July 05, 2007 11:11 PM UTC

Is Eric Eidsness a viable candidate?

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• by: John Galt

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I ask because I do not have an informed opinion.  I am a conservative and will vote for Musgrave in the next election. I’m actually excited about “Musgrave 2.0”, anytime you have a Representative listening to constituents and reaching across the aisle you should consider it a good thing.

I say all that to make it known that I do NOT understand the innerworkings of the Dem party, so try not to be too harsh on me. But, is Eric Eidsness the best chance the Dems have of winning the fourth? The article by Bob Lawrence certainly makes a case for it. I however have a hard time envisioning it. It appears to me that Eric would join any party in which he thought he could get elected in, though I could be wrong and this might have been a well thought out decision for him. Anyways, please give me some feedback on if the Dems would truly consider someone like Eric as their nominee.

From the Fort Collins Weekly

There’s a new kid on the Democratic block. His name is Eric Eidsness. Democrats should look over him carefully because he may have a better than usual chance of reclaiming the 4th Congressional District for them.

The 4th CD has been a tough place for Democrats since Rep. Wayne Aspinall was the district’s representative back in 1972. Much of the problem is found in the registration figures. Republicans are in the majority, followed by unaffiliated voters. Democrats are last. Democrats traditionally do well in Larimer County. This is partly due to the liberal influence of Colorado State University and Front Range Community College that are located in the district’s largest city, Fort Collins. Where Democrats generally fall short is on the eastern plains.

Therefore to win the 4th CD, Democrats need to increase their appeal to independents and moderate Republicans, particularly in the counties that are east of I-25. To accomplish this feat that has eluded them for 35 years they need to nominate a Democrat who has the following attributes:
To be elected, a Democrat should be a moderate, i.e. one who can hold Democratic votes, while attracting independents and moderate Republicans. I have had three lengthy conversations with Eidsness and he takes a moderate position on the issues. The candidate should be a combat veteran in order to blunt the classic Republican charge that Democrats are “soft on defense.” Eidsness served in Vietnam. The candidate should have extensive business experience; tempered with the philosophy that business has an obligation to be a good citizen. Eidsness, a professional engineer, has been a successful businessman. Because the 4th CD is located in what early explorers called the “great American desert” a Democratic candidate should have experience in the management of water for both the agricultural community and the urbanized centers—Eidsness was a technical expert in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency during the Reagan Administration working on water issues in Colorado.

The Republican incumbent, Rep. Marilyn Musgrave, narrowly won the 2006 election with 46 percent of the vote. This may cause some Democrats to believe that the congresswoman is vulnerable, especially in what could be a “Democratic Year.” While the nation may generally reject Republicans in the wake of President Bush’s ineptitude, Musgrave can be expected to wage a vigorous and well-funded campaign. She has already shown she understands the difficulties facing a Republican in 2008 and she has started to moderate some of her more conservative positions, and she has put some distance between herself and the president.

Further, Musgrave’s staff has worked tirelessly to assist her constituents to resolve problems between themselves and the federal government. Such voters will understandably remember her favorably on Election Day. So Democrats who dismiss Marilyn Musgrave’s chances of reelection because of the fortunes of the national Republican leadership do so at their peril. It follows that if Democrats therefore think the traditional type of candidate they ran in the past will beat Musgrave they may lose again.

Democrats, don’t take my word about Eidsness’ electability—check him out on his Web site, which is www.eric4congress.org.

Or schedule debates with two other candidates, Angie Paccione and Betsy Markey. Both would be attractive candidates in a congressional district with a majority of registered Democrats. However the 4th CD is not such a district. In 2006, running as a third-party candidate of the Reform Party, Eidsness won 11 percent of the vote with a mere $30,000 budget and no campaign staff. This time the Democratic Party should get behind him with real money and full support. Otherwise 2008 may be a mirror of many previous campaigns in the 4th CD.

Bob Lawrence is a Fort Collins resident and a registered Democrat. He moderated a debate between Musgrave, Paccione and Eidsness prior to the November 2006 election.