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December 23, 2013 12:40 PM UTC

Discuss: 2013's Top Ten Stories in Colorado Politics

  • 24 Comments
  • by: Colorado Pols
Ours will also be definitive.
‘Tis the season for Top Ten lists.

Our custom for most of our years blogging about Colorado politics, we're starting work on 2013's recap of the top ten stories. For good and/or ill, 2013 was one of the most tumultuous years not just in our time covering Colorado politics, but the history of the state itself. Sorting the numerous interweaving storylines of this year into ten blog posts is a daunting challenge, but we promise to do our level best.

Help us out: use this space to give us your list of the top ten stories in Colorado politics this year, and why you think so. And look for our recap of this crazy/epic/unforgettable year starting the day after Christmas.

Comments

24 thoughts on “Discuss: 2013’s Top Ten Stories in Colorado Politics

  1. On the West Slope, it would be how the Grand Junction Chamber bought itself a City Council–and ended up with Rick Brainard.

    Three moderate/progressives beating three teabaggers in the recent District 51 School Board election is significant also.

    Scooter running for County Commissioner is high on the list of local stories too.

    The story yet to be told, sure to make next year's top 10, is how far-reaching the FBI fraud investigation into the GJ Airport will turn out to be.  Who will be caught in the web of deceit?

     

          1. Yes, he's a recent County appointee.  You make the same point my wife makes about this being buried.  It's indeed a possibility.  Let me tell you why I think it's past that now.

            This story is now beyond the ability of local pols to bury it.  The FBI doesn't fuck around.  They carry guns and shit.  If there is wrongdoing, there will be indictments.  If there are indictments, no one will be able to bury the story.

            I'm looking foward to seeing this evolve.

            1. True, but the Sentinel's already starting to spin, if recent stories are any indication. Jay Seaton has never let a little thing like Journalistic Integrity weigh him down.

    1. I neglected to mention why this is a big Colorado politics story:

      • His district is now competitive
      • Coffman is still being taken seriously as a national figure.
      • He raises huge money.
      • It's entertaining to try to guess where he will land next.

      This should be near the bottom of a  top 10 list. I agree with DP's list. Obviously, the gun legislation and recalls should be #1, as it put Colorado's contradictions on world wide view.

      I'd also add that the environmental disasters brought about by climate change, the wildfires and the flooding , should have been political stories, but instead were relegated to "human interest" stories.  That is, there should have been policy discussion about investing in renewable energy and divesting of greenhouse-gas generating oil and gas production, but there has not been such policy discussion, just denial and misdirection.

      But in terms of what put Colorado on national news, the recalls, floods, and fires.  Top 3.

      1. Re: Coffman.  You might add that he has the most substantive opponent that CD 6 has seen in former House Speaker Andrew Romanoff (assuming Romanoff doesn't hire Patrick Caddell as his campaign manager).

  2. Not in order

     

    All five recalls- the low turnout recall overturns the wil of te voters in much higher turnout election

     

    Secession – I esp love that MOffat county wants join Wyoming because CO oil and gas severance taxes are too high- and Wyoming's are higher.

     

    Inauguration of Obama/Biden

    Repeal of TABOR

    MAGPUL leaving the state

    Gun seizures due to background check and mag limits.

    Another school shooting – Colorado now has a rep.

    Hundreds of millions in publicly funded state tourism subisidy to …Colorado Springs!

    The percentage of public funding (investment) in higher ed continues to decline.

    CBI crime lab loses credibilty

     Parolee, incoreectly paroled, transitions to murder for hire, resulting in a shooting 

    Republican strategy to disenfranchise voters by crying WOLF! on voter fraud

    Denver ratings whore talk radio personality gets fired, re-hired and defends cake guy

    1. And Wyoming said no.  They could ask Utah, 'cept Herbert's pretty busy taking a stand for that good old 'traditional' Utah marriage.  Because when people think 'Utah' and 'marriage' the first thing that pops in mind is 'traditional.'  Sure.  

       

      Gov. Gary Herbert, a Republican, promised to "defend traditional marriage within the borders of Utah."

      Read more: http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2013/12/20/Utah-promises-to-appeal-judges-ruling-on-same-sex-marriage/UPI-69031387581061/#ixzz2oUzleXgr

  3. To name a few, in no particular order:

    1. SECESSION! Eh, maybe not so much…
    2. Colorado says "I do" to Civil Unions
    3. The most productive legislature in decades, or How the Republicans turned two bills on one issue into the only thing the legislature did in 2013. 
    4. The Rancorous Rediculous Recall Rendezvous of 2013
    5. Retail marijuana implementation, taxation and infuriation. 
    6. Fractavists v. O&G
    7. Amendment 66 goes down harder than the head cheerleader on prom night
    8. "Teflon John" Hickenlooper losing some of his non-stick coating.
    9. [INSERT REAL CONSERVATIVE] for Governor/Senate
    10. Scott Gessler and the Glorious Eternal Jihad against non-existant voter fraud and brown people.
    11. Reformers take complete control of school boards in Denver, JeffCo and DougCo.
  4. The Front Range Floods were the most significant event in Colorado in 2013.

    It affected thousands of lives, showed the power of extreme weather events to damage our economic and social infastructures and the repercussions will be felt in the years to come.

     

    1. And most important, and lost in any messaging at all, is how government evacuated all those people, prevented widespread disease by providing emergency medical care and shelter, and put those roads back up to connect deserted communities.  Your tax dollars at work!  We're all in it together! Ads could be bought as recruiting videos for the National Guard.  If anything can be sold on TV, then why not the notion that government can do good?

    1. Gun legislation (I think this might cause major blow-back for us Dems).
    2. Using recalls to win with smaller electorates.
    3. Gun violence 
    4. Civil Unions
    5. New school board composition.
    6. Secession failing.
    7. Amendment 66 going down big-time.
    8. Fracking being outlawed in 4 localities.
    9. Hickenlooper' rep taking a hit.
    10. Marijuana.
    1. The Front Range Floods would make either list Dwyer.  It as one of the biggest political stories of the year because it showed the power of responsive government and Hickenlooper's leadership.  The state emergency response to unprecedented natural disasters like the June wildfires and September floods was exemplary.  The post fire and flood rebuilding efforts were done with urgency and precision.  This was good government in bad times.  People totally forget what a crisis the Black Forest wildfire was immediate suppression measures that got deployed.  Hickenlooper is waffling on a tanker fleet for next year but he got it right on rebuilding the roads.

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