Interesting article in Politico yesterday, where Republican Senate candidate Tom Wiens makes the case that the only reason Jane Norton has any name ID is because there are no fewer than five other Colorado Nortons who are prominent politicos:
Besides the Senate candidate, there’s Jane Norton’s husband, Tom, a former U.S. attorney; former Interior Secretary Gale Norton, who served as state attorney general; former state Senate President Tom Norton; and University of Northern Colorado President Kay Norton.
They’re not all related, but that doesn’t mean the many Nortons don’t benefit from one another’s prominence.
“In Colorado, there’s an unbelievable amount of people involved in GOP politics named Norton,” Wiens, a former state senator, told POLITICO in an interview. “I would imagine that when they’re asked, I think a lot of people would say they’d probably vote for a Norton, no matter who the Norton is.”
We agree with Wiens argument that Norton’s name ID isn’t entirely her own, and it’s a subject we’ve brought up before in discussing her candidacy. We’d be more interested to know, however, if the last name “Norton” is actually more of a hindrance than a help.
For example, Gale Norton, the former Colorado Attorney General and later Interior Secretary being investigated for making side deals with oil companies, is probably not the Norton that Jane’s campaign would want voters to recall. We’ve no doubt that more than one voter thinks Jane is really Gale, but that’s probably not a good thing. Or is it, with the thought being that Gale is still well-known and her legal troubles are not?
What do you think? Vote below…
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“side deals with oil companies” like that’s a bad thing.
I can name any number of Coloradan Republicans who would think that’s a good thing. better if she did them in a way that all the profit was shielded in an off shore bank account.
Of course name id is huge. Wiens could use more of it himself. Ms Norton will need to spend less time and money establishing it. If I was Wiens, instead of whining about it, I’d make her spend some time and money differentiating her self from all those other Nortons.
With no data on hand at all I’d estimate at least 1/4 of self identified likely voters in Colorado couldn’t tell you today anything meaningful about Wiens or Norton or anyone else running in that race. Are there candidates with bigger name id problems? Oh yeah. (Luka Korkowski is running for what?)
But name id is huge.
It’s why I look at some campaigns and wonder if they realize they are one big echo chamber. That the people around the candidate know and support their guy, but nowhere near enough voters even know who their guy is let alone are persuaded to turn up and vote for him.
That’s a stretch. Wiens is pointing out what everyone knows, and suggesting support for Norton in robopolls might be overstated because of it. None of the Senate candidates are campaigning outside the hard-core base yet, and Bennet is the only one who regularly gets press, so these head-to-head match-ups don’t mean much except Norton is a recognizable name.
If he wants some name recognition outside of Douglas County, he’s gonna have to work for it.
So far, he’s shown little inclination for earned media. ANd while he’s banked some real dough- what is he spending it for?
to petition onto the ballot and spend it reaching primary voters, not wasting effort going after caucus-goers.
the luxuries of waiting.
I don’t know what Wiens is up to anymore than the rest of you. But staying out of the press except for this whine-a-thon does not strike me as a road to victory.
I think that’s a safe bet.
I think Jane’s handlers have (and should have) no problem whatsoever with that association in a R primary. And maybe even in the general.
“For example, Gale Norton, the former Colorado Attorney General and later Interior Secretary being investigated for making side deals with oil companies, is probably not the Norton that Jane’s campaign would want voters to recall”
Really? Sounds like,if anything, it would be an advantage for an R candidate.
a troop of kangaroos
a parliament of owls
and a shitload of Nortons.
Thanks for clearing that up, Pols. I had wondered what the word was.
It’s actually Mike.
I’m so confused…
I caught that too. Moreover, Mike has a S*** load of baggage himself.
With his tenure as US Attorney it will be tough for her to play faux populist card. He gets tied to Silverado and the Bushes.
then the public might not know which one had declared multiple bankruptcies and misused a nonprofit all while building wealth of his own.