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September 16, 2010 01:36 AM UTC

John Salazar Gets NRA Endorsement

  • 29 Comments
  • by: Colorado Pols

Yes, he’s a Democrat. Yes, he’s an incumbent. But we’ve always believed that Rep. John Salazar would be fine in November, and today’s news that he has received the endorsement of the National Rifle Association (NRA) is a good example of that.

Salazar has routinely won re-election in CD-3 in large part because voters don’t look at him like a Democrat. The NRA’s endorsement only helps that perception, and makes it much harder for Republican Scott Tipton to paint Salazar as just another liberal politician puppet of Nancy Pelosi, blah, blah, blah.

Comments

29 thoughts on “John Salazar Gets NRA Endorsement

  1. If they endorse at all. Both candidates are supporters of gun rights and endorsing Markey (a card carrying NRA member) in such a tight race would run the risk of alienating Gardner if he ends up winning the seat. I think that they simply won’t endorse in the 4th. Thoughts?

    1. Every projection (with the exception of thisite) seems to put Representative Markey as being in major trouble. While I don’t think she is toast yet, it certainly won’t be easy    

    2. Reid had a very high favorable ranking with the NRA, but they endorsed Angle and gave as their primary reason that they were put off by Reid’s support for Sotomayor and Kagan.

      Don’t expect any more consistency from the NRA than you would from your average voter.

    1. Did you see the issues questions?  It had 50% saying that Republicans will do a better job than Dems on the Economy, Taxes, Immigration, and Health Care.  I think Bennet is heading for a big win.  I’ll take him for a 7% win.  Read it here first.

  2. Salazar has routinely won re-election in CD-3 in large part because voters don’t look at him like a Democrat

    Which is exactly why even though I am a Democrat I have voted for Salazar’s opponent in every election since moving to CD-3.  If we can get him out of the seat, maybe we can get a chance to run a real Dem who doesn’t continually screw the people of CD-3. I can handle one rotation of a Republican in the house where single seats are often lost in the noise of the many other seats.

      1. When I compare Salazar’s job representing the people of CD-3 with other reps we have in Colorado, he just falls extremely short. When was the last time we saw Mr. Salazar in a grocery store talking to the people of CD-3?

        When I first moved here I tried to talk with Salazar.  Called his office, never got beyond the secretary.  Wrote a letter, got a form letter back.  Went to all of the caucuses we have had, he has never shown at a single one.  He sends a letter and maybe a representative from his office.  The guy is absolutely unengaged with this district and routinely votes against rural interests (but covers his backside with a huge number of land-use and water-use speeches and DOA bills).  He has voted for and introduced telecom bills that made it harder (and more expensive) for rural people to get TV, internet, and phone service.  He has voted for education amendments that make it harder for rural colleges to stay open.  He has voted for numerous agriculture bills and/or amendments that favor large corporate farms over smaller family farms.  

        I realize this may be a very negative way to react to Rep. Salazar, but having tried all the traditional ways of influencing my rep and seeing complete non-responses…well my only other option is to vote against him and hope to replace him with someone else.  

        And yes, I have gone to local Dem officials and asked about other candidates on the Dem side.  That idea was quickly shut down.  Even people who are not happy with his performance don’t want to “rock the boat” by running a primary challenge.

         

    1. He also voted for the Bankruptcy Bill, which I consider a negative.  Before Salazar, McInnis beat the Lt Gov, Mike Callihan, Linda Powers, a state Senator, Al Gurule, Curt Imrie, and a couple of others.  Do you have a candidate in mind?  Otherwise, I would recommend getting your county to push some more progressive ideas.  Once you’ve done that, he might move left.  Until then, he’s better than McInnis or Penry or Tipton.  He votes yes on some things I support which is better than I can say for them.

      1. I wouldn’t cry if the Dems could find and run a better candidate in the Primary, indeed I would encourage it and open my checkbook wide. Salazar represents me better than Tipton (my state rep), but just barely.  In general he ignores my concerns and the message I get from his staff is to just shut up and be thankful.      

        Getting good progressive ideals as county planks, with advocates pushing them is good.

        Doing a better job of holding Dems who vote against CLEAR, ACES, throw Vermillion Basin under the bus, backtrack on Roan Plateau, are shy about standing up for progressive ideals, are what PRIMARIES are for.  And county assemblies, and the rest of the year.  

        We in the 3rd CD and others so inclined across the state should make sure that Rep. Salazar gets that message the other 364 days of the year.  

        I do vote, and I won’t vote for Tipton.

        1. Move to Boulder or Denver. Otherwise, it ain’t gonna happen.

          Salazar wins because he’s a conservative Democrat. If he weren’t, he wouldn’t have a prayer.

          His district staff is invisible ever since Sal Pace in Pueblo went on to the state legislature. Salazar needs to fix that.

          But your alternative is Tipton, just like you had him as an alternative before. There was Walcher, and wouldn’t you have loved him as your congressman.

          A progressive won’t win on the Western Slope, period. I doubt if a progressive could get out of the assemblies top line, except in Pitkin and San Miguel counties. As for planks in the platform, have you ever heard of candidates of either party who paid any real attention to the platform?

          You can get a conservadem like Salazar, or you get a GOP-talking-points-robot like Tipton.

          But you already know that. I think Salazar does a pretty good job overall of representing the 3rd District. It’s a tough crowd. That’s just me, of course.

          As Ralphie says, your mileage may vary.

          1. And I noted above that I won’t vote for Tipton and I do vote.  

            I don’t think that San Miguel and Pitkin are the only places a progressive could do well. Obama won Gunnison and La Plata, almost GarCo.  I also think that a rep could do more than Salazar does on issues I care about and still get elected.

            I hear a lot of complaints, and its not from radical lefties or purists. They wouldn’t be happy with any viable candidate.  Its from party stalwarts, its from community leaders. They’ll vote for him, but they would likely support a different candidate should one emerge.  

    2. but I’ve got to say, “Good luck with that plan.”

      There aren’t anywhere near enough real Democrats in CD-3 to elect a real Democrat as representative.  I’m afraid that the very best you’re ever going to get is a DINO.

    3. You might consider the “long” route – electing local officials with more progressive credentials and moving the entire area to the left.

      You’re in a district that elects moderates and conservatives, because that’s what they’re comfortable with.  Run for office and/or find someone you can support and help them run for office.  Show some skeptical people that progressives can/will do good things for them, responsibly.  Come back in a decade and let me know what you’ve done – unless something happens to seriously upset the voters’ sense of balance, they won’t just magically change and vote for a different type of candidate.

  3. John Salazar is a good politician. He gives his voters what they want: practical access to the back country for hunting and fishing. In return, John is free to support the caucus as he sees fit, earning a 75 (liberal) rating from the Americans for Democratic Action.

    The NRA is bowing to the inevitable: Incumbents are re-elected even when Congress is wildly unpopular. Better to back So-So Salazar than Sad Scott (having lost the election).

    Besides, Scott can hardly be a “sore winner” and throw the NRA overboard. Politics is politics.

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