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February 09, 2009 08:04 PM UTC

Michael Bennet's Problem, In a Nutshell

  • 43 Comments
  • by: Colorado Pols

True story from Saturday’s Jefferson County Democrats’ Reorganization meeting:

Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet was speaking to a group of about 40 Democrats about the federal stimulus plan. After talking for about 5 minutes, Bennet took a handful of questions before a woman in the back of the room stood up.

“I’m sorry,” said the woman. “I like some of what you’re saying, but who the hell are you?”

The question was not asked in jest – the woman clearly had no idea who Bennet was or why he was speaking.

To be fair, Bennet had not really been introduced to the group in a clear manner, but he also demonstrated an almost total lack of charisma. And this is exactly why we thought Gov. Bill Ritter’s selection of Bennet for U.S. Senate was such a disaster.

While Democrats like Rep. Ed Perlmutter and former House Speaker Andrew Romanoff were warmly received on Saturday, others didn’t even know who Bennet was. And these are Democrats. Active Democrats. If they don’t know who Bennet is, and if he doesn’t have the natural charisma to carry a small room, then how is he going to win a statewide election in 2010? Remember – this is a problem Democrats didn’t have to face if Ritter had appointed someone that Democrats had actually heard of as Senator.

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43 thoughts on “Michael Bennet’s Problem, In a Nutshell”

  2. Sen. Bennet came to the Arapahoe Co. Dems re-org Saturday too.

    He is doing his first steps of meeting his party.  Somehow he has to do this at the same time he is in session.  Tough situation.

    His election in 2010 will depend on the people he is meeting right now.

    I did not get a chance to talk with him at re-org; I do look forward to talking in the near future.

  3. On Friday, January 30, 2009 I was invited to attend a gathering of Arapahoe County Democrats at a private home. There were forty people at that event and Senator Bennet spoke. Everyone, and most of them were Democrats, knew who he was and he gave a short good speech about the stimulus package. He was articulate and well received.

    He certainly needs to get around the state but he is doing that. On January 31, he spent the entire day in Greeley meeting local party people and community leaders.

    I think its way too early to write him off.  

    2. at a private home in Cherry Hills where everyone around me certainly knew who he was and all were pleasantly surprised by his appearance as we were expecting only CD1’s Diana Degette from our congressional delegation. It appears that he understands his “who are you” problem and is working hard to make himself more widely known.  

      I am shaking my head at the idea of “active” Dems be who don’t follow Senate appointments or stimulus package news in which both Udall and Bennet have figured prominently as among the 20 who forged the deal acceptable to Collins, Snowe and Specter. They’ve been featured prominently in the media including local papers and including phot ops. Bennet has a big recognition hill to climb here if even “active” Dems are so oblivious.

      As to the deal, the more I read Krugman and others the more tempted I am to say to hell with it… lets go to nuclear option and get the best stimulus package we can passed even if it’s with just one Senate vote! I’m stepping back and taking deep breaths before making up my mind.

      1. and she is actually quite informed — and totally incensed at how the appointment was made, and not pleased that Bennet has joined the “Gang of 20” which is eviscerating jobs in Colorado.

        1. Not saying all active Dems should like him. Just startled that a person can be considered an active Dem without following little things like Senate appointments and the stimulus bill shenanigans.  I was for Romanoff myself.  

      1. but for what? Hell if I know.

        I have some guesses (and that’s ALL they are), but they are kinda far fetched and would take some dominoes to drop first. So we’ll see.

        2. Ritter gets an appointment in another year, the Lt. Gov. ascends but announces she won’t run for re-election. Voila!

          Or David’s scenario, but I don’t see Romanoff challenging a sitting attorney general.

          Can’t he be a regent or something until something worthy of his stature opens up?  

          1. Deep down, Romanoff is made for the Senate.  He’s doing this ‘thank you tour’ of the various counties to basically foreshadow his Senate run, and that’ll put massive brakes on any fundraising Bennet would ordinarily do during that time.  Then Romanoff jumps into the race big time with a well organized campaign at a time of his choosing.

    3. He strikes me as the kind of Democrat who can win in a fairly moderate state like Colorado.

      I think Romanoff would be stupid to try to primary him. Why doesn’t he wait and run for Governor when it is open in 2014? It seems like this would be a better fit for him.

  5. or more about the JeffCO Dems. I mean, how can you not know who Mike Bennet is?

    I agree that Bennet is in trouble, but PCPs and people higher up in the party should really know who their Senators are.

    From what I saw on his road trip with Ritter, Bennet carried himself well. If he lacked charisma at the reorg meeting, then I might chock it up to being tired.

    Neither he nor Ritter seem to be in election shape yet. That is very troubling.

    1. Sure, you can make a good case that Ritter is weakened and Bennet is unknown.

      But as Ralphie often says, you can’t beat somebody with nobody.

      The Republicans don’t have anybody.

      1. But I can’t take credit for it.

        The source was my good friend Bob, a Reagan Republican, who died last December.

        God I miss him.  There is much to talk about.  And I so miss talking to him.

    2. …so, rather than ask someone next to her, quietly and politely, who the speaker is, she makes a big fuss of demanding the speaker ID himself?  Sounds like a plant, not a genuine question.

  6. Just another East Coast carpetbagger-came here to make money (did that!), amuse himself with politics (did that!), dabble in public school administration (did that!), and finally, tiring of life in the flyovers, convinced our not-very-sophisticated governor to give him a really good government job (did that!).  But life in the Senate is no fun-you’ve gotta raise money, suck up to party activists, raise money, deal with hundreds of giant washington egos, raise money, fend off ambitious, better qualified pols who want your job, raise money, suck up…repeat until you drop dead on the job, or get Daschled by Dickie Wadhams.  Bennet has options, unlike the rest of us hicks-look for him to take a better, more challenging, and more satisfying job than that of the 100th ranking galley slave in the Senate-actually, 99th, pending the arrival of Al Franken!  

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