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(D) J. Hickenlooper*
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(D) Joe Neguse
(D) Phil Weiser
(D) Jena Griswold
60%
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40%↓
Att. General
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(D) M. Dougherty
(D) Alexis King
(D) Brian Mason
40%
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30%
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(D) Brianna Titone
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(D) Jerry DiTullio
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CO-01 (Denver)
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(D) Diana DeGette*
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(R) Lauren Boebert*
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(R) Jeff Crank*
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(D) Jason Crow*
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CO-07 (Jefferson County)
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(R) Gabe Evans*
(D) Yadira Caraveo
(D) Joe Salazar
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State Senate Majority
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DEMOCRATS
REPUBLICANS
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State House Majority
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DEMOCRATS
REPUBLICANS
95%
5%
May 07, 2009 06:12 PM UTC
21 Comments
math is on his side: El Paso County vs. Southeast CO. And that what makes sense in CD-3 and CD-4 math doesn’t so much statewide.
I don’t have a sense of whether this issue as even nearly as prominent to EPC voters as it is in the southeast, but the point about the statewide implications of the eminent domain issue is well taken.
The Army’s maneuvering is part of a chess game that positions them for takings actions down the road.
The Pinon Canyon landowners are extremely well-organized, and have been for years. They are in a good position to make McInnis pay for this not just locally, but statewide.
Whatever the Republican primary implications, Ritter’s in a position to look positively gubernatorial on this.
Penry is playing this right, Scott not so much.
But the break up it could cause between GOP interest groups could cause another major fracture in the party if it breaks in to open war.
Yes, there’s certainly a lot of military support here. But like the rest of the state, there are plenty of people here that are quite upset about the possibility of people losing their private land to eminent domain. I know the political leadership in El Paso has been very much pro-Pinon; but I’d be surprised if the actual voting public is in favor. Even just among Republican primary voters, I’d guess it’s close to a 50-50 split.
In soccer, this is called scoring an own goal…i.e. putting the ball into your own net. The math just doesn’t work out for him on this.
Even if taking this position gave him 100% support in El Paso County, he’s going to be crippled in the rest of southeast colorado including Pueblo. Scott need these people to support him in any primary.
Reality is going to be different and he’s already got problems with El Paso primary voters because of his long, winding and ever changing position on abortion.
Not to mention he’s going to be crippled among primary voters across the state who feel that eminent domain is being abused.
The only positive spin out of this is that any press is good press. Nevertheless he’s driving his own negatives up, and as he repeatedly shoots himself in the foot there isn’t enough laundered federal PAC money to stop the bleeding.
El Paso County Republicans have, for generations, filled the role for the Republican party in Colorado that African-Americans used to fill for the Dems nationally. That is, when senatorial/gubernatorial candidates are nominated, they won’t be from EPC-although absent the GOP vote from EPC, no Republican could ever be elected statewide.
Given the weakness of McInnis & Buck (what a pair of dolts!!), it may be time for EPC Repubs to get behind one of their own-say County Commissioner Jim Bensberg or Commissioner Sallie Clark. They’re both thoughtful, competent, and reasonably moderate folks, who would do well in a statewide race.
And it’s about time. Last EPC Governor: John Love 40 years ago. Last EPC Senator: There has never been a Senator from EPC-not since statehood in 1876!!!
To quote Marx: “Republicans of El Paso Cou8nty, arise!! You have nothing to lose but your irrelevancy!”
even ran statewide was Ken Kramer for the Senate, wasn’t it? I think your description of their place in the party is insightful, and I hope they rise up!
You’re right-he was foolish enough to leave the 5th CD seat in Congress, where he could have served for decades, accumulating power and seniority. Instead, he waged a forlorn campaign for the Senate-I remember seeing him do a grin & wave at the traffic on Union Boulvard-poor Ken indeed!
El Paso County has been better represented by Dave Schultheis and Doug Lamborn than Bill Armstrong or Wayne Allard?
The faux parochial regionalism from EPC is amusing because it is so ridiculous.
Those of us that spent many years (and lots of money) supporting McInnis in years past are starting to wonder if he’s playing with a full deck. I mean seriously — he is so naive to campaign finance laws (that he voted on in Congress) that he hasn’t purged the term “527” from his vocabulary!?
Now he’s abandoning his position on protecting private property rights in an effort to gain some support from the Bently Rayburn wing of the El Paso County GOP? That hardly sounds like a bargain when you’re looking at a statewide campaign.
More than anything this illustrates that Congressman McInnis is out of touch with state issues in general and the Pinon Canyon issue in particular. Go back to the Hogan & Hartson gravy train or go back to DC, Congressman.
Good point MM. McInnis is most likely getting his advise from Hesse and Rayburn on El Paso politics. That worked out well for both of them and now it’s working out well for McInnis too…
The inevitable message to southern Colorado Republicans (along with everyone else) is that they have been written off. That can’t feel good.
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How about, Ritter signs the law throwing up a roadblock to the PCMS expansion, the Democratic President of the United States is caught on video decrying Colorado’s lack of support for the troops during a time of war,
exclaiming that the federal government would have never resorted to taking through eminent domain on his watch, and McInnis comes out smelling like a rose ?
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No president up to now has been stupid enough to get involved in this kind of eminent domain issue. I doubt Barack Obama will be the first.
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it is a figment of the vivid imagination of a handful, fanned to outsized proportions by those who would exploit these fears for political gain.
I think.
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Because a patchwork of land buys makes for a great training ground. Only if you ignore the totality of the US Army’s history in this issue will your comment make sense.
“Kester and Senate Minority Leader John Penry, a Grand Junction Republican”
I thought his name was Josh!
We were wondering how long it would take for somebody to pick that up.
I’ll bet he was just honestly thinking that this was the right thing for Colorado, and that his letter would influence Ritter to do the right thing.
And that there really are unicorns.