December 12, 2014 09:23 AM UTC

Letter to Michael Bennet: The Next 2 Years

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• by: Zappatero

Someone needs to get to the boss and urge him to get off the fence and start acting like a true Democrat. His friend and colleague Mark Udall, whom he has such great respect for, just got his ass handed to him. This was most likely due to Udall's inability to project, or fear of showing, support for significant Democratic and progressive principles.

And I think we can all see that a flurry of campaign ads trying to paint a more vivid picture cannot make up for years of political mush.

If your boss really wants a new term, though sometimes I quite doubt this, then he'll need to get off the fence and take firm stands in support of the Middle Class. He'll need to take firm stands in support of workers. He'll need to piss off a few of his friends in high finance. 

Voters don't care if a bill is bipartisan. Voters don't first look to the vote count, they look to the principles of a bill and its intended effect. And I truly believe they understand many of the intricacies of how things get done, or don't, in our nation's capital.

Many think political moderation, while Republicans act more and more reactionary (how can you negotiate with political bomb throwers?) and some timely Clinton coattails guarantee the senator another term. 

I disagree.

Voters may not vote a straight party line. Political trends are easily disturbed within this volatile electorate. Critical endorsements often lack common sense or are based on lies. And as Harry Truman said, for a president, "When a fellow tells me he's bipartisan, I know he's going to vote against me." And for a Democrat, "Given the choice between a Republican and someone who acts like a Republican, people will vote for the real Republican all the time."

Your friend Mark Udall is a perfect example of this truth.

The Senator would do well to heed both quotes, for they are still relevant today. And he would do well to not take the wrong lessons from this last election: Voters don't want more conservative Democrats, they want Democrats who'll stand for something.

Sincerely, 

Zappatero