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January 15, 2010 08:35 PM UTC

Romanoff Uncertainty a Nationwide Head-Scratcher

  • 72 Comments
  • by: Colorado Pols

Read today’s story in Politico, and tell us how it can be spun in any way positively for Senate candidate gubernatorial candidate at-large (?) candidate Andrew Romanoff:

In the wake of Democratic Gov. Bill Ritter’s surprise Jan. 6 announcement that he would not seek reelection, Romanoff had been making phone calls to prominent supporters asking them whether he should end his maverick Senate bid and jump into the newly open governor’s race. But that move is now seen as far less likely with Hickenlooper, who entered the race with President Barack Obama’s support, in the contest.

That leaves Romanoff, who was until recently a rising star in the state Democratic Party, with two options: remain in a Senate race where the deck is stacked against him and he risks dividing the party or join Hickenlooper as his running mate for lieutenant governor – a prospect that White House political officials and Senate campaign strategists have discussed with him, according to multiple Democratic sources.

“It’s a tough position largely of his own doing. Instead of being the wonder child, he’s the problem child,” said Eric Sondermann, a Colorado independent political analyst and media consultant. “A lot of people regard him as a spoiler. He risks looking like someone who wants any job.”

…One senior Democratic operative who spoke to Romanoff last week about his intentions said Romanoff has been looking for ways to get out of the Senate race while saving political face [Pols emphasis] – and he had been hoping to enter the governor’s race.

The source said that Romanoff was not inclined to run against Hickenlooper and that Romanoff would be willing to remain in the Senate race if there aren’t any alternatives.

“There’s a good chance that with all the musical chairs in Colorado, he’s still the one without a chair at the end,” said the operative.

“He doesn’t want to be in this Senate race as much as the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee doesn’t want him to be in the race. Everyone knows Bennet’s going to win, and Romanoff knows it could cost him his political future.” [Pols emphasis]

State Treasurer Cary Kennedy, a Romanoff ally, told POLITICO: “I think he’s absolutely committed to staying in the Senate race.”

…Polly Baca, a former state senator and another Romanoff ally, said the former state House speaker was under pressure from supporters to jump into the governor’s race.

“He still hasn’t made his mind up,” said Baca.

…Democratic operatives in the state privately expect Romanoff to report unimpressive fundraising totals when end-of-year finance reports are released in the next several days.

“Bennet has such an advantage over him,” said state Sen. Abel Tapia, a Romanoff backer. “I’m getting less and less confident that Andrew can do it.”

A couple of observations: first, and most obviously, it doesn’t really matter if Romanoff decides at this point to stay in the Senate race or not–press like this, combined with the paltry numbers Romanoff is widely expected to soon post for Q4 of 2009, are quickly rendering him irrelevant in that race with all but a shrinking group of grassroots supporters. For reasons we’ve discussed, Romanoff does not represent a serious threat to John Hickenlooper either. Those are the facts.

What this means for Romanoff’s career is pretty close to the point made by Eric Sondermann: there’s very little left for Romanoff this election cycle, and his continued efforts in 2010 are at the expense of his own reputation. He’s failed to differentiate himself from Sen. Michael Bennet enough to provide meaningful choice to Democratic primary voters, and he was not the strongest candidate to replace Bill Ritter on the gubernatorial ticket. We reiterate that Andrew Romanoff is a smart prospect for higher office under different circumstances, and a few wise choices–even at this late hour–could do his future prospects a tremendous amount of long-term good.

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72 thoughts on “Romanoff Uncertainty a Nationwide Head-Scratcher”

  1. for quite a while, well before Gov. Ritter’s announcement.  The lack of “career planning” on AR’s part is entirely his own fault, and demonstrates a complete failure strategically on his part.  

      4. Barney Frank has flat out said if Brown wins health care is dead. How ironic and twisted that the one vote that could doom it comes from Ted Kennedy’s old seat who made national health care the cause of his life.  

  2.     *  Exam Dates: July 27 and 28, 2010

       * Filing deadline by mail: May 3, 2010

       * Submission deadline for electronic ONLINE APPLICATION: May 1, 2010

       * Late applications through June 1, 2010 (including electronic online application submission)

      It’s too late to sign up for the February Exam.  Andrew should seriously consider taking the bar review course and taking the July exam.  He put a lot of time and money into the DU night law school program.  If nothing else, being in the bar would qualify him to run for Attorney General in 2014, when Suthers will be term limited.

      As an admirer of Andrew’s, I suggest he seriously consider this.  He still enjoys a lot of support, but its a wasting asset.

    1. Doesn’t seem likely that he will be joining Hick as Lt. Gov either. While I’m confident Hick can do it, it certainly isn’t a usual thing for a Denver mayor to become governor and I doubt they’ll want another Denver guy on the ticket.

      Romanoff is still young and maybe spending a few years in practice, maybe in the service of a high profile cause or some government position.  Maybe seeing what life is like outside the purely political arena, gaining some experience other than being the big fussed over fish in the small pond. Maybe even getting married and starting a family?  In any case, he certainly isn’t going to be Senator or Governor come 2011.

      1. Two white guys from Denver makes zero sense.  As an attorney, he could press some environmental law cases, as my daughter does, or otherwise do some good things.  The point is, he’s come this far, why not pass the bar and check out his options.  Or at least go to work for McInnis’ old firm to become another millionaire lawyer lobbyist.;-)

          1. 1991 rules were still only white guys can apply for the national ticket, the one fling with Ferraro having ended badly.  If you think an all white, all male, all Denver ticket gleams in 2010 in Colorado, I have a 35 acre ranchette in the San Luis Valley I can sell you.  

              1. is a definite non starter.   I would have thought Kathleen Curry would have been perfect but a funny thing happened on the way to her Democratic caucus ;-(  Bernie Buescher is great where he is.  Sal Pace?  A credible name.  Buffie the Elephant Slayer McFadyen from Pueblo is bright, energetic, a hard campaigner.   I hear Josh Penry is looking for indoor work with no heavy lifting 😉

                   Alice Madden may bear the “Boulder Liberal” taint but lord that woman is smart and hard-working.  As far as that goes, Barbara O’Brien is good at the job, and tho from Denver at least doesn’t fall into the two white guys category.  

                    1. about working for the ticket. I’d support Hickenlooper but probably wouldn’t volunteer otherwise.

                    2. Having a person of that quality on the ticket would not only energize the base, it would provide a real help in governing.  At best, the LG is a minister without portfolio.  With Madden’s legislative experience, she could also be Hickenlooper’s chief lobbyist.  He’s never served in the lege.  She’s a master of that arena.  No doubt the Rs would try the “Boulder liberal” line,  It worked so well against Mark Udall!  Hickenlooper/Madden against Lawyer/Lobbyist and whomever would well be a winning combination.  

                      Forgive me for asking, sxp151, but are you of the female persuasion?  Normally it doesn’t matter but in this case, it helps evaluate the impact of a Madden candidacy on a really critical part of the D base.

                    3. You’ll find out tomorrow.

                      P.S. On a completely unrelated note, did you ever see the Crying Game?

            2. The reason Clinton/Gore worked was precisely because there was a genuine chemistry between them in 92 that was a synergy.  It had nothing to do with black/white or male/female.  It also led to Al Gore being one of the most actively involved Vice Presidents in America’s history.

              The point is this:  balancing via geography or gender or whatever isn’t nearly as important on Election Day to the voters as finding somebody who seems to complement the attributes of the top of the ticket well.  Sometimes that means balancing; but the most successful tickets are those that search for synergy between the two personalities, balancing be damned.

              1. It is important that the two work well together and are on the same page, particularly considering our budget shortfalls and the recession. Which leads me to believe that he can surely find someone that meets your expectations outside of metro Denver. We have a large pool of talented Democrats and the vast majority of them live outside Denver city limits.

                Or are you suggesting that only someone living in Denver will do?

                1. Not by a long shot.  In fact, I’d personally prefer to see somebody from Southern Colorado.  But if the ideal person for this job just happens to be from Denver, then I’m fine with that.  And if that person is Romanoff, I’m fine with that, too.  

                  I just fear people get too caught up in “this candidate is a white male from X, so we clearly have to find a non-white female from not-X”, when the chemistry is so much more important than that.

                  1. Tyler too barely knew each other.  FDR basically ignored Truman.  IF Romanoff came from Steamboat Springs, I’d love to see him on the ticket.  But two white guys from Denver?  Fuggettabudit.

                    1. Gov/LtGov is hardly comparable to president/VP. I don’t think anybody is saying we couldn’t win with two Denver guys.  Just saying it’s highly unlikely another Denver guy would be chosen.  Fate hasn’t been kind to AR and he hasn’t been brilliant at dealing the cards fate dealt him this time around.  Ideal time to get that bar exam out of the way, as Voyageur suggests.  

                    2. Good thinking, Jamba. Tapia is a very intriguing prospect.

                      He’s finishing up his second term in the Senate, he’s on the National Committee of Hispanic Caucus and he’s been super successful as a small business owner. Man, what’s not to love, huh?

                      It would be pretty sweet to have someone from Pueblo on the ticket. Would certainly energize the southern part of the state.

  3. I think Andrew needs to make the best of a suck-o situation. The best option I see for him is to realize that there is no office for him this cycle and instead work on enhancing his reputation.

    What about?

    1) Announce that he is going to drop out of the race.

    2) Spend his existing funds pounding Norton.

    3) Drop out.

    4) Campaign like crazy for Bennet & Hickenlooper.

    On election day if he’s viewed as one of the most effective assets in the re-election of Bennet & Hickenlooper then he’s sitting in a good position for what comes next.

    1. I think the biggest “failing” was that AR supported Hillary and thus was not considered for a fed job and thus gets little Dem establishment support at this time. Enough time will have to pass that even though folks won’t forget it will no longer matter. A job as a lawyer for a public interest non profit would serve him well.

      1. Whether or not it was in fact a buy-out as some people described it, Romanoff was offered at least one if not two federal jobs in the Obama administration but turned them down.

    4. If he had beat Hick to the punch then things may have been different. He should either run with Hick, or seek to work with Dems to win up and down the ticket.

      He does deserve our respect. He’s a good man.  

      1. Should Hick pick a female? That seems the conventional wisdom. I consider that to be a very Republican way to think, that the only way to get the female vote is with a female on the ticket.

        What Hick really does need is someone from a good deal farther west that Denver, someone who can talk about water responsibly. Does anyone remember if Hick had an opinion about Ref A?

        2. If Hick picks a woman for lt. gov. and they win, then that’s three women lt. govs. in a row and it starts to look like the girls’ job.  That irritates me.  

        3. Look, even if I agree with the whole concept of “balancing” the ticket (and I don’t), there is a much, much, much larger voting block in Southern Colorado than in Western Colorado, and water is just as important (if not more) in Southern Colorado.

          2. The Valley is not the Western Slope since the divide turns far west there, but it’s not Denver either. Remember, Ken Salazar is from the Valley and won in 2004 largely by picking up the mountain and Valley counties, the same counties that went for Bush.

            I would pick someone from the West Slope or the Valley who is strong on water and energy policy and then give them a real role in overseeing those issues and continuing the New Energy Economy of Ritter.  

            1. But geographically he doesn’t work for LT, and at this point he’s almost damaged goods. He needs some R & R to rebuild and get back on track, because he’s young and still has a future on Colorado politics.  

    1. He should have made better. I was one of the first to contribute to his campaign, just seconds after his e-mail arrived and before the ActBlue page was even really up.  He should have made a better bed for himself.  Now he just needs to duck his head, apologize to his biggest supporters and do exactly what is said above.

      Frankly, it will make him an even better candidate in the future.

  6. A new Rasmussen poll might be cause for pause. Seems Brother Bennet’s net rating in the “very favorable” vs. “very unfavorable” category is -13.

    Romanoff is +2.

    ColoradoPols on the Jan. 7 explained the importance of these categories. Brief version: the veries are verily the two that count.

    The two are tied, each trailing Norton by 12.

    More details:

    –Rasmussen numbers: http://www.rasmussenreports.co…

    –“What it all means”: http://coloradopols.com/diary/…

    1. But your point is valid, JO.

      Though, if you take into account the somewhat favorable and unfavorable ratings Romanoff is at 40% favorable and 36% unfavorable, whereas Bennet is at 42% favorable and 40% unfavorable.

      The big story in that poll doesn’t have anything to do with the Democrats’ favorable/unfavorable, but rather the fact that Jane Norton is up 12 points on both of them.

      1. I’m going with this from the Politico piece:

        …One senior Democratic operative who spoke to Romanoff last week about his intentions said Romanoff has been looking for ways to get out of the Senate race while saving political face [Pols emphasis] – and he had been hoping to enter the governor’s race.

        And this:

        “He doesn’t want to be in this Senate race as much as the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee doesn’t want him to be in the race. Everyone knows Bennet’s going to win, and Romanoff knows it could cost him his political future.”

        But if he had any hopes of getting out by switching to the gubernatorial race, that’s a no go, too.  He really ought to take Voyageur’s advice.  

  7. Put a fork in the Romanoff “Campaign for Colorado (Fill-in the Blank)”.

    It’s done, and the sooner the better.

    I can’t wait to see the DSCC staff and cash resources start to flood our state.  I’m also excited to see us focus on Norton.

      1. I think the guy has a very thin skin and is not willing to get out in front of people. McInnis or Norton can pull that for a bit because they’re favored. Wiens – no way.

        I think Wiens has stopped trying. Has anyone heard of him doing any events anywhere?

          1. But the way campaigning works today – getting in front of people, being discussed (on the web and elsewhere), etc – all matters quite a bit already.

            And even if this other stuff didn’t matter, if Weins has a thin skin then he’s not a credible candidate.

    2. Bob, do you just have this in your cut-and-paste system for every post about Romanoff now?  Seems like all your posts are the same.

      And, by the way, sounds like the DSCC is already doing a pretty good job in Colorado, considering how they are taking advantage of every Jane Norton gaffe…

      1. You responded to Caroman. His name is clearly not Bob on this site so whose comment are you referring to? Or are you just being coy and trying to out somebody?

        1. Anybody who knows Bob knows that his e-mail address begins with “Caroman.”  If he was trying to hide his identity, he would have used a different screen name.  He was a pretty well-known activist in 2008.  I don’t get the impression that he’s trying to hide anything.

          1. so I would guess that was information he wasn’t interested in sharing. So, perhaps you ought to keep that piece of knowledge to yourself.

          4. If you want to out yourself, fine.  You don’t get to make those decisions for anyone else, regardless of whether you think other people know or not. Mind your manners, SouthDem.

      2. The posts are similar because the story is still the same: Romanoff has run a pathetic challenge against a candidate with whom he has no policy differences and has demonstrated limited fundraising ability.  Not to mention that he had apparently already quit the senate race as of 10am last Sunday, only to change his mind later that day.

        Yet, you apparently still miss my point about the DSCC.  I have said (repeatedly) that the DSCC cannot bring their staff and money resources into Colorado until we have only one senate candidate.  That will be far more important than having the DSCC issue press releases from DC.  Have you processed that so I don’t have to repeat?

  8. In my view, Romanoff has performed an important service. He nudged Bennet off the top of that fence he’d been sitting on for months.

    Bennet has seemed to me to be two different candidates — pre-challenge, and post-challenge. And i dislike the new Bennet a little less than i disliked the old Bennet. I don’t think we would have seen such a difference if there hadn’t been such initial hoopla about Romanoff’s gambit.

    My other wish was for someone to primary Ritter. I’d wanted that challenge even more than the (senate) primary we have, but i’m very happy that’s now a moot wish.

    Its obviously a poor consolation prize (barring a significant upset), but i feel we should appreciate Romanoff’s challenge for what it has accomplished.

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