Republicans Fret Over Hickenlooper Run

by: Colorado Pols

Mon Jan 11, 2010 at 10:23:46 AM MST

While no public decision has been made as of yet regarding the race for Governor, Colorado Republican Party Chair Dick Wadhams seems to think that Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper will be the Democratic candidate. We've written before that we think Hickenlooper will eventually enter the race, and the state GOP is already trying to get out in front of any potential announcement.

In a press release sent out today, Wadhams calls Hickenlooper "Hickenritter" and speculates that Hick would be identical to Gov. Bill Ritter in several ways. Republicans are obviously concerned about a potential Hickenlooper candidacy, because when he was passed over for Michael Bennet when the latter was appointed to the U.S. Senate last year, they openly stated that Hick would have been tough to defeat in 2010.

From former Rep. Bob Beauprez in The Colorado Statesman last February:

I'm guessing John Hickenlooper has name ID that rivals the governor's, maybe exceeds the governor's. I'm guessing that John Hickenlooper has 4:1 favorable/unfavorables statewide. There isn't enough money in the world to peel that down to 1:1 - to where you could maybe beat him.

John Hickenlooper could claim - he won't do it because he's got enough humility to not do it - but he could claim that the DNC was successful in large part because of his efforts to raise the money. He not only has a Rolodex with names in it, they are successful names.

John could raise more money and be more easily elected. His appointment would have taken that seat almost completely off the table. I don't know what John could have done to make it truly competitive. [Pols emphasis]

Here's what Wadhams had to say about Hickenlooper in December 2008, when Hick was being considered as a replacement in the U.S. Senate for Ken Salazar:

Dick Wadhams, the state GOP chairman, conceded that Hickenlooper "is immensely popular as the mayor of Denver" but said "he'll look a lot different after two years of votes in the U.S. Senate."

These two quotes highlight exactly why many observers, including Colorado Pols, see Hickenlooper as such a strong potential candidate. As we wrote in The Big Line, Hickenlooper has great name ID and is a prolific fundraiser, which are probably the two most important qualities you could have as a candidate for statewide office. That doesn't make him a shoo-in for Governor, but at the very least he would enter the race with an advantage over Republican Scott McInnis on both fronts.

What the Oughts Brought: Part One

by: Colorado Pols

Mon Jan 04, 2010 at 12:15:19 PM MST

We asked your opinions on what the Oughts Brought, and now it's time to start revealing the winners. We'll be here with this all week, folks, so check back for more categories every day.

Best/Worst Politician and Best/Worst Campaign awards after the jump.

Beauprez's Out, Which Means Norton's In

by: Colorado Pols

Mon Aug 24, 2009 at 19:59:49 PM MDT

Former Congressman Bob Beauprez will not run for the U.S. Senate, he said in an email to supporters this afternoon.

"Having been presented with the potential to serve in the United States Senate, Claudia and I considered it very carefully. However after significant reflection, I will not be a candidate for the Senate in 2010," he wrote.

His decision leaves four GOP candidates: Weld County District Attorney Ken Buck, Aurora City Councilman Ryan Frazier, Evergreen businessman Dan Maes and Cleve Tidwell of Denver. Last week, the Denver Post reported that former Lt. Gov. Jane Norton is also looking at entering the GOP field.

Let's face it: Beauprez isn't running because he looked around, considered various staffers, and finally realized what we'd been saying for a long time. He. Can't. Win.

It's no secret that Beauprez has been wanting to get back into politics since 2006, but he's still way too much damaged goods.

Meanwhile, Jane Norton's Senate bid is basically a lock at this point. Everybody's talking about it. Democrats we've talked to this evening seem awfully confident, like they know something we don't know. That's likely to be the case for a majority of Colorado voters, a good percentage of whom probably think her first name is Gale. Though to be fair, voters could think her first name was "Ken," and it's still a positive for her. Name ID is name ID, especially in a GOP primary--and general election--where nobody knows anybody.

And for all the buzz about "salvation," we kind of doubt Ken Buck sees it that way--and he's probably the one extant candidate we're not writing off yet.

UPDATE: We omitted Cleve Tidwell from our original post. We regret the error. Deeply.

Beauprez Will Run for Senate

by: Colorado Pols

Mon Aug 03, 2009 at 10:01:51 AM MDT

Former Republican congressman Bob Beauprez told POLITICO that he is "leaning towards running" against Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) because he doesn't think any of the party's current crop of candidates can win. [Pols emphasis]

"There's a general sense that our field isn't really set on our side, and Bennet is quite vulnerable," said Beauprez. "We're looking at it -- with an increased sense of urgency."

Look! Something we agree with Beauprez about: The current crop of GOP candidates cannot beat Bennet. But being on the top of the trash heap still leaves you on the trash heap. Beauprez may or may not be better than Buck, Frazier and Cleve, but if he is better, he's not that much better.

-------------------

UPDATE: Beauprez tells Lynn Bartels over at Politics West that he isn't definitely in or definitely out. But the most telling quote, perhaps, is this:

Beauprez said he is "asking the questions that need to be asked" as he deliberates about whether to run.

"I don't want to go in assuming everything is just going to work out, somehow, and the team will come together, somehow, and the money will be there, somehow, and at the end of the day we will win, somehow," Beauprez said.

Indeed.

---------------------

Following up on a post from Mountain Dem a little earlier, it sounds like Bob Beauprez will indeed run for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate. We hear that Beauprez is telling friends that "he's in" and is already beginning to solicit financial support.

Coming off one of the worst campaigns in the country in 2006, and what many -- us included -- have called the worst statewide campaign in Colorado history, Beauprez would seem to be a poor choice to be the Republican candidate against Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet. But Beauprez does have a deep financial rolodex and should easily be able to outraise both Ken Buck and Ryan Frazier. Whether or not he can convince GOP primary voters that he is not the same disaster that he was in 2006 is another story entirely.  

I'm Not a Racist. I Eat Mexican Food

by: Colorado Pols

Wed Feb 18, 2009 at 13:57:27 PM MST

A T-shirt Weld District Attorney Ken Buck is selling was imported from Mexico, just like many of the illegal immigrants Buck battles.

The T-shirts made by Gildan, a Montreal-based textile manufacturer, were purchased through a Windsor graphics shop that pressed Buck's message poking fun at the American Civil Liberties Union's lawsuit on the front and back of the shirts...

...Buck said he didn't initially know where the shirts were made. Just because the shirts were made in Haiti and imported through Mexico, that doesn't mean he should not support a product from there, he said.

He said the insinuation is that he's racist. He is not, he said.

"I vacation in Mexico, I eat Mexican food," Buck said. "I don't dislike Mexicans." [Pols emphasis]

Ah, yes, the oft-tried, seldom effective way to deflect racism ploy of saying "I've been to Mexico!" Former Republican Rep. Bob Beauprez tried using it to disastrous results back in 2005 (remember 'Mexican Time?'), and many other Republicans throughout the years have used the fact that "they've been to Mexico" or "like Mexican food" as irrefutable proof that they aren't, in fact, racist.

Buck is considered a top contender to challenge Betsy Markey in CD-4, but if his handling of this situation is any indication, she needn't be too concerned. We don't know if Buck is a racist or not, but given his ludicrous and insensitive attempts to dispel the charge, we're starting to assume he might be. Either way, we can indisputably determine from these statements that Buck is, in fact, a moron.

To be fair, Buck isn't the only moron to have used this form of "logic" to somehow prove that he isn't a racist. But it's still nonsense. It's no different, for instance, than saying this:

"I can't be a sexist. I have sex with women!"

"I don't hate Jews. I eat kosher hot dogs all the time!"

Or, one of our all-time favorites, "I'm not a homophobe--I work with a lot of gay people."

This logic is ridiculous on so many levels, but particularly if you look at it the other way around. If you don't like Mexican food and have never been to Mexico, does that mean you are a racist?

What if you refuse to eat Rocky Mountain Oysters? Does that mean you hate Colorado?

If you don't have any gay or lesbian co-workers, are you a homophobe? What if you have gay and lesbian co-workers who haven't yet come out of the closet? Are you still okay, then? Or are you a homophobe?

If you're looking for a microcosm of why the Republican Party is still lost in the wilderness, look no further than Ken Buck and "Swastika Guy," both of whom hang out with fellow Republicans who seem completely oblivious to the damage they do to their own images.

This Guy (?) for U.S. Senate

by: Colorado Pols

Tue Feb 17, 2009 at 09:16:22 AM MST

We've been hearing talk about this for weeks now, and most Republicans we have talked to have all but laughed it off. But the Rocky Mountain News reports that Aurora City Councilman Ryan Frazier, the goofball in the laughably-staged picture at left, somehow believes that he could be a strong Republican candidate for...wait for it...U.S. Senate.

Aurora City Councilman Ryan Frazier is seriously considering a run for U.S. Senate in 2010, testing his ability to raise the millions of dollars needed to challenge Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet.

Frazier, a black Republican, has met with GOP movers and shakers in Washington, D.C., and Colorado.

"There are a lot of options I need to look at and a lot of things I need to consider before I make a definite decision," he said.

Financing a campaign is among those considerations.

"I'm going through the motions and paces right now to see if I can raise the money," he said. "I think we can put together a winning campaign. I'm moving in that direction."

As we said earlier, most Republicans we've talked to have basically laughed this off. Frazier barely won re-election to the Aurora City Council a few years ago - the idea that he's ready for a jump to the U.S. freakin' Senate is downright silly.

On the plus side for Democrats, Frazier would be one of the few candidates Republicans could nominate with lower name ID than Democrat Michael Bennet. And labor unions would absolutely tee off on Frazier, who was the public face behind the soundly-defeated Amendment 47, or, "Right to Work."

Still Crazy...After All These Years

by: Colorado Pols

Sat Jan 31, 2009 at 13:03:10 PM MST

"The fair thing to do is watch Michael Bennet," said former Congressman Bob Beauprez, who also hasn't ruled out a 2010 challenge. "He's a smart, capable guy . . . Who knows? Maybe he's a pro-business, small- government, strong- national-defense senator. If he turns out to be me - which would surprise me a little bit - I probably don't have much interest in running against me."[Pols emphasis]

Really, Bob? Because you might be the only person you could beat in a statewide race.

Tancredo, Beauprez Eye Ritter

by: Colorado Pols

Mon Oct 27, 2008 at 13:09:39 PM MDT

Also rumored to be seriously considering another run for governor in 2010 is - don't laugh - Bob Beauprez. But while Beauprez may be seriously considering a run himself, it's doubtful that any other top GOP backers would seriously take him seriously. You don't run the worst statewide campaign in Colorado history, as Beauprez did in 2006, and try to run again for the same race four years later.

Sarah Palin = Janet Rowland?

by: Colorado Pols

Fri Aug 29, 2008 at 16:46:56 PM MDT

If you recall, not long after Beauprez announced Rowland as his running mate, we learned that she had recently compared homosexuality to bestiality. Nobody knew anything about Rowland - including, apparently, the Beauprez campaign - and her selection just highlighted further Beauprez's disastrous statewide campaign.

Now, Palin is no Rowland, but the former has her own far-right ideas that McCain now has to deal with. As Colorado Independent reports, Palin supported the idea of teaching Creationism in schools when she was asked about it during her campaign for governor in Alaska:

Then in a classic McCain-style back-flip, a few days later Palin tried to take it back...

...She added that, if elected, she would not push the state Board of Education to add such creation-based alternatives to the state's required curriculum.

This is the person McCain thinks should be one heartbeat away from the Oval Office? As a former McCain fan, I'm actually quite sad about this, but his run for President has turned McCain from a maverick to just a mimic for the far right.

Creationism really isn't an idea you flip-flop about. Either you believe it should be taught in schools, or you don't. If you even entertain the idea that Creationism is worthy of being taught in schools, you've already crossed that line far enough - there's no going back from there.

But, But, But...We Issued Policy Papers!

by: Colorado Pols

Mon Jul 30, 2007 at 09:43:42 AM MDT

Former gubernatorial candidate Bob Beauprez, he of the worst statewide campaign Colorado has seen in decades, was back in the Rocky Mountain News today talking about future plans and his failed 2006 bid. The story talks about Beauprez getting back into politics at some point, but from the sound of it, he still hasn't faced the reality that his campaign just flat-out sucked:

"It was the weirdest campaign I've ever been involved in - never could quite get traction," Beauprez said. "We issued policy statement after policy statement on what we would do when I became governor, on transportation, on education, on health care, on water, on the environment, on and on and on, and none of it ever seemed to matter."

Why in the hell would issuing a bunch of policy papers make any difference whatsoever? Frankly, issuing policy papers was one of his problems - remember his ingenious plan to train elk to migrate around oil and gas drilling sites?

Colorado Hearts Romney

by: Colorado Pols

Thu Mar 29, 2007 at 11:59:52 AM MDT

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney has consistently performed better in Colorado Pols Presidential polls than he has nationally, and that's no doubt due to the support he gets from high-profile Republicans in Colorado (including Romney's Colorado campaign consultants, Phaseline Strategies).

Former Gov. Bill Owens signed on with Romney many months ago, and so has failed gubernatorial candidate Bob Beauprez.

But as Mt. Virtus notes, Colorado GOPers also have love for Rudy Giuliani:

Meanwhile, some other big Republican names in Colorado are throwing their support behind Rudy Giuliani and organizing an April fundraiser. Among them are former U.S. Senator Ben "Nighthorse" Campbell, Beauprez's 2006 primary opponent Marc Holtzman, House Minority Leader Mike May, former Denver Bronco stars John Elway and Ed McCaffrey, former Nuggets GM Kiki Van de Weghe, Douglas County Commissioner Jack Hilbert, former society columnist Diane Wengler, Denver GOP Chair Mary Smith, and several other prominent business leaders, entrepreneurs, and attorneys.

Well, That's a Relief

by: Colorado Pols

Wed Mar 28, 2007 at 12:24:54 PM MDT

Because we believe that the next presidential election will be a defining moment in shaping the future of this nation, we have taken the unusual step of making an early commitment to the person we are convinced should be elected President in 2008. His name is Mitt Romney.

Whew!

Former Rep. Bob Beauprez reassured Republicans at the State Capitol yesterday that he is still active in politics. As the Rocky Mountain News reports:

Beauprez joked with House Republicans that after losing a lopsided election to Democrat Bill Ritter in November some people made him feel "a little like the corpse in the coffin."

"But we did not die. The sun did come up the next day...and we're going to live to fight another day," Beauprez said, drawing applause and knowing laughter from the House Republicans Caucus.

"We get the same thing in our caucus, Bob. We understand," said Caucus Chairman Rep. Bill Cadman R-Colorado Springs. Statehouse Republicans, after a long stretch as the party in power, are also biding their time as a feisty minority and plotting their own political resurrection.

Beauprez said he is about to unveil a new free-market and traditional-values-friendly charitable foundation, and is blogging on his new "common-sense" public policy Web site (alineofsight.com). He won't rule out a run for the U.S. Senate in 2008.

You've got to give Beauprez credit for one thing: He has shown an amazing ability to continually get stories written about him that discuss how he's "not dead yet" (insert "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" voice here).

Great. We get it. You're still around. Whatever.