Who's talking about social issues in 2010? Buck

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by: Jason Salzman

( – promoted by Colorado Pols)

Denver Post editorial page editor Dan Haley got a fact wrong in his column today.

He wrote in reference to Colorado’s U.S. Senate race that only Bennet, not Buck, is talking about social issues in 2010.

Most likely, Ken Buck is the GOP nominee precisely because he talked so much and so passionately about social issues during the Republican primary, scoring much more love from the social-conservative wing of the Republican Party than his opponent Jane Norton. Arguably the support from social conservatives tipped the hard-faught primary in his direction.

So it would have been true for Haley to write that Buck doesn’t like to talk to him and mainstream journalists and average-regular-angry voters about social issues now.

And it’s true that Buck is trying not to talk about social issues to anyone now that the primary is behind him. And he’s even withdrawn his support from the Personhood initiative.

But Buck undoubtedly blabbed and blabbed about social issues to select audiences who heard his words clearly, and these folks were part of his Tea-Party victory formula.

I’m really sorry to offer this exchange again from Jim Pfaff’s social-conservative radio show (560 KLZ), but it’s emblematic of how Buck dangled his social-conservative lines to select audiences who wanted to hear them.

Pfaff: “These social issues, like marriage, these are critical issues. It has been one of the great weaknesses of the Republican Party not to deal with these critical issues.”

Buck: “I agree with you that I think it has been a weakness of the Republican Party in the United States Senate, and I think it’s time that we look at the people we are sending back to Washington DC and making sure those people are sticking by the values they espouse on the campaign trail.”

This kind of talk paid dividends for Buck.

“The biggest victory for Personhood today was Ken Buck, for U.S. Senate.”

So, you’re right Mr. Haley, Ken Buck must not have said anything about social issues in 2010 to get that kind of response from Colorado Right to Life, which we all know cares only about jobs and the economy.

10 thoughts on “Who’s talking about social issues in 2010? Buck”

ThillyWabbit says:

September 26, 2010 at 10:24 pm

On the Merits, Jane Norton could have made a much more compelling case for social conservatism given her background in charismatic Christianity.

She could easily have run an antigay campaign against Buck, hitting him over the head with his stated support of hate crime legislation (why has nobody asked him if he’s Buckpedaling on that yet?). She chose not to, likely on advice from the NRSC to not touch social issues with a ten foot pole lest it hurt her in the general.

Now Ken Buck is getting the same advice, and also taking it. But how does that excuse his primary record? In the media’s thinking, it’s ancient history. To you and me it was last month.

Thanks, Jason, for holding the media accountable on this.

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JeffcoBlue says:

September 26, 2010 at 10:30 pm

Note to Haley: it’s not working.

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GOPwarrior says:

September 26, 2010 at 10:48 pm

Buck is the one the voters trust one the issue that matters more than anything, the economy. Democrat distractions and wedge issues do not matter this year. Dan Haley knows this.

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1. ThillyWabbit says:
  
  September 26, 2010 at 11:01 pm
  
  And frankly the national polling doesn’t really support your claim. Right now the trust question is about equal (Democrats have a statistically insignificant 2-point lead in the latest AP poll).
  
  In other words, you’re making shit up again.
  
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  1. H-man says:
    
    September 27, 2010 at 3:49 am
    
    yet his lead went from +4 to +5 in the last two weeks. Not a dent.
    
    The problem the Dems have is Buck to the general electorate is a nice guy. Bennet to the general electorate is like oat meal. The Dems have never given anyone a reason to vote for Bennet, so people won’t.
    
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    1. sxp151 says:
      
      September 27, 2010 at 3:55 am
      
      has been that Buck has buckpedaled many of his views on social issues (which once upon a time were a big deal to him and his supporters). Criticism of Buck has led to Buck changing his views and then lying about them. He got spooked.
      
      There’s still six weeks until the election, and the narrative that Buck is a liar who will say anything to get elected is just getting solidified. That’s going to hurt him. Nobody likes voting for a liar.
      
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2. sxp151 says:
  
  September 27, 2010 at 12:50 am
  
  but the electorate is starting to feel a little uncomfortable with the way you keep touching it.
  
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  1. Sir Robin says:
    
    September 27, 2010 at 1:48 am
    
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    1. denverco says:
      
      September 27, 2010 at 2:30 am
      
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      1. Froward69 says:
        
        September 27, 2010 at 3:43 am
        
        when he is obviously stroking republican dick with BOTH hands.
        
        It must be that he, OBR, LB and bj trade off?
        
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