May 11, 2009 04:29 PM UTC

Navel gazing to defeat the 'far left'

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• by: ClubTwitty

( – promoted by Colorado Pols)

Two months ago Colorado Republicans held a secret hours-long navel gazing strategy session to determine why their brand is in the trash can and what they might do about it, the Denver Post reports.

On a chilly evening in February, the state GOP’s heaviest hitters took an elevator to a members-only club on the second floor of the Brown Palace Hotel to discuss how to rebuild their beleaguered party.

Around the table was the combined experience of the party’s better days – former Gov. Bill Owens; former Sens. Hank Brown and Wayne Allard; former congressmen Bob Beauprez, Bob Schaffer and Scott McInnis.

Party chairman Dick Wadhams sat on one side of the large square table; Mike May, the House minority leader, on another. There were a few key donors and consultants, but the focus of the meeting ultimately was on the “wise men.”

In Colorado, Republicans are still reeling from a rapid tumble from power that saw them lose control of the state legislature, the governor’s mansion, two U.S. Senate seats, and three seats in the U.S. House – all in the span of four years.

They concede that rebuilding and rebranding the party is still a work in progress and envision a process that will unfold over several months.

The February meeting was kept secret in part out of a concern that it might appear too top-down, and some participants talked about it only sparingly while others declined to comment at all.

At the same time, some participants emphasized that the group represented the state GOP’s most successful leaders, politicians who knew how to win elections and whose advice and ideas could be invaluable in regrounding the party.

Sequestered high in the Brown Palace (popular with the common man) the handful of party oligarchs were desperate to grasp why everyday Coloradans abandoned them so eagerly and decisively over the last few cycles.  

Thus they drew from the deepest wisdom they have–like Bobs Beauprez and Schaffer, winners all.  [BWB, note to self: ‘Don’t do a campaign ad with a horse’s ass again!’]

But maybe it’s not the ads, or ineffective, barely-arms-length 527s, that are missing the mark with voters, so busy in their inscrutable lives on the streets below?  Don’t they fear socialism anymore?  

Perhaps it’s the next tier GOP, the ones that apparently did not get the elevator ride to the loftiest of Denver’s most elite clubs, but imagine themselves party leaders nonetheless, that are the problem–dropping the ball?

A few, apparently, are bold enough to be candidates–oh noes!–without having asked Dick’s or Scooter’s blessing, and make crazy talk of primaries…but maybe they have the answers?  

Maybe the Colorado GOP is just not saying NO! loudly enough?  All this talk about moderation being so much hog waste.  Maybe the problem is that the GOP’s utter disdain for solutions is not getting through to the voters?

Enter Cory Gardner, candidate for CD 4, from a different Post article on environmental progress in the recently completed Legislature:

In came a series of “opt-in” programs to help schools or homeowners afford renewable energy devices.

…Among the green bills passed this year were two measures to assist homeowners and schools in financing solar-panel purchases; a bill providing tax incentives for buying solar-heated water systems; a measure giving small power providers the ability to charge higher rates to bigger electricity users; and a requirement that homebuilders offer solar panels as an option on new, custom homes.

…”It’s clear the far left of the environmental movement is kind of where everything starts at the Capitol,” Brophy said. “On occasion it turns back slightly from that, but sometimes they shove it through as is. . . . These guys have an agenda that excludes traditional fossil fuel.”

The far-left helping schools install clean energy projects that will lower their expenses.  The far-left helping homeowners afford solar hot-water heaters.  

Cory might win the 4th CD, maybe the last competitive district in the state.  

But unless the Colorado GOP can offer solutions of their own, all the fancy tea parties in private clubs at the Brown Palace (or pretend ‘populist’ tea parties elsewhere) won’t get the party off the express elevator to irrelevancy.  

Going down?