In the last couple of days we’ve seen the two most prominent conservative columnists at the Denver Post, Vince Carroll and Mike Rosen, write strained, quarrelsome op-eds about “unity” among Republicans and the virtues of GOP gubernatorial candidate Scott McInnis. We’ll give you three guesses why this is happening, and the first two don’t count.
As you know, there’s a great deal of agitation among the conservative rank-and-file over the recent surprise exit of McInnis’ main opponent Josh Penry from the race. There’s nobody who will seriously tell you Penry’s exit wasn’t exactly what it looks like, that is a cold punking of the “base’s choice” by the wealthiest GOP donors in the state, and many of the people now on the “McInnis unity” bandwagon will tell you privately this isn’t the way they wanted it to go. But it is where they find themselves today, trying like hell to bring the party together just enough to deny Tom Tancredo an opening to jump in and screw everything up.
Watch Rosen dance:
The election of a Republican governor could be the start of a GOP comeback in this traditionally red state. Paving the way is what appears to be a meeting of the minds between Scott McInnis, the presumptive Republican nominee, and key players in the party. Emerging from recent meetings between McInnis, Josh Penry, Tom Tancredo, Dick Wadhams and Republican leaders in the legislature is an agreement on a platform that all parties can enthusiastically embrace.
The agenda, modeled on the winning reform recipes of Chris Christie and Bob McDonnell in their New Jersey and Virginia gubernatorial races, gives McInnis something concrete to run on rather than merely running against Ritter. It’s sufficiently faithful to traditional conservative principles to please and reassure the Republican base, while specific, practical, and inclusive enough to attract swing-voting independents in the state. You might call it a Contract for Colorado…
Concerns that the platform would repel moderates by taking an extreme position on abortion were unfounded. It simply reinstates Gov. Bill Owens’ policy, banning taxpayer funding for abortion agencies like Planned Parenthood and making a general statement of principle defending the sanctity of human life. [Pols emphasis]
Woah, wait, what? Before this little nugget, Rosen rattled off a dozen fiscally conservative agenda items, consistent with all these recent reports about the GOP “not focusing” on the kinds of social wedge issues that had helped alienate them from the majority of Colorado voters in recent years. It all sounds believable…but then Rosen lays this oh-by-the-way on at the end?
It’s not going to work, folks–maybe it will for the purpose of fooling the GOP base, but last year Colorado voters rejected an anti-abortion ballot measure by absolutely historic margins. Any anti-abortion plank in Rosen’s “Contract for Colorado” is going to revisit everything voters hate about bedroom-obsessed Republicans–Democrats are going to make sure it happens. They’re going to make sure everybody knows McInnis is a Romney-style flip-flopper on abortion, too. After all, the anti-abortion plank is something Penry himself demanded from McInnis, in an interview late last week:
Can’t see the audio player? Click here.
Bottom line: we know, just like Rosen and Vince Carroll know, that this veneer of “unity” is what the Colorado GOP must project if it is to have any chance of winning next year. The problem is that what they must do to win the hard-line base’s consent (thus avoiding a Tancredo insurgency) are the things that will cost them dearly with the rest of the electorate.
And yes, Mike Rosen knows that, too–hence the pre-emptive spin.
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A “Contract on Colorado”?You mean like Newts’ baby? Haven’t we seen this horror flick before?
Doesn’t “Contract on” imply the samething as I took a contract out on my wife? Which could actually be a bit more appropriate for what I would see as the end result of such a measure, but I could just be playing too many video games.
Why do these ‘columnists’ get to publish such partisan PR garbage and sell it as being an honest Op-Ed? Articles like this should be considered campaign communications and regulated under campaign finance rules.
The layman might read this and think Rosen is simply reporting on the status of the Republican gubernatorial campaign. But he isn’t simply reporting on it. He is communicating talking points under the direction of the Republican Party.
Is it really a mere coincidence that Rosen, Carroll and Caplis are always conveniently right on message with Wadhams and McInnins?
Come on Denver Post, let’s get some real honest analysis of this race, not partisan BS.
Rosen is a regular columnist, and I assume he works on contract. Caplis occasional writes pieces that I assume are free-lance work. Both are absolutely predictable, and I just wish the Post instead would publish writers who work from facts and reason and are worth reading and cause me to think.
While equally predictable and thus usually unhelpful to learning something from his pieces, Vincent Carrol is an employee of the Post and is on their editorial board. So the Post is calling him a journalist and is paying him, in this case, to participate in a coordinated partisan political campaign. From the talent available when the Rocky folded, the Post brought over this guy. They knew what they were getting, so they must be satisfied with what they have. It is sad the Post thinks this stuff is ethical.
Journalistic standards are at an all time low.
As long as they are branded as such, there is little chance of confusing them with “news.”
Get a grip and get a life.
I write controversial shit, maybe from a perspective that’s somewhat left of my friends and neighbors. But it says “opinion” right at the top of my page.
People have opinions. Various people have varying opinions. Why does that threaten you?
Doesn’t threaten me a bit. But Vincent Carrol, while drawing a paycheck from the Post, and while supposedly acting as a “journalist,” wrote a piece that is obviously coordinated with a partisan political campaign. I think the Post should have a problem with the ethics of that, but apparently I expect too much.
I admit it. I miss the guy. It’s just not the same with boring old Coffman in Tank’s seat. He may be crazy, but he’s sure entertaining and one of the best public speakers I’ve seen. Better yet, let’s see him convert to the Conservative or Libertarian Party and take his xenophobic fan club with him.
Not that I really want to see Ritter in office again, but at least I’d have a reason to watch the gubernatorial debates if Tank throws his hat in.
Mr. Rosen’s column is simply an attempt to force the Republican social conservative base, the group that controls the Republican grassroots organization, to get in line behind Mr. McInnis by making what are at best one tepid promise concenring their issues.
Promising the social conservatives that Mr. McInnis will rescind state funding for Planned Parenthood isn’t even half a loaf. Those people want that and will demand much more. They want a gubernatorial candidate who agrees to teach creationsim in the public school science class, supports eliminating a woman’s right to choose and insert religion into public education.
On top of that, Mr. Rosen’s policy points once again outline the disconnect between the Republican Party’s never ending one trick policy pony (“cut taxes”) and reality.
For example, last night on the late news it was reported that Jefferson County schools are facing a $20 million deficit and the school board is considering closing several schools to balance the budget. According to Mr. Rosen, Mr. Mcinnis will promise to “limit taxes and state spending” and “reverse property tax” increases. That means closing addiitonal K-12 schools since cutting the property tax will reduce the school boards revenue base even more.
Another example is the bridge that CDOT closed over the Platte River two days ago because of near structural failure. According to CDOT and no one has said they are wrong, well over 50% of our roads and bridges are in poor condition because of age and wear and tear of traffic. According to Mr. Rosen, Mr. McInnis’ platform will include reversing the increases in auto registration fees, the very money that is going to repair bridges like the one on 104th Avenue.
In other words, Mr. Rosen’s so called platform defies common sense and, as is typical of Republicans, turns a blind eye to reality. Mr. McInnis’ platform boils down to this: you can have it all and it won’t cost anything.
…will be on 12/8/09 in Colo. Spgs. when Caribou Barbie blows into town on her book tour. It’ll be interesting to see if Scooter, Tank and Josh Penry are all on stage with the Queen of the Tea Baggers, and if they are, what kind of reception Scooter gets from the masses.
as long as it’s my religion.
I just can’t possibly think that they’re going to compromise what they believe in so strongly just to get elected.
…that’s what Democrats do! 🙂
Then yes that is what they are going to do. Otherwise, Ritter gets back in and they’re screwed again.
Scooter has announced he — like Mitt Romney — had an epiphany, and suddenly discovered that abortion is murder and tolerance of homosexuals is an abomination.
He’s a True Believer. Truly.
He’s just paying lip service to the people he knows he needs to get elected. If the grassroots Republican activists don’t buy the dog and pony show of “I’ve seen the light on social issues” then he’s hosed.
Before he comes up with some big anti-illegal immigration platform in hopes that it will keep Tancredo from running.
including this one published today
Of course nothing I have ever read leads me to believe that Rosen cares about facts or accuracy.
Colorado has a long history of electing both Democratic and Republican officials, typical Western way of looking at things. That the Pubs had a surge in the last several decades is a long term aberration. And most of the R governors would not be asked to the R party today, too moderate.
I wish they had as much concern for the out-of-the-womb human lives. What hypocrites.
He’s trying to pretend that the last eight years in this state never happened.
We’ve said it here before. Colorado is not traditionally anything – red or blue. If anything, Colorado is a Libertarian state.
Besides, even if Colorado was once a red or blue state, the population changes in the last 10-15 years have changed the entire makeup of the state. Western Colorado, for example, is no longer relevant in statewide elections because they just don’t have the number of voters.
Unfortunately the shrinking “base” is what is increasingly irrelevant in the process. A small number of “activists” may believe that they are moving mountains and the odd straw poll may make folks feel good but the truth is that the Republican state assembly hasn’t served up a winner in more than a decade.
Rebublican self-identification is in the teens but Independents turned out for ideas a couple of weeks ago and Conservatives, Libertarians etc will band together in what is sometimes silent and soon again the majority.
He still finds my interviews too “hard hitting” and continues to turn me down. Personally I prefer a governor who’s not afraid to talk to people.
like a nerf ball.
David’s a creative and hard working guy, owns his own firm and comes here giving his time to talk to politicians in a manner that generates discussion. He’s a free lance reporter at the end of the day.
Why so bitter, jealous of his assertiveness?
you just keep talking…yet the words are so utterly useless…
That’s why I’m upgrading.
Since you’re using a quote, does that mean the McInnis campaign told you that? If so, that would be newsworthy.
Or is it your own characterization, presented as a quote? Could it be he finds your interviews too “irrelevant” or “a waste of time”? See! Anything sounds more important when you pretend it’s an actual quote!
denying David
Verily, three times. Luke 22:54
Obama rules
He’s doing a great job.
I believe there is considerable more support to ban federally funds from going to abortions. I saw a national poll that stated that 60+% agreed with it. Not sure what it breaks down in Colorado but I doubt it will hurt McInnis.
Second of all, Plannhed Parenthood does a lot more than provide abortions. So unless Scott McInnis is going to say that he’s against birth control and condoms too….
Lastly, McInnis said the following:
He went from being the national chair of Republicans for Choice, to being 100% pro-life. Something doesn’t add up there. This isn’t just about abortion, it’s about his credibility as a candidate–if he’s going to flip-flop like this every few years, then do Coloradans want him in the governor’s mansion?
That’s how I would read this claim:
Might be saying that he thinks his positions through, as opposed to getting it handed to him on little cards…with smiley faces.
The Colorado GOP has a long, rich history of running “conservatives” who flip flop.
In ’94, they ran conservative oilman Bruce Benson who more recently has been espousing the importance of government spending on higher education. (Something with which I happen to agree but I don’t run around trying to sound like a tax slashing wing nut.)
In ’98 and ’02, they ran ultra conservative Bill Owens who gave us Referendum “C” and “D”.
In ’06, they ran Both Ways. Need I say more about a candidate lacking credibility?
The bottom line is that it’s been 20 years since the Repubs ran a gubernatorial candidate who was seriously committed to his extremist agenda. John Andrews was the last candidate who actually meant what he said.
Point taken. It’s just that the far-right has gotten itself into a bit of a froth-mouted frenzy over purification as of late.
it also was a good part of why he lost. But he was honest (as honest as a political campaign can be).
Ritter is in deep Sh@$#@%
I won’t be convinced until I hear what John Andrews thinks.
Don’t believe the Partisan Polemicist when only a nutter will do.
Wow, you’re easy to impress.
McDrill goes up and down on a lot of subjects, depending on the audience.
The article says this has been in process for weeks and was part of Penry’s decision to withdraw. So why did Tancredo suddenly announce?
Penry would’ve been outed. Which goes back to why wait…
That makes me wonder if Penry knew he was getting advice from the guy wanting to take his place.
Nothing better to do. He is too broke to run for office. He got Madoffed.