U.S. Senate
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(D) J. Hickenlooper*
(R) Somebody
80%
20%
Governor
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(D) Joe Neguse
(D) Phil Weiser
(D) Jena Griswold
60%
60%
40%↓
Att. General
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(D) M. Dougherty
(D) Alexis King
(D) Brian Mason
40%
40%
30%
Sec. of State
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(D) George Stern
(D) A. Gonzalez
(R) Sheri Davis
40%
40%
30%
State Treasurer
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(D) Brianna Titone
(R) Kevin Grantham
(D) Jerry DiTullio
60%
30%
20%
CO-01 (Denver)
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(D) Diana DeGette*
(R) Somebody
90%
2%
CO-02 (Boulder-ish)
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(D) Joe Neguse*
(R) Somebody
90%
2%
CO-03 (West & Southern CO)
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(R) Jeff Hurd*
(D) Somebody
80%
40%
CO-04 (Northeast-ish Colorado)
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(R) Lauren Boebert*
(D) Somebody
90%
10%
CO-05 (Colorado Springs)
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(R) Jeff Crank*
(D) Somebody
80%
20%
CO-06 (Aurora)
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(D) Jason Crow*
(R) Somebody
90%
10%
CO-07 (Jefferson County)
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(D) B. Pettersen*
(R) Somebody
90%
10%
CO-08 (Northern Colo.)
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(R) Gabe Evans*
(D) Yadira Caraveo
(D) Joe Salazar
50%
40%
40%
State Senate Majority
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DEMOCRATS
REPUBLICANS
80%
20%
State House Majority
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DEMOCRATS
REPUBLICANS
95%
5%
March 29, 2012 05:35 PM UTC
70 Comments
For a long time the republicans ran the con, denying that they’re in the business of suppressing the vote, while doing every possible thing to do exactly that.
It’s been a standing fact since the turn of the 20th century that the fewer people that vote, the more it helps the republicans, the better the registered turnout, the more favorable the results for the majority of Americans.
Now they’re parading it front and center, like “Yeah, we’re doin’ it, what are you gonna do about it?”, and it’s simply time to stop screwing around, arguing whether or not it’s happening, and just flat get busy and put a stop to it.
This story is very accurate, Gessler literally has no moral compass. It’s so head turning that it’s completely understandable that a rational person asks “How can this be?”.
Like the Second World War, the answer isn’t in trying to understand what motivates these reptiles, why they do the things they do.
The only thing honest people need to know about them is how to beat them.
Recall?
At this point, since not even shaming these creeps works, I’m in.
Rocco, really? WWII?
Who exactly in WWII are you comparing Republicans to, just so I can get an idea of the magnitude of your comparison?
Ok. The Nazis.
Godwins! Godwins!
You’re right. Scott Gessler is just like a Nazi.
Rocco, you’re a smart guy and make great arguments most of the time. Why would you want to lose an argument before you start it by invoking Nazis or Imperial Japan in comparison to a duly-elected State SOS?
“Like the Second World War, the answer isn’t in trying to understand what motivates these reptiles, why they do the things they do.”
You seem to be reacting to this a bit too literally. This is in no way a Godwin’s situation, either.
And I think picking on this may be an admission that there isn’t a way dispute the main point of his argument.
aren’t you ashamed of such a blatantly leading question? rocco is talking about the futility of trying to understand irrational actions in a rational context. The matrix doesn’t work because rationality isn’t the point.
The point is to institute a functioning, dominate plutarchy so the 1% can institute their “free market” paradise.
“The Shock Doctrine”, by Naomi Klein…read it.
Comparing anything in American mainstream politics to Nazis immediately negates one’s argument in my eyes.
Nothing is like the Nazis.
There were many parties who made irrational decisions besides the Nazis. He let you pick and you chose Himmler and the boys.
Rocco? Exactly to whom were you referring to in your comparison?
You made it – please elaborate.
or Benito Mussolini ?
Do you then accept roccos argument ?
But I’m fine with his pick.
The repubs do have much in common with the Imperial Japanese doctrine, that of taking what you need, by any means. The old shooter cheney way.
The Fascists in Itlay married corporations to government, another red mantra.
But the Nazis………….He picked ’em, he owns ’em.
You mentioned WWII. You made a comparison, it’s your argument and I own none of it.
Can you please tell me who specifically you were referring to, and what your comparison is to whomever you were referring to that took part in WWII?
I think it’s a pretty fair question. You’re the one that said it.
is the whole conceptual basis of Gessler’s actions is that the law is under me. It is used as a tool, along with his position, to subvert democracy and serve his own narrow aims. Election law, and his position, should be treated with a lot more dignity. Why ? Because when the law is mistreated, (or perverted) that way, we keep sliding ever towards meaningless banana republic standards.
In short, he shits on the law, and then rubs it in our faces. He cheapens the position, and that weakens democracy.
in your one sub-point up there? WW2 after the US was involved? Or starting in 1939? Some people would date it further back with Japanese aggression in Asia. Please be more precise so I can better understand the magnitude of your offense!
I was referring to the mindset my parents took on after Pearl Harbor.
My mom and dad both were retired U.S. Military, committed Roosevelt Democrats, as am I, and while I wasn’t born ’till ’48, they were still talking about the commitment made by the entire Nation to win the War my entire childhood.
Time after time, they talked about how Pearl Harbor galvanized the nation, the rationing, shortages, how really important work descriptions got more gas than others, no silk, butter, saving cans, donating clothes, buying bonds, and sacrifices.
Our family was lucky, we didn’t lose anybody. But my dad did play an important role, and was proud of it the rest of his life. And I’m very proud of him as well.
But the similarity to today was that once Japan attacked and the other Tripartite partners declared war, the republican isolationists stopped henpecking, the public stopped wondering how these dictators and Tojo could be so evil, why they were, and everybody just came together to work to beat them.
The motives, agenda, or ideologies of Germany, Italy, and Japan simply didn’t matter any more.
The only thing that did after America entered the war was two sledgehammer words:
Unconditional Surrender.
By all three.
That’s how I compared the republican party to the Axis Powers. I wasn’t really thinking of how the republicans are like any of the Axis partners in great detail, but our professional victim took tactical offense, and the thread got hijacked.
Ralphie, sorry about the thread jack. It wasn’t my intent.
At least you finally elaborated.
So the Republicans have committed an offense as great as the Axis powers in WWII and must be fought until the party is completely destroyed?
How do you see that taking place in real terms in today’s America?
Go back to the original comment.
First, to end the threadjack.
Second, to get the context again, which you’ve completely lost sight of in your absolute desire to be offended.
We’re on that original thread. So never mind that part…. THIS thread has been completely hijacked. For some reason I thought we were somewhere else.
Where’s my coffee?
You get Sanka now for not calling Godwin’s wherever it rears it’s head.
Actually, I think I owe you a beer or a coffee. It’s been a while. Hope all is well with you.
We’ll just have to get together before I’m ‘destroyed’ by Rocco and his minions.
And too late about the coffee. It’s all gulped down with a donut. Breakfast of champions…
I was kind of poking ellbee for trying so very hard to be offended…reminds me of a loyal German…
let’s get back to Gessler’s unbridled partisanship and his true agenda. Let’s figure out who is Gessler’s true constituency because is surely doesn’t seem like he is serving for the better of Colorado citizens.
Has he heard back from DHS yet? He jobbed out his “investigation” just to make it seem more dire and raise the spector of a grand voter conspiracy for the theatrical drama. Yet he can’t share the facts and the evidence with the very clerks charged with assuring the integrity of the vote. Rather than actually do his job he’d rather play Agent 86 finding the agents of KAOS that fit his delusional threats. Gessler is a joke and unfortunately a bad joke that’s getting played on the fine folks of CO.
Denial. Subject change. Got nothing. Take your pick.
Because douchbags can.
Saves trying to defend Gessler and his anti-democracy motives.
than other peoples spelling.
A dick who can’t admit that democracy requires elected officials who serve all their constituents.
You.
I don’t endorse the douche bag comments directed against you. I think you are a well meaning, decent, intelligent person in deep, deep, deep denial. Considering where your party has gone, I guess that’s pretty much the only way someone like you can deal with it. I get it but it still exasperates the hell out of me.
You’re right to not want to compare post 1938 nazi’s, because little in modern history can compare to the nazi atrocities once the war started.
What is relevant is how the nazi’s came to power, cunningly and often ruthlessly suppressing a free people’s speech, freedoms, choices and expression. THAT is relevant.
Read The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich by William Shirer, and you’ll agree then that small, seemingly innocuous steps, allowed Hitler to start WWII.
The most cogent response to my query so far.
I read Shirer’s book for the first time as a sophomore in High School, and I think it’s still the quintessential book on how the Nazis were able to do what they did.
I’ll disagree on your analysis, but respectfully so. At least you were specific enough to point out what you thought some similarities were.
Thank you.
Rocco, Elbee, and others.
His WW2 remark was outside the main point and uncontroversial to anyone who wasn’t actively looking for it.
It was a giant waste of my time. You guys just keep on with hyperbolic nonsense like comparing an SOS you don’t like to some as-yet-unnamed power that we fought against in WWII without specificity.
Enjoy the thread. And thank you, again, Sir Robin, for attempting to explain what you thought of it.
It isn’t a simple matter of not liking him…it is his relentless efforts to suppress voting by those who do not support him. To do so for purely political reasons is tantamount to treason in my book…but, I don’t get to write the book.
but it wasn’t the point. The point was reducing voter participation benefits Republicans. The WW2 comment was merely an acknowledgment that it really is war between the parties now.
I suppose rocco could have come up with another conflict where one side never negotiated in good faith, but it’s hard to think of one.
If you had, you’d know the similarities.
If I’m wrong, and you did, then right now you’re, as usual, being intellectually dishonest.
Is that an admission from you that you are comparing Republicans to the Nazis?
In the interest of intellectual honesty, don’t you think you should explain yourself on this matter?
Perhaps you’re making a really fantastic point that will demonstrate how the Republicans are just like the people that methodically killed ten million civilians in WWII.
I’d really hate to miss that, Rocco.
If the Dems are going to seriously spearhead a recall effort, they need to get their ducks in a row, NOW.
The ideal timing for a recall election would be the general election this November. Otherwise we would be talking about a very expensive statewide special election.
To pull that off, the petitions need to be circulated, turned in, verified, and the protest period exhausted by mid-September at the lastest, but mid-August would be far better (and about as far out as the law allows).
Backing up through the process, petitions would have to be turned in by end of June/very early July, which means circulation would start in late April/early May. That also means one month to get petitions approved, printed and circulators hired (a small army would be needed because of the high number of signatures needed in only 60 days)
Not only would the party need to get their act together very quickly to make that happen, but also anyone wanting to run to replace Gessler would need to get into high gear at the same time. They need to get at least 1500 signatures from each CD, plus all of the fundraising, name-ID raising, etc. needed for a statewide campaign.
Most of us are already buring a lot of daylight, between working, volunteering for at least one candidate, on and on, but I guess you never say never.
But you really describe a difficult task, well worth doing but a lot of particulars.
Just takes will power.
Gessler has done enough to get the masses off their asses. He’s canny enough to know he can affect change – partisan change – and get it done under the radar without all that many repercussions and scheme his way to a bigger throne.
Heck he wanted to disenfranchise active service members and that wasn’t enough to get more than a grumble out of Colo Springs and our various forts. I’m afraid that working toward a recall would be sadly misspent effort especially within the timeline of DW’s scenario.
I’m just hoping that their are some journos or pols with some investigative chops that are watching Gessler like dingoes on a baby. This shiny knight of voter integrity sure likes to draw attention to fables rather than facts so just what are we missing?
then why not get paid signature gatherers to do that?
Paid circulators would have to be used for this, but even then it would be difficult. Paid circulators can only so many signatures per day so the number needed to hire is quite large, probably larger than the available pool of experienced ones.
I expect some out-of-state circulating firms would probably come in to offer to help (for the right price of course).
though I doubt it can be done under the time constraints. Gessler clearly has never had any intention of serving in a non-partisan capacity, looking out for the interests of all Colorado citizens, which is what the office requires.
The fact that so many county clerks, regardless of affiliation, oppose this onerous “solution” to yet another fabricated problem in yet another thinly disguised attempt to tip the partisan scales in our elections, says it all.
As long as we continue to be stuck with this SOS, it’s good to know that most of our county clerks, who are the officials most closely involved with the nuts and bolts of our elections, really are dedicated to running the fairest elections they possibly can and encouraging and facilitating the fullest possible participation. Without them and their integrity, nothing would stand between us and an SOS clearly dedicated to nothing beyond voter suppression in the service of his party.
I can understand the desire to avoid the expense of a special election, but wouldn’t a recall get lost in the ballot when it’s a presidential election?
I worry that a recall would succeed because I think general voters don’t necessarily perceive hyper-partisanship as recall worthy, even when the subject in question is taking action to minimize active voter participation. Those of us who pay attention understand that he’s behaving free of the constraints of ethics, but many people think that’s only the case when someone breaks the law. And since unethical policies aren’t against the law…
It would seem to me that the effort would be more successful if there was a special election, because it would be the only thing on the ballot. Again, I understand the desire to avoid the expense (especially since the ‘pubs would harp on it endlessly), but there’s little point in going through with a recall if it’s more likely to fail.
with any issue on a persidential ballot. They would likely lose support if it meant having a special election, say in the dead of winter or next spring.
from a practical standpoint, replacing the SoS would be better at a general election because his replacement would then have the full election cycle to do his/her own thing rather than haveing to change course from a previous SoS.
As for the message, if the Dems were smart, they would focus their attention on Gessler’s flauting of the law rather than his partisanship. It would be far easier to boot him as someone who believes he is above the law.
We can say he’s flaunting the law, but unless he’s impeached for something, it’s not legally true.
I’d love to see the man recalled, but it doesn’t sound realistic unless someone can prove that he’s making his rulings for materially corrupt reasons instead of morally corrupt ones.
the # of signatures required or % of last voter turnout to get the recall? And what would be the safe # of signatures to overcome an audit?
You seem to know the process so wondering if you know some of the details?
25% of all votes cast for SoS in the last election, which was 1,722,096.
On the other hand, only 33 votes in the Assembly are required to impeach him.
Can’t we just indict the guy? And shame him into resignation without a trial?
Oh wait- indictments generally require someone to break the law. He’s the kind of SOS I would prefer – but a criminal?
Recall worthy? I don’t see it. The resources involved in replacing him – trying to replace him – before the next election date could be better deployed. How about the D’s take back the House? CO and DC. That is going to take some resources – and would yield a much bigger payback.
fire my editor.
unless there was already an organization and a ton of money already in place to execute it.
You mean, something like a state organization dedicated to electing Democrats with, oh, a billionaire and a few multimillionaires on call? Nah, nothing like that around.
And having b/millionaires on call is not the same as having the money in the bank.
It’s way too much of a long shot to accomplish between now and this fall and resources definitely should be deployed to deal with the pressing and daunting task of winning back Dem majorities before the GOP does even more damage than it already has. But it hurts me to say that. I’d LOVE to see the miserable rat recalled.
but a recall during a general election is asking for failure even though turnout will be high. A D running can not adequately answer the question “Why should he be recalled for trying to remove fraud from elections?” in one minute
I think even a Texan can say that in under a minute.
is that it allows the Obama campaign to focus attention early on Gessler so that when he inevitably tries to steal the 2012 electroal votes for the Rombot, they will be ready.
Price of gasoline, Gessler; price of gasoline, Gessler…
Hmmm.
Which do you think people are going to care more about?
about the price of gas, you’re mistaken.
And whether it involves the President or not, well, when you’re explaining you’re losing.
Perception is reality, and there’s a wide perception that the president CAN do a lot about gas prices.
I still don’t think Obama will lose – Rmoney just keeps putting his foot in his mouth, over and over, and is even less charismatic than John Kerry (what is it about Massachusetts politicians who aren’t named Kennedy, anyway?), and the GOP regulars don’t want him, either. But high gas prices will make congressional races much harder for the Dems to win, and we’re fucked if they can’t retake the House and make some gains in the Senate.
Gear up everyone and gird your loins for an epic battle. Does anyone think that with all of the assholes President Obama has had to deal with during his Presidency (He should have been a proctologist), that this won’t be a no holds barred, all out friggin war!?
the Obama campaign legal team that will be focusing attention. With any luck, they’ll throw out enough money to have a team dedicated just to Colorado and that they have the clout and acumen to name, shame, and file injunctions appropriately to keep Gessler in line.
The average voter, who is a non-political junkie, does not care what Colorado Democratic Party chairman Rick Palacio has to say about Republican Secretary of State Scott Gessler. Pushing for a recall because Gessler testified against a bill in a committee hearing seems to fly in the face of the principle of free speech.
Most of those average voters like Gessler’s advocacy of photo ID for voting, or at the very least, for registering to vote. They are bewildered at how certain folks can do all the things the rest of us cannot do without having a photo ID… like check cashing. picking up a package at the post office, renting various items, etc.
Even if a recall effort was mounted, all Gessler would have to do is remind those average voters that his Democratic predecessor wanted same day voter registration. Very few of the average voter class were ever comfortable with that concept!
I heard Rick and friends discovered that it’s impossible and they would look like idiots for trying. What did this prove again? That Democrats engage mouths before brains!
I know that but some of you needed to learn. Again!
That’s something you know a lot about.
http://www.coloradopeakpolitic…