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December 15, 2007 12:42 AM UTC

Is Polis Trying for Criticism?

  • 34 Comments
  • by: Colorado Pols

Candidates generally get attacked for two reasons: 1) Their opponent is trying to proactively knock them down, and/or 2) Something they do backfires on them. Jared Polis has been frequently attacked by his opponents in the CD-2 Democratic Primary, but the vast majority of those attacks have been for reason #2. There is a cause and effect relationship in many of the criticisms aimed at the Polis campaign, and most of the time, his campaign is actually the cause.

Take today’s story in the Rocky Mountain News, for example. Polis was criticized in an article for investing in companies that make money from the War in Iraq. Was the criticism fair? Maybe, maybe not; but the key point here is that the criticism came because of the TV ad that Polis ran. If there is no ad that is critical of these companies, there is no negative newspaper article.

There are plenty more examples of this. Polis took shots in the media for the way in which he portrayed his recent trip to Iraq. Were the shots fair? Maybe, maybe not; but the reason he was attacked was because his campaign appeared to have lied about his trip being a United Way trip. His campaign led with its chin in calling the trip a United Way thing, which is why he took shots from reporters later when it turned out to be untrue. When you lead with your chin, it’s not a coincidence when you get punched in the face.

All of this is starting to make us wonder if Polis isn’t trying to get criticized. This wouldn’t seem to make a lot of sense as a strategy, but then it doesn’t make a lot of sense the way they keep sticking their heads out to get whacked. Take a look at this otherwise inexplicable press release sent by the Polis campaign today:

NOT POLITICS AS USUAL: POLIS TAKES OPEN AND HONEST APPROACH TO HIS STANCE ON ISSUES

“Voters in CD2 deserve to know what a candidate stands for,” states Polis.

Boulder, CO – In yet another example of Polis’ commitment to running a serious, issue-based campaign, voters in the Second Congressional District wondering where Jared Polis stands on an issue need to look no further than his web site, www.polisforcongerss.com.

As of December 14, 2007, Joan Fitz-Gerald has not taken a stand on anything. This is also the same tactic that Republican Bob Schaffer is trying to use in his bid against Mark Udall.  In contrast to Polis’ straightforward approach, Fitz-Gerald’s lack of any sort of issue stance on her web site or even a mention of what kind of leadership the voters of the Second Congressional District can expect, is concerning.

In addition to Polis’ extensive writings on his recent trip to Iraq and his opposition to the war, he also provides voters with position statements on global climate change, health care, higher education, retirement security, immigration, ethics reform, ending poverty, jobs and the economy, human rights and equal rights.

“I don’t believe in politics as usual,” said Polis, “including when a candidate hides behind negative attacks in order to distract voters from their stance on the issues that really matter. That’s not the kind of leader I am nor is it the kind of campaign I will run.”

“Looking at Fitz-Gerald in this race, the way she runs her campaign, and where she chooses to expend her energy, it would appear that her only newsworthy statements involve issuing negative comments about positive events, such as Jared’s recent trip to Iraq. She is producing an empty shell of a campaign that appears to be Bob Schaffer-like,” added Polis’ campaign manager Wanda James.

Look again at the headline of this press release: “NOT POLITICS AS USUAL: POLIS TAKES OPEN AND HONEST APPROACH TO HIS STANCE ON ISSUES”

An honest approach? Like when Polis claimed that he has always opposed vouchers, when multiple newspapers have him on record as supporting vouchers? Or maybe like when the campaign said he was taking that trip to Iraq as part of the United Way.

Before we get the inevitable “Colorado Pols hates Jared Polis” attacks (which were curiously absent from this post), consider again the point we’re trying to make here: Why go out of your way to say that you are taking an honest approach to issues when you have been rightly criticized repeatedly for NOT taking an honest approach to issues? Why bring this up when it is almost certain that you will be criticized for doing the exact opposite? You’re not going to fool the media into the idea that you have really been honest about the issues when you’ve already been caught, repeatedly, for NOT being honest.

Like we said, the Polis campaign does this so often that we’re starting to wonder if it is really being done on purpose. Are they trying to make Polis appear sympathetic as the “victim” of political attacks? That wouldn’t seem like a great strategy, but there has got to be a reason that his campaign keeps doing this.

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34 thoughts on “Is Polis Trying for Criticism?”

  2. All publicity is good publicity…as long as you’re JP…

    I have no idea what the campaign is doing…but he makes a good point about JFG’s lack of stances on issues (on her site).  Her record is on the site…a tremendous record as I think most agree…but nothing of note on what she’ll do if elected.  

    I asked a friend who doesn’t blog here what he thought of the race.  He said all he knew was that JFG was against JP…but didnt know what she was actually “for.”  That can’t be the message JFG…or WS…want to send to voters as time passes.

    Anyway, has JP been “open and honest?”  Not entirely.  But if folks believe it, that may be all that matters…

  3. each of the articles covering this also mentions that Joan owns stock (from mutual funds) in each of the contentious companies listed for Jared?

    Does Joan have her fingers in Halliburton? Yes.

    General Dynamics?  Yes.

    (Not even going to bring up the oil/gas/mining pots she’s swimming in).  

    I feel like the hypocrisy you are so eager to purport happens to be coming from the media (i.e. you).  

    1. did Joan run ads slamming Halliburton on General Dynamics?  No, but apparently Jared did (I haven’t bothered to go look at them).  That seems to be the difference.

      1. this whole issue is silly.

        One thing she does have on her website is press clips.

        “She also promised to push for more congressional oversight of contractors in the war zone. Naming companies like Halliburton and Blackwater, Fitz-Gerald said “we have to have accountability from these war profiteers.”

        http://www.joanfitz-gerald.com…

        1. Good for JP for taking on a company that is stealing from American tax payers.

          It’s to bad that Joan has decided to stop taking on war profiteers, in effort make JP look bad.

          I am a little grossed out in JFG inablity to take a stance on issues just so she can play “gottya: with JP

  4. I was waiting for the Oil and Gas comment that is all you can say over and over again. Even though Jared takes that money as well, which you never seem to talk about.

  5. Did you guys read the same release as I did?  He said “NOT POLITICS AS USUAL: POLIS TAKES OPEN AND HONEST APPROACH TO HIS STANCE ON ISSUES’ on the ISSUES!

    If you go to his website or if you are on his email list, the guy writes a lot.  You know where he stands on just about everything.  This is a fair release.  

    I also get they are saying that the press on JFG has said nothing about what she would do if elected, where she stands on any issue.  All I know about her is she voted for the war and she hates Jared.  Not enough for my vote.

    So is she just running on her record?  If that is the case, then we need to look very closely at why she voted for war twice.  Interesting enough, the two bills Polis brings up that she co-sponsored are not her site.  So even the little info she has up on her is not accurate.

    1. Joan not having any issue statements on her website, and being distinctly substance-free in her appearances (at least the ones I’ve seen) seems to me to a pretty strong contrast Polis can, and should, make. I mean, can you find ANY other congressional campaign site with no issues on it? Other than Bob Schaffer’s.

      1. Every time I see Joan speak, including at this past Saturday’s State Party meeting, she’s hit the issues.

        I agree on one point – Joan needs to re-vamp her web page and put up an issues section.  BTW, I’ve seen a number of candidates with no issues pages; that usually changes later in the campaign season, sometimes later and sometimes sooner.

        1. and heard all three candidates speak.  I was struck by the fact that both Will and Joan spent their entire speeches talking about issues and what they were for/opposed to.  Jared on the other hand, while spending some time on the same sort of issues as Joan and Will, spent a lot of time replaying ‘the support of other candidates for GWB’.

          It is clear that he thinks he has only one way to differentiate himself from Joan and that is to try to make her resolution vote something more than what it was and attempt to suggest that some how that makes them significanlty different in how they would represent the 2CD.

          If there are other differences between himself and Joan or Will (philosophically or policy-wise or on matters of substance) why doesn’t he point those out.

          Other than his allegation that she somehow supports GWB because of a resolution vote in the Colo. Senate, what is different about his positions from her’s on healthcare, or education, or taxation, or the environment, or economic matters?

          Which of the hundreds of votes she has cast in the Senate on matters of substance (matters important to 2nd CD voters) does he disagree with and would have voted differently?

          1. But they also differ substantially on immigration.  JFG sponsored some draconian Tancredo type immigration laws while JP favors tougher border security but a practical integration thru education, especially for the youth.

            On education JP advocates more choice in schools.  Countless threads have been written here about vouchers but essentailly it’s more about choice than any one vehicle of change.

            Both have progressive enviro positions but only JFG received 40k in campaign. contributions from Oil and Gas.

            JP has a business and entrepenurial record, JFG has an extensive legislative record.

            And lastly JP does not take PAC money and advocates broader and more thorough ethic reform.

            How different can two dems be in this district? Of course, and there’s no “alleged” about it, JFG’s war vote rings the loudest.  It’s what voters care about the most.

            I’ve seen JFG speak about issues at events and she’s a good speaker. But it seems like if the issues are not on your website, it’s easier to pander to the crowd. I can imagine how hard it would be though to post her war vote and immigration vote on her site when Boulder and Adams are the biggest counties in CD 2.

            1. any Dem who has a similar voting record as Joan?

              On vouchers, I don’t hear JP touting his position in any of his speeches (he didn’t at the state central committee).

              Has he taken a position on the estate tax?  If so, why is he not touting that?

              Joan has a voting record, JP doesn’t.  It is easy to talk the talk, but how will he walk the walk?

              Perhaps, you would like to take out all the dems who voted on the bills in the immigration special session – including the speaker of the house.

              When you are in a leadership position in the legislature (unless you are Ken Gordon) you sometimes vote in a way that protects your members who are up for reelection.

              Joan has always worried about getting and protecting a majority in the Colo. Senate.  I admire her for that.  

              It is easy when you are on the outside to throw stones – particularly when you have no voting record.

              I will take someone who supports public education as opposed to someone who wants to give taxpayer money to private schools.  I still don’t hear JP touting this position, which I find much more important than a meaningless vote on a meaningless resolution.

  7. I would never think Pols hates Polis. Why, that’s just one keystroke away from hating itself!  Now, if somebody said Pols goes  barking mad with fury every time the name Polis comes up, I might agree.

      1. That’s weird. Who said anything about the Post, the Rocky, and the Camera?

        You, by the way, are showing your colors here. I notice that you say “every other news outlet around town.” Around what town? Denver, I assume you mean (leaving aside that the Daily Camera is not a Denver paper and its readers would be insulted for it to be called such). The active blogging Joan supporters are so Denver-centric. I’m convinved not one of them on this site actually lives in CD2. In case you haven’t been north of I-70 lately, I’ll fill you in: It’s very different up here. This is why I’m now convinced Jared is going to win. As soon as Will’s fundraising decline puts him out of the race, Jared will be a clear front-runner.

        1. Well there is one clear problem with your premise. Will hasn’t had–and isn’t going to have a fundraising decline.

          By the way, if you think that everyone in CD-2 reads only their local town paper, you are fooling yourself. The Rocky, Post, and Camera are the big three in the entire district. Sure there are other local papers that are important, but to write off the Rocky and Post is simply silly.

  8. As a gay conservative Democrat who very much wanted to support Jared Polis (JP), I am continually disappointed by JP’s awful campaign staff and the terrible advice he’s getting from people, such as venture capitalist Brad Feld, high-priced consultants, etc.

    Several years ago my partner and I met JP at a Democratic fund raising event in Denver. We had a five minute conversation about the Colorado political scene. I came away from that conversation with some hope that JP would be a future/serious candidate beyond the school board.

    Fast forward to 2007. Everything JP and his campaign does seems to be ill-conceived, contradictory, and one of implied deception to get elected.  Like several of us in the GLBT community, we would very much like to support JP, however, we are turned off by his lack of discipline to manage people, expectations, and his own political purpose.

    My advice to JP:

    1) Fire your staff and consultants

    2) Stop listening to your VC buddies

    3) Rise above any perceived impropriety (e.g. the botched United Way Iraq mission, campaign contributions)

    4) Have consistent issue positions (e.g. vouchers)

    5) Be truthful

    6) Re-tool your campaign to be positive, soulful, and humble — “trying for criticism” gets publicity, but it won’t get you elected

    7) Regain the greater purpose of your candidacy.

    I’m undecided about who to support for CD2. Maybe JP will turn it around?

    1. My advice to you.  Cut and paste your 7 talking points on JFG’s website cuz they about sum up issues she’s running on for this race.

      What basis do you have to assert he’s getting political advice from Brad Feld or any of his VC friends?

      And calling the trip to Iraq a botched mission is adolescent.  If all you got from that trip is an uninformed impression of the United Way’s association, then that is all you want to see.

      “Consistent issue positions (eg vouchers)”

      Yes JP has a nuanced position on vouchers. Read about it.  But please either elaborate or stop falsely generalizing.

      “Trying for criticism” is a Colorado Pols header,  not a campaign strategy.  Criticizing is all the other campaigns have done, it’s their strategy.

      Sorry to be so confrontational but I found your post full of holes and factually inaccurate.

  9. Just based on the way JP’s supporters whine, bitch and moan on this website makes me think that maybe it is working.

    You’d think they would be so busy weeping at his cross that they wouldn’t have time to come here and post.

    1. He has a few actual supporters on this website, but plenty of them seem to be employees using Jerome Armstrong’s techniques.  These are the technique’s armstrong honed when he was engaging in stock market manipulation.  Funny thing, behavior that is illegal in the capital markets, isn’t in politics.  In fact, according to some folks, it isn’t even unethical.

      The techniques of trying to create the appearance of grass roots support or indignation by using paid blogger was pioneered in politics by Armstrong after the SEC got him out of stock market manipulation.

      BTW can anyone confirm what the Polis canpaign’s relationship with Armstrong is?  They said they hired him, but neither his name or any company he is affiliated with shows up in the FEC reports.  Maybe he was hired by the Jared Polis Foundation to do humanitarian Web work with the United Way that in no way was political?

  10. As a voter, I would be more inclined to buy the spin, if all the spin on Polis was the same on more than one site.  But given the fact that so many other sites seem to tout all he has done with his trip to Iraq and being one of the four horseman – I guess you guys are the bad man out.

    Where is Joan’s grassroots support on SquareState, Daily Kos, MyDD, Politics West or the series of Opinion pieces that have been written by Vince Carroll and Bob Ewegen?

    So, we have a site that is run by a union employee, stacked with multiple named political insiders from the Capitol and Joan’s campaign.  

    I think Joan is running scared.  She quit the senate to keep up with Polis, has said nothing of her plans, ideas or even thoughts.  All she does is attack Polis – even Danny had to admit the last attack was stupid.

    Polis takes action – went to Iraq – like our Governor and Denver Congressman (I guess they needed a stunt, too), sent out a couple of mailings, which people are liking, at least in my neighborhood and put up the first commercial about ending the war and has people taking about the effect of mercenaries.  I guess I would have to say – Nice start to winning the caucus.

    Oh, and was at the anti-war rally this weekend http://www.coloradocitizensfor… As a grassroots organization, they seem to like Polis a lot as well.

    Yes, Phoenix Raising says she talks about it at her house parties – but what percentage of the voters get to a house party?  The web is your best communication tool and hers says nothing and leaves off her vote for the war on her legislative record page – sounds like dishonesty to me.  

    1. Almost…

      The coverage of JP just about everywhere but here is at least neutral to good.  Has the campaign screwed up multiple times?  Absolutely.  Should they be knocked for it?  Yes.  

      But running a commentary on whether or not JP is intentionally running a bad campaign is just silly.  If Pols was trying to be balanced (which I’m not even suggesting they need to do b/c it’s their site and they can post whatever they want), they would run a commentary on whether or not JFG is trying to run a campaign devoid of actual policies and relying on her “record.”  They’d also run a commentary on whether or not WS is just trying to “shoot-the-gap” so to speak, not taking much action in the campaign and just waiting for the other two to blast each other to death.  Both have been suggested, but a front-page commentary?  Of course not.

      Pols obviously has a less than positive opinion on Polis and that’s fine.  But arguing that they don’t is a little hard to swallow.  Every time JP screws up and JFG and/or WS responds…surprise surprise…Pols agrees with the criticism.  When Wanda James responds, Pols says she’s wrong, off base, or just flat out lying.  Just seems a little odd that Mary Alice is constantly spot on when critiquing JP; but Wanda is constantly missing the point according to Pols.

      1. One other point, yes, the Polis camapign does seem to have its issues, but it is the ONLY campaign doing anything!  

        What has Joan or the other guy done.  OK, there was the Global warming paper – but in fairness his camapign was critized for too little too late and looking just like Polis’ global warming paper.

        So, if a camapign is making mistakes and taking action, depending on the mistakes, I would rather see that, than a campaign that does nothing except attack a canadidate for showing the voters that he will lead, try new things and proberly make some mistakes along the way.  

    2. Besides having bought and paid for astroturf (remember Raf’s mistake) they are great sites for national issues–less relevant for a Colorado race.

      squarestate has fewer posters so it easy to spam with astroturf-plus Jared blogs over there on occasion which makes the natives friendlier–I am polite whenever I talk to Jared (only 3 times).

      Ewegen? you really want to bring that up?  He says Polis supports vouchers, but is to much of a coward to admit it.

      Politics west? I don’t even know you are talking about there are so few postings.

      Vince Carroll?  He poopooed the idea that there were mercenaries in Iraq and called Jared’s writing’s “melodramatic musings”.  For the record I disagree on both points: they are mercenaries and I think Jared’s trip was substantive (my problem has always been the appearance of abuse of the finance rules).

      If you don’t think house parties matter, you don’t understand politics.  The Web is a tool, but it is only a tool.  JFG needs to get some issues up (remember I support Will and he has issues up–including the most detailed climate change plan-I conceed Jared’s is pretty good-now that he’s not driving his Lincoln Navigator around Denver anymore-BTW does he still spend most of his time at his Denver Loft?), but it is the house parties, talking to neighbors, seeing it for yourself that really makes the difference.

      Jared does a lot of big events, but aside from jetting lobbyiests down to Florida on a private jet you don’t hear much about him in small group meetings.

      1. Lincoln Navigator?  Is that really a campaign issue?

        Lobbyist in Jets?  If memory serves that came up a while ago on Pols and I believe it was four years ago and it was a trip with the members of the Democracy Alliance and it was all of them (Rutt Bridges, Ted Trimpa, Tim Gill, Al Yates, Jared, etc) all rich mega liberals. It may have even been Tim’s or Pat Stryker’s jet.  

        Big events – yes, he also has a fantastic House Party schedule. He has done a ton of them all over the district.

        And lastly, spin, spin, spin Abuse of Finance Laws?  Are you a Fortune Teller?  The reports have not been filed yet. And they are not due yet.  CoCo reported last week that the spending was part Polis (not his foundation) and part campaign.  Sounds fine to me.

        Please support who you think is best, but stop with the blatant half truths.

        Yes, I support Jared.  And yes, he appears to be the only candidate that is doing things as the previous poster stated. Joan is just attacking and Will, bless his heart, is trying to get noticed.

        Has anyone heard about a poll that was done?  I have heard rumors, but no one has put it out.

        1. but politics isn’t selling shoes (to paraphrase chuck).

          You know details about that lobbyisest trip that I didn’t know and I don’t think are widely known: you must be very close to the campaign or to one of the people on that jet.

          The navigator: well I was just being a bit cheeky, I was making the point that enviromentalism is not a core value of Jared–only a campaign one.  That’s ok I’ll accept every ally I can get and I don’t expect environmental perfection.

          Onto the finance issue.  Please do not call me a liar: I do not appreciate it.  If I have said a half truth-please point it out and point out evidence that I am wrong. I will either concede the point (I have in the past) or refute your point.  

          Jared may be saying now that it was part campaign-part personal (I don’t know what part is personal “vacation viet nam, surfing with the viet cong” forgive an old punk–it’s what comes to mind when I hear part of it was personal) part campaign.  The problem with this is he won’t disclose the personal part so we will never get full disclosure.

          In addition United Way originally said it was the foundation, but the UW has ran away from that because of the obvious implications of the political nature of the trip.

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