In Historic Mile High Station, home of the Michael Bennet Campaign Party, this is Voyageur and his merry band of bloggers. We’ll bump in and out from time to time this evening and invite fellow polsters to chime in, especially any of you at the HQ of other candidates, and continue our common enterprises growing reputation as where the rubber meets the road … err, where the electrons meet the screen … as we not only report the changing Colorado Political scene but contribute to the evolution of those changes.
Welcome to Heisenberg Effect blogging, where the act of observation changes the phenomenon being being observed. Send me your questions, your comments, your teeming mugs of Pabst Blue Ribbon beer, and let’s make this party Rock!
7:33 p.m. Party is starting to Rock. It’s so noisy I can’t hear anything and the only results I know are from reading Pols. But from time to time the TV shows numbeer and they are goood for Bennet — and the crowd cheers each of them.
Madco and Caroman are here tonight, not in blogging mode but real person mode. It’s great being a retired journalist because I can sit here at the press table blogging — with a cold beer in my hand. Sad to report, no PBR here, but Coors will do in a pinch.
As the night wears on, no big speeches to report (sob) but this crowd is smelling a Bennet victory and loving it.
(News shows an 8 point Bennet lead with 244K votes in. It’s all over but the shouting but you can be sure there is plenty of that ahead as this night rolls onward. Crowd starting to chant “Bennet Bennet Bennet” Makes be damn glad the Dems didn’t nominate Gershwader or whatever the heck his name was. Don’t even THINK of chanting that!
7:51 P.M.
THE chant is now “Yes, we did! Yes, we did!”
and in truth, they did just that.
8:04 pm Andrew just called Michael Bennet, gave a gracious concession and said he would do anything he could to help Michael in the general election. Kum Bay Ah, Dems, Kum Bay Yah!
Wade Norris is right after all: Politics is mostly slinging shit one day, then kissing and making up the next. With the exception of Sharon Hanson and probably Stryker2K, it looks like the other 799,998 Colorado Democrats are joining in common cause to keep Weld County bullshit in Weld County!
8:30pm Word is that Sharon Hanson showed up dead drunk at Ken Buck headquarters, hiked her skirt, and did a table dance for Buck. Crowd went wild cheering PUMA! PUMA!
This is not confirmed, however, we are checking with usually reliable sources at Square State.
8:31 p.m. Mark Udall shows up, working the crowd to be cheers. I can’t make out his words, but face it, you’ve all heard them. Yeah Team, pull together, beat the foe,
“Hum tune of “Men of Harlech”
OK, Udall says he works with Michael every day, he hasn’t been a bystander, he’s been a leader. He’ll stand up for Colorado.
8:34 Now, we’re talking din! Michael has arrived.
] “Yes we did! Yes we did!”
Michael talks. I can’t hear much except for the squals.
“Just a week ago, the washington insiders started counting us out of this. …This election is the first time my name has been on a ballot, after traveling 20,000 times to all 64 counties, many ten or twenty times, I know one thing.
Washington has a lot to learn from Colorado.
It is full of politicians more concerned with political games than doing the hard work to turn this country around.
The gap between Washington and what I hear int he town hall meetings accross the state has never been wider. But there is good news…the country does not end at the Potomac River.
I wqant to thank those of you whose blood, sweat and tears won this election…knocking on doors, making phone calls, talking to your friends and neighgbors. I love you more than I can say.
Tonight is your victory. I will work hard to prove myself worthy of your support. The things that divided us in this campaign are so much smaller than the things that unite us. Andrew has spent his career working for this state and I look forward to working together to build on the progress we have made. We will work hard to win the swupport of Democrats, Republicans and independents working on real world solutions. I look forward to working with John Hickenlooper as our next governor.
Now, we need (in the Senate) a little less talk and a lot more action. And it starts right here in Colorado. I will admit I got just a little tired of seeing all those tv ads…how about you? “YES”
7:48 pm
We have the power to change this country, to create better schools, a betteer country…and to tell Washington its time to get to work.
Coloradans know the stakes are too high in this election for political games. This november, the choice could not be clearer. Do we want to return to the failed Washington policies of the past decadesw (boos, NO)
Do we yield to cynical politics (boos, no)
Or will we remember our Colorado independence, roll up our sleeves, and get to work>” clap clap
I want to thank everyone whose blood sweat and tears for the last year and a half .. walking to knock on doors, making calls, talking to friends and neighbors, to our dedicated staff of volunteers who made this campaign, thank you.
Big Cheers.
Well, there was more but you get the gist. Nice outrach to AR supporters, independents and thinking Republicans. I talked to Michael at the start of this campaign and urged him to run in the primary with his eye on November, to burn no bridges and build for the victory we need in November. He has done that and with the gracious support of Andrew Romanoff, has taken a long step tonight toward putting this party back together to fight for the values it wants and needs in Washington. This ends our live blog, good night and good hunting.
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“Teeming” also seems like an appropriate adjective for PBR.”
Have fun, says this stodgy old family man! 🙂
Multiple sites are reporting that it is Bennet 54, Romanoff 46 with 58% precincts reporting.
If Bennet wins I won’t vote for him.
…but please leave the possibility open in November. When you see how horrible the Republican candidate is, and see how he/she would back the GOP obstructionist agenda to the hilt, then hopefully you’ll see that Bennet is really the only alternative.
We deserve the obstructionist over Banker Boy Bennet.
I won’t vote for Bennet in the general. In my mind he’s too tainted with Wall Street Money.
for his Wall Street ties and then voting if favor of them. Expect more of the same if he gets in.
My only hope is that he sees he can’t win and drops out.
Because the Ken Buck or Jane Norton would vote AGAINST the banks every time.
They have drugs to help you cope with being you.
and is she a founder of the PUMA’s?
I forgot how infuriating it was listening to these PUMAs in 2008. No point arguing with them. They’d drown their cat before they’d feed it commercial cat food.
… b/c at least half of Dems who scream “PUMA” upon losing a primary, end up voting for the Dem anyway. I’ve been there myself, and it sucks for a while, but usually I get to “OK, FINE, this lame/skeevy Dem is a hell of a lot better than this loony-bin Republican…”
And for me, the process of ending my “PUMA” sentiments started with the winners being gracious to my side rather than immediately pounding me with “you’re STOOPID if you don’t vote for my guy…”
So, I’ll start.
“Kumbaya, my Lord,
“Kumbaya.
“Kumbaya, my Lord,
“Kumbaya.”
Everybody, now!
I have nothing against Romanoff or his supporters. I think he made some bad calls in the way he approached the campaign, but I’d still be glad to shake his hand and support him in future endeavors. His concession speech was certainly gracious. And many of my friends and neighbors supported him – and I still count them among my friends and neighbors.
In the meantime, I’m in it for Bennet.
his robocalls put my answering machine to sleep.
romanoff was at least inspiring and informed .. opposite of bennet entitlement…
bennet = big win for buck
I hope Bennet drops out of the race but short of that I don’t see a win for Bennet in the general. We’ll have to get use to a Senator Buck.
Good luck Senator Bennet and President Obama. I won’t vote for either ever again. The corporate takeover of America is complete (and probably has been for a long time). Loved the Gibbs story this morning as well.
Flame on Bennet shills (who loved calling the Romanoff supporters shills).
Naah.
Yep, you were/still are. Additionally, I am very excited to see you all go.
How very progressive of you! What a joker
“Damn those people for voting their preference”.
The radical left won’t be the ones that bring health care and employment back to the country. Progressive moderates will.
I hear you. This is a very bitter pill to swallow. I feel like changing party affiliation as a result. However, I urge you to please support Senator Bennet in the fall, as the alternative will be far worse.
Gone August 10.
Not in it for the long haul.
who really couldn’t give a shit about Colorado politics beyond their chosen candidate. Apparently they don’t realize that “politics” is something that happens above and beyond the primary season.
I certainly will be happy to see them go.
They had high entertainment value and were a load of laughs.
Not to worry though. You can bet the Ellie will either disappear if McInnis loses or be here every day like a case of herpes if he wins. It is an ongoing parade of the proud and the desperate wanting to believe in miracles.
It was a great primary season for loony episodes. I think my favorite was the UN one world bicycle conspiracy episode. Sheer lunacy with a straight face and poor bj actually tried to defend the guy.
I suspect the general will be more boring and perhaps even nastier but that’s politics. Who knows what’s going to turn up tomorrow, scandal or redemption. Tom Hanks said something to that effect in Castaway watching what the waves washed up.
And I think there’s a decent chance she will. We’re too much fun to quit 🙂
Should she be unshackled from Scooter, you might be surprised.
She’s a junkie like the rest of us.
that you’ll reregister as ProgressiveNonVoter now, eh?
But the table dance sounds like it went over well. Good luck with that.
I got up at 5am today and had my butt parked in a folding chair at the gym of the Wellness Center of Lamar Community College, acting as an election judge. We totaled 114 voters for the day.
In normal life I’m more likely to be going to bed at 5am than getting up, so I don’t know how long I can hold out waiting for total updates. Maybe I should just go to bed while the news is good and hope that doesn’t jinx anything?
Think you’re right.
I wanted Romanoff, but I’ll take Bennet any day over Buck (even though I like Buck), and I’d take absolutely anyone over Norton.
in high heels, with red mesh stockings, and maybe this dainty little riding crop…
voyeur
?
Clearly you are of the French persuasion and therefore part of the UN Conspiracy to take over my City & CountyВЎ
I just ate dinner.
Congrats as I know you were supporting Bennet. Have one for me.
That’s a recipe for pleasant dreams!
is that neither Mike nor Andrew ever came across as a total wacko (cf. REPUB Dan Maes).
Basically 2.5K votes between them. 60% in
Could hardly find it here in Sarasota when I moved here, now, not at all.
‘Course, I hardly ever drink beer any more cuz of the carbs, so it’s sort of moot. But when I’d drink PBR I’d feel so…so…Joe Sixpack Working Class and reflect on my Teamster days.
Rock on!
When I was exiled in North Carolina many years ago, I was broke and that’s all I could afford. It’s at least as working-class nasty as PBR.
By the way … if you find it, for the love of God don’t drink it!
Yeah, as I recall, not much to recommend it.
that PBR is now the hip beer amongst the college and under 25 set parse. I guess they think they can get cred for it. My (much younger) cousin lives in St. Pete and he came out last year and dropped a 12 of PBR in my fridge in the garage.
I then made him try a modus hoperandi and he thought it was disgusting.
To each his (or her) own.
I guess it must be special.
“It was a very pleasant call,” said Trevor Kincaid, Bennet’s campaign spokesperson. Bennet will arrive at the watch party momentarily to address his crowd of volunteers and supporters.
Fox31 blog
I would have absolutely loved to have been there celebrating this fantastic hard fought victory with Michael. It’s nights like tonight I hate not being able to walk out that door.
We fought the good fight and were well rewarded for it. Tonight is the night for celebrations.
Tomorrow we need to start work on unifying the party so we can avoid having too many Sharon’s. Tomorrow we remember it’s the Republican’s who deserve our contempt.
That went out the window when Ritter appointed Bennet. Obama and Ritter disregard party loyalty in the appointment and then expect party loyalty in November? There are many more Sharons out there than you think.
And rather than mocking the Sharons, it would be much smarter to try to convince them. But since the beginning of this race, you have chosen mocking over convincing.
I’m talking to you Voyageur, and others. At this point you are the Democratic Party’s own worst enemy. You and Trevor Kincaid.
My advice, don’t wait until tomorow to start working on party unity.
I know wexactly who you are, and your tandtrums disgusted me. All the people who worked for you, deserved better from you.
Bennet was the person who showed a lot of class throughout this primary. If you can’t support the man then do something different but don’t bullshit people with how Bennet supporters are going to drive you away because you have hurt feelings. Romanoff would have voted the same as Bennet 95% of the time. If you don’t support the issues that Romanoff and Bennet support then do something different dude.
It has always been about more than the personalities for the rest of us. Romanoff went off the deep end trying be a Republican and with with the politics of personal vilification. It didn’t work. You are the one who has to decide if you support a better environment and affordable health care. If you do then you will work for the Democratic nominee. If you get all butt hurt because nasties like Sharon get mocked then that’s your hang up.
Post election, that is.
Bite it, Ben.
Keep in mind I was a strong Bennet supporter at first and saw it from that side. And then was a Romanoff supporter and saw it from the other side. I saw both sides do things that made me cringe, both when I supported them and when I supported their opponent.
And yes, everyone here (including you and me) did everything we could to put our guy in the best light and the opponent in the worst. Including attacks, changing the subject, casting aspersions, etc.
Politics is a contact sport. If you can’t handle that you shouldn’t be in the game. If you can, try to be better than the others.
I’m giving you all (collectively) just seven days to work through this on your own, any more than that and you (individually) need professional help.
nice work with the live blogging. i used to work with you (no outing here); this is a much better way to print the news, eh?
ok, dems — fired up & ready to go?
You can punch it in, update the dairy, and shazaam, there it is right on the computer screen at everybody’s home. This time, I have my new Dell but brought along my microsoft ergonomic keyboard and a real mouse, so I can type well and accurately — on a table, with a 17 inch screen. Tried it a few months ago on my old apple, with no table at the YDEMS debate, and had to balance the computer on my lap. Yuck, typo after typo, these old hands have done too many keystrokes to struggle with a laptop keyboard. But the wireless on the Dell works great.
It’s also nice being a RETIRED journalist and no longer a second class citizen. I actually walked a few precincts and did some calls for Bennet. Ya know what — the world didn’t end. I’m tired of having no opinions except those dictated by a publisher.
I am now working part time as a paralegal at the Mile High Law Office and living the high life of us Social Security recipients and Denver Post pensioners. I miss the people at the Post a lot…the management, well, not so much.
Hang in there, buddy, hang in there.
I’m gonna hang in and see how Mesa County voted, however irrelevant the last 18 percent might be.
I always liked both of them, but Romanoff never gave me a good reason to vote against Bennet, who has done as good a job as I could have hoped for. Frankly, I think we’ve been better served with Bennet than we would have if Salazar were still our Senator.
I think Bennet has a better shot at Bucknorton than Romanoff, and I am very invested in keeping the seat in D hands.
I was listening to Sirota and Mario on my way home, and Sirota was whining that the only reason Bennet is winning is because of the overwhelming power of the corporate media. I want to say something to him, and to Mario (who at least wasn’t whining):
You guys are a big part of the reason I voted for Bennet. I don’t watch network news. I don’t read the Daily Prophet, except for the comics. I get my news from AM-760 and the internet. I voted for Bennet because he was doing a fine job, and because, unlike you, I know what Romanoff is like. Romanoff is a decent, honorable man, as is Bennet. However, Romanoff is about as progressive as my dog’s right nut. I don’t know why you guys decided he’s a progressive/liberal, but he most certainly is not, never has been, and likely never will be. He is a good, moderate Democrat who would have been a fine Senator, but no finer than Bennet. If you actually looked at their voting records, you wouldn’t find a nickel’s worth of difference between them. You guys and your ignorant Bennet-bashing turned me off so completely that there was no way I’d vote for Romanoff. So, I voted for Bennet because of you.
And Wade Norris, of course.
thank you for your vote.
I hope they thank me with many many lovely photos of Ben Franklin. Sheesh.
Your verbal machete is sharp tonight.
By the way, thanks for that.
The incumbency advantage in evidence:
It was not Romanoff’s job to give you a reason to vote against Bennet. You should have considered them on an even playing field. You gave a presumption to Bennet that Romanoff had to overcome and Bennet did not deserve.
Bennet has a Congressional voting record while Romanoff just told us his reasons he should replace Bennet… he didn’t give good enough ones considering Bennet’s votes.
Because?
And he didn’t. Seriously, you don’t understand that to vote FOR Romanoff, I’d have to vote AGAINST Bennet? And Romanoff needed to give me a reason for that vote, but he didn’t.
Don’t you dare tell me I can’t give a presumption to one candidate over another, or that I have to consider them on an even playing field, or any of that happy horseshit. If Romanoff’s politics were different from Bennet’s, that might have been reason enough. Since they weren’t, then he had to give me a reason to fire Bennet and hire him.
dog’s third or fourth favorite part.
He’s pretty dumb.
Why r u Romanoff supporters such DOUCHEBAGS???
I don’t get it! Talk to Michael Bennet. He listens and he cares. You lie about him being part of BP and the gulf mess. You all lie about EVERYTHING! GROW the feck up! You destroyed Andrew Romanoff’s campaign with your lies, your deceit, your trumped up charges and your idiotic whinging!!! Go ahead and vote for the tea baggers with my balls in their mouths! You dudes are UNCOOL idiot jackarses!!!!!! Move ON!!!!!!!
… I don’t know what’s wrong with this Bit guy. I don’t know if he’s anti-Bennet and mocking us Bennetistas, if he’s actually a pro-Bennet jackass. Either way… jackass.
to post that at 20:41. Definitely a plant of some sort, most likely a noxious weed.
We’re popping popcorn, not getting in your little, totally awesome slap fight.
Have at it.
Oops! CSAP scores were released today – how many more kids could have been saved with $25 million?
🙂
The problem isn’t money, it’s the system.
SB191 says it’s the teachers…
… from a guy who peddles global warming denial in his sig line. Next up: Laughing Boy switches to a he-thinks-it’s-witty sig line denying evolution?
Sorry, it’s your guy and it’s a direct quote.
You’ve been really entertaining lately. How’s Steve Harvey?
Wait, did you call me “Raymond”? Maybe that’s my real name and BJ, the world’s greatest lover of freedom, should go convince Pols, site of the World’s Stupidest Moderators, that you should be banned!
They are insidious at sowing seeds of dissension.
It’s time to talk about the issues that unite us and get on with helping right this country. I personally hope that the president will go to Baghdad the end of August and meet with the Iraqi government and the military to declare the end of combat missions in Iraq. It is going to be a huge moment for our country. Focus on the issues folks.
Good chance.
Another tip-off
Saw rumor that people at Bennet party are talking possible Denver Mayoral run for Romanoff.
For a lot of reasons.
And btw, why were ColoradoPols such Bennet fanboys?
I’ll give ColoradoPols credit that if someone was live blogging from the Buck party they’d put that on the front page too.
ooh, imagine all the comments about white bucks if they were! but seriously, coloradopols commentary last 45 days have been strongly pro-Bennet, anti-Romanoff — just curious why…
I would have loved to have live blogging from all six: Romo, Bennet,Buck, Norton , McInnis and Tin Foil Danny Maes. But Pols isn’t a media conglomerate — it’s us. I volunteered to do Bennet and — as a front page editor — I could automatically posted my stuff. But if BJ had gone to Buck, etc., I would have promoted his stuff as well, or twitty would have, or David, or Pols herself. We don’t really plan these things, they just come together. Like when Redstateblues and I cobloged the Romo/Bennet debate at the young ds — we worked it out in advance with MOTR, then an editor — and just did it.
Coloradopols is you, me, and the rest of the 97,000 uniuque visitors we get every month. This blog is what we make it.
Has exactly zero chance against Hancock.
Didn’t even know he was running! woo hoo!
consensus: No, Romo won’t run for mayor. It’s just too soon, he’d look kind of pathetic. A lot of people at that party were talking up Michael Hancock. I like Hancock but also have a friend in the mix, Carol Boigon. The one mountain we’ve never climbed in Denver (or the Gov, or U.S. Senate) is a woman mayor and I’d frankly like to see it. But I just don’t know Romo’s future. I do hope it’s in public service…he’s a very talented man. I’d also urge him to take the bar review course and pass the bar…all that law school education should be used for something other than demonstrating knowledge of the rule against perpetuities in political debates.
I hardly ever get to play with rumor and speculation.
I remember my first year of law school, when I realized that the movie “Body Heat” used the rule against perpetuities as an important plot point.
Agreed that Andrew should find a way to use his law degree for good. If he runs in an election I can vote in, I’ll vote for him.
You’re at the movies, mid- to late- twenties, Kathleen Turner and William Hurt smoking up the screen, and you’re thinking “rule against perpetuities”?
And, attorneys wonder why they get viewed the way they do?
Then during my first year when I learned the rule, something rang a bell. I rented the movie, and there it was. A movie based upon the rule against perpetuities. And if memory serves, I didn’t get laid until third year, so you are quite right in your assessment.
Bennet had all the money, which is why Obama backed him. He did nothing with his Senate appointment until Romanoff forced him. Bennet has largely succeeded in life via establishment connections — getting successful men to appoint him to hi profile/hi $$ positions — then bailing on those before they could catch up with him. Romanoff, by contrast, is a consummate politician in the genuine sense of the word — willing to do whatever it takes at whatever personal cost for the sake of better policy for the people.
Bennet and his national power backers shouldn’t expect Romanoff supporters to spend a dime or a moment assisting in the general. The progressive wing of the party won’t be there come November.
Big win for Buck; sad day for Colorado.