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September 15, 2009 06:57 PM UTC

Ritter Hopes Primary Won't Split Democrats; Also Wants a Unicorn

  • 25 Comments
  • by: Colorado Pols

From The Denver Post:

Gov. Bill Ritter says he would have been better off politically if he had picked former House Speaker Andrew Romanoff to fill the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Democrat Ken Salazar.

But the governor, speaking Monday on the Mike Rosen Show on 850 KOA, said he is sticking by his appointment of Michael Bennet to the seat…

…”What I am hopeful of is that it (the primary) does not split the party or split it in way that causes damage in the November election,” Ritter said. “I obviously would have counseled Andrew against this, but this is something he decided to do, and I’m going to be with Michael Bennet.”

Ritter, who has repeatedly cited Bennet’s personal qualities as assets for the Senate post, said his choice wasn’t the safe, easy one.

“I could have appointed Andrew, and it would have been better for me politically to have done that because he had sort of a longer history in Colorado politics,” he said.

Make no mistake: Romanoff’s challenge of Bennet is also a clear challenge of Ritter as well. Even if Ritter wins re-election, a Bennet loss will significantly weaken Ritter’s position among Democrats. In fact, it’s fair to say that a Romanoff win would make him the acknowledged leader of the Democrats in Colorado, even with a two-term Ritter in the Governor’s mansion.

So, yes, picking Romanoff (or John Hickenlooper, or Ed Perlmutter) would have been safer politically for Ritter. Smarter, too.

And you thought that whole discussion was over in January.

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25 thoughts on “Ritter Hopes Primary Won’t Split Democrats; Also Wants a Unicorn”

  1. (two days of a sanity from Square State in a row! A new record!)

    “Isn’t Romanoff a popular guy with Democrats, though?”

    Sure! No one’s saying he’s not. I’m certainly not! He was a decent – not great, decent – Speaker.

    Here’s the thing. The whole time that people have known him, Romanoff’s been the insider. He’s been the top dog, the darling of the establishment. In other words, it’s been easy to like him. Nobody’s ever gone wrong by being associated with him.

    Now? Now he’s the outsider, implausibly enough, running against The Powers That Be – powers that were once in his corner are now arrayed against him.

    Pay attention to that. Pay close attention. Over the next year, the sun, the moon, the planets and all the stars will take a crap on him. Calls will go unreturned, allies will suddenly be absent.

    Is Romanoff the guy you want to take a bullet for? Why are you taking a bullet for him? Is it for his ambition? Or is it to advance the cause of progressive politics in Colorado?

    I mention this for a simple reason – if you line up with Romanoff, you had best be beyond certain he will win. Because if he doesn’t, you’ll be forfeit in this state’s politics.

    In other words: if you strike at the king, you must vanquish the king, else he and his retainers vanquish you.

    http://www.squarestate.net/dia…

    SO yeah, Romanoff might be the de facto leader of the party if he wins (though he’ll be off in Washington, and Bill Ritter will still be able to do whatever he wants if he wins) but if he doesn’t, then there are going to be a lot of unhappy campers.

    1. Which is a big part of why it was such a mistake for Romanoff to wait so long to make a run at this. While Romanoff waited, lots of folks got on board with Bennet.

    2. I mention this for a simple reason – if you line up with Romanoff, you had best be beyond certain he will win. Because if he doesn’t, you’ll be forfeit in this state’s politics.

      sounds an awful lot like the threats many people got from Team Clinton if they dared to support Obama (or Edwards)

      “you go work for them, and when Hillary gets in, your through and no soup for you!”

      Obama’s folks did not back down and neither will others here.

      By the way, who here supports Specter over Sestak, even though the DSCC and Ed Rendell support Specter?

      2. it’s an analysis of the facts. Don’t think that everyone in the universe is out to get you.

        And not every race is analogous to Obama v. Hillary. Though you could make the argument that it was Obama’s magnanimous nature that kept the Democratic Party from falling apart in the wake of his nomination, Colorado state politics is a lot different than national Democratic politics.

  2. It was reported that Governor Ritter promised to name Speaker Romanoff Lieutenant Governor and than reneged. Is this true? It seems an odd thing for the Governor to have done if true

    2. Besides that there are several questions Mr. Romanoff needs to answer:

      1. Did he ever indicate he would accept nomination as lieutenant govenror?

      2. What about the other positions he was offered (i.e. at the federal level) that he turned down?

      3. What about the private positions he was offered (Executive Director of The Childrens Fund) that he turned down?

      Bottom line: He wants to be a U.S. Senator. Nothing else matters.

      1. The Governor selects his running mate. It is not Barbara O’Brien’s decision to make it is Bill Ritter’s.

        Was Speaker Romanoff actually offered the Children’s Fund job or a Federal Job? Was he actually offered the Lieutenant Governor’s job?  

        1.    And if O’Brien wanted to leave, he may have selected Romanoff to run with him next year.  But I don’t think that Ritter would have thrown O’Brien “under the bus” just to keep Andrew from challenging Bennet.

          1. Did Governor Ritter promise Speaker Romanoff that he would be his choice for Lt. Gov in 2010.

            Romanoff says such a promise was made.  Does Ritter agree that such a promise was made?

            What are the facts?

  5. Received a pro Bennet email today signed by Ritter, Udall and Buescher. Can Bennet survive the bear hug from the unpopular Ritter?

    Ritter has been banking on a better general election profile by dissing the Democratic base through out his first three years in office.  Painful but not a bad play given the make up of the general electorate in Colorado.

    Now Ritter is trying to woo the Democratic base he has alienated by design to help Bennet in a Democratic primary.

    If Ritter’s history is any guide, he will end up pissing off both sides like he has done with business and labor. This could end badly for team Ritter.

    Throw Udall and Buescher in the mix and you have the makings of a one big fat target for a grass roots Dem uprising.

  6. In a conference call Ritter(or an aide) asked most of the county party chairs who they recommended, almost all said Romanoff and no one mentioned Bennet.

    Then after nominating Bennet, Ritter told a lot of people that he was going to give Romanoff a job, stalled him until it was very late in the game to enter before stiffing him.  It was clear to Bennet and Ritter that the major challenger was Romanoff and they are trying to freeze him out.  

    The nomination process is first though caucus and county conventions, then a state assembly.  If you get less than 20% (I think) of the vote you are off the primary ballot.  If you do not go through this process, you can petition your way onto the primary ballot.  Then you can buy all the TV you can afford and win with money.  I am betting if Romanoff stays in the race, Bennet will bypass the caucus process and petition onto the ballot. There is too big a risk that he will get less than 20%.  That is the rank and file party activists, the base, will support Romanoff as will most of the county chairs but the mostly out of state money will buy the primary for Bennet.

    After that, Bennet will be the lesser of two evils and all the activists will be told to STFU and go out and bust their butts.

    crossposted http://www.squarestate.net/sho…  

      1. … since Colorado’s House speakers and Senate presidents have always gone on to higher-profile elected office.

        — oh, wait, what am I thinking? Leadership in the General Assembly has never been a stepping stone in Colorado, except maybe to a Denver Post column or a seat on the PUC. The last House speaker to go on to higher office was John Vanderhoof, who got to be governor after John Love took a job with the Nixon administration.  

  7. Romanoff says he was offered the Lieutenant Governor’s job?

    Is this true?

    Has Governor Ritter confirmed or denied that this happened.  

    It is not about entitlement. Was a promise made and broken by the Governor? Or to put it another way is Andrew Romanoff too gullible to be a US Senator

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