’s why she’s in Congress and you’re not,” presumably that applies equally to you: you’re not in congress, therefore you don’t know how to get things done? Remind me, what is it exactly that Markey has gotten done?

                Must admit that the more I read in her defense, the more CD4 strikes me as a case of “We’ll take it if we can get it, but it doesn’t really much matter.” And if we DO get it, we can’t be sure of her vote on the issue that loomed as the most important issue of the year (after Cap and Trade, of course).

                Markey’s behavior leaves me thinking that if she’s re-elected, fine; if not, that’s okay too. Her clever calculations also make me think that she’s unlikely to be able to call on any leftover spirit of ’08, Yes We Can, and all that.

                So let’s hear it one last time:

                Thanks for Voting No On Health Care Reform, Betsy! Good Vote! You Got Our Support. No Discontent from Democrats! None!

        2. between Betsy Markey and Corey Gardner, then there is absolutely, positively, no hope for you.

          Have fun living in your condescending, pretentious ivory tower. Please don’t hesitate to come down and visit us common folks every once in a while. You’ve been so gracious to do so now that Square State is a barren wasteland. I really hope you’ll continue to post tripe like this on a regular basis!

  1. I believe that he will win a hard fought camapaign.

    I expect both the Senate race(regardless of DEm Nominne) and the Governor’s race to be mud baths.

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