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November 23, 2009 11:44 PM UTC

Who's Driving the Romanoff Train?

  • 61 Comments
  • by: Colorado Pols

Not much is known about what is actually going on inside Democrat Andrew Romanoff’s campaign for U.S. Senate. While it has been well-known and public knowledge for some time that Craig Hughes is Sen. Michael Bennet’s campaign manager, nobody outside of Romanoff’s inner circle seems to have any idea who is calling the shots for his upset bid.

We are hearing, however, that Sue Casey is longer be with the campaign. Casey, the former Denver City Councilwoman and one-time manager of Gary Hart’s 1988 Presidential bid, had been with Romanoff since the beginning of his campaign and was most recently being called a “Senior Advisor.” Casey was a bad choice to take a lead role to begin with, primarily because she hasn’t been engaged at this level of politics in decades, and maybe Romanoff himself figured that out. The rumor is that Casey was pushed out, and although we can’t confirm that, it would make sense given Romanoff’s oddly terrible campaign operation to this point in the race.

We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: How can someone as experienced as Romanoff, someone who polled on this race months ago, have been so unprepared to put a statewide campaign in place? If Romanoff is calling the shots on the campaign, then he’s as good as done because nobody can — or should — be their own campaign manager at this level. But if Romanoff is not making the ultimate decisions, then who is? And what the hell are they doing?

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61 thoughts on “Who’s Driving the Romanoff Train?”

  1. However, Romanoff is ultimately responsible for what his campaign looks like.

    I like Andrew, but one of his problems has always been that he can be a bit of a ditherer and indecisive.  He is where he is today because of those traits.

    He probably needs to jettison the influence of Ramona Martinez as well.

    1. You mean like polling in March and then not deciding to get into the race until August? Or applying for the secretary of state vacancy minutes before the deadline?

      There’s really got to be a better way for Romanoff to use his ample talents, get paid for it, and advance his agenda. Someone offer him a job!

      1. Colorado’s Democratic establishment already tried to call in a favor from the White House to buy Andrew off. Remember this story http://www.denverpost.com/elec…

        I think it’s undeniable that Romanoff is running for the Senate because he genuinely wants to be a Senator. And he’s doing so now less because he’s mad at Ritter over not being appointed and more because he sees this primary as his best shot at doing so.

        If he was thinking, “Well I could run for Senator…or for Governor…or maybe become the head of something or other in D.C.” I’m sure you would have gotten your wish and he would have jumped the campaign ship that this blog is overly-anxious to declare sunk.

          1. I don’t really know what else you want to see Romanoff doing, but he should be focused solely on posting decent numbers for his first full fiscal quarter. This isn’t high profile work, but his ability to compete against Bennett’s impressive fundraising ability is the biggest outstanding question in this Primary. I hope for his sake that he is spending every waking hour either locked away making fundraising calls, or on his way to a fundraiser. This next filing will tell us a lot about his viability moving forward.

            If he were in able to speak candidly, I bet even Romanoff would admit that he only has an outside chance of pulling off a Primary victory. I can’t say Romanoff beating Bennett is the most probable outcome. BUT, I would say that it is still entirely possible and would be far from the weirdest thing to happen in an election. That is why declarations of his campaign’s demise are very premature at this point.

            One final point: Most voters next year will have no idea who the Campaign managers are, for any race on the ballot.

              1. I’m sure Andrew will never be able to match  Bennett’s overall numbers. And he surely won’t be able to make up the entire $3M deficit in one Holiday-plagued quarter. His path to winning the Primary will need to involve him overcoming that shortcoming with other strengths.

                I’d say his best shot is to raise enough money that he isn’t totally drowned out by Bennett on t.v. Then he will need to rely on a well-coordinated ground game to turn out his supporters at the Caucus and on Primary Day. If he wins that, he’ll get the support and money he needs to run a GE race.

                It’s a tall order, but not necessarily un-doable.  

                  2. I’m just a supporter of letting him run, which the Dem Party’s establishment clearly has a problem with. So please don’t take any of my words as a reflection of what he and his campaign might be saying or thinking. And this isn’t un-doable for him, it’s just a bit of a long shot.

                    The truth is he’s the underdog in this race and odds are greater that he’ll lose the Primary than win. That said, Bennett will be untouchable on the D side if he wins re-election, so it’s now or never for Andrew to run (well, more like now or next decade probably). It’s a tough road to victory for him, but he has a fighting chance. And from my perspective, he spices up what was an otherwise dangerously bland Bennett-Ritter Democratic ticket.

                2. It’s not a $3mm deficit.

                  Let’s start at the end and work back and figure that someone else will pay for the victory party No 2010.

                  Oct 2010 – end: $5-7 million + (tv, radio, direct mail earned media, street money)

                  Sep 3-4 million ((tv, radio, dm,earned media, street money)

                  Aug 34 million ((tv, radio, direct mail,earned media, street money)

                  May.June/July – $1-2 million/mo

                  So after the caucus I’m estimating 12-18million

                  From now until the caucus a Senate campaign can spend not much- if he doesn’t have $15 million more or less to budget next summer- he’s done.

                  Worst case for all D’s – he wins the primary on a shoestring- and has to run Aug & Sep against a well funded, well supported  R nominee and loses the seat.

                  Best case for AR- he starts generating a million a month  now so that he a) can budget to spend it next summer and b) he starts looking credible.

                  It’s not necessarily un-doable.

                  Look- before Sharon, JO, lanman and the rest of the party purists and even Steve come after me for being negative. I don’t see this as negative. Math is what it is. TV and media budgets are what they are.   I like AR.  If he had been appointed a year ago, we wouldn’t be talking about it much (though I’m not sure being appointed would have given him the understanding and staff to run this kind of campaign)

                  But if he really wanted this job he should have started running the day after his last session as Speaker was gavelled over- if not before. Yes, he would have had to be running without running ’cause it wasn’t clear where the path was. All the best seats for him were filled with D’s – Gov, Senate, CD1, etc and so on(I don’t know which State Senate seat district he’s in – but that would have made the most sense) .  So what? That’s just as true now as it was way back then.

                  Instead – he spends $30k and puts a mystery poll in the field in March, waits until Aug to get the rumor machine going, announces in Sep-13 months before the election.

                  He’s late. And now he’s moving slow.

                  It’s not necessarily un-doable.

                  But as it gets later and later, you gotta start asking if he sees a path to success.  Like other posters here I don’t see it. Short of Bennet hiking the Appalachian Trail or AR marrying Madonna, AR’s campaign has a real uphill battle and should also be considering the unfortunate fact that if he doesn’t win (loses) he’s got to be able to do it in a way that helps Bennet to hold the seat.

                  I’ve said before, if he exits gracefully by New Year’s eve- no harm no foul. The DSCC can then help all year, Bennet can start running a different kind of campaign. Etc.

                  If AR stays through Aug- and doesn’t win – it’s going to be worse.

            2. We get these same comments all the time from people defending their candidate. “Voters won’t care who the campaign manager is!”

              OF COURSE voters won’t care. But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t matter. If Romanoff doesn’t run a strong campaign, with a strong manager, he won’t make it to the voters.

              1. Next year. He needs a strong Finance Director THIS year. If he doesn’t put up decent numbers, there will be no need for a good Campaign Manager because there might no longer be a Romanoff campaign.

                For what it’s worth, I’m not really in Andrew’s campaign or in the good Senator’s. I’m enjoying the horse-race more than anything, and am not convinced of Andrew’s lack of viability. Since the general consensus here is the opposite of that, I felt like chiming in.

                1. I am Romanoff supporter, just so you know, and I am not at all inclined to believe that things are looking bad for the former Speaker. He will put up some decent, but not giant, numbers. I am giving a little now, but I will be able to give more when the economy improves. Many are in the same boat.

                  Don’t forget that ARs’ support comes from the rank and file (the people I mingle with), most of whom are struggling to get by or are really cutting corners. Next spring and summer I will be better able to give more…and I will.

                  I am still a believer that it is possible to rely way too much on old political paradigms. I could be COMPLETELY wrong, I know. But for now…that’s my take.

        2. MIA

          Where’s the issues website promised a couple of weeks ago?

          Where’s the differentiation from his opponent?

          Where is the confidence inspiring fundraising numbers?

          I’m generally glad AR is running.  But I’m not sure why other than he really wants the job.

  2. and I wanna know why when I wrote practically the same thing, although less cogently, elsewhere before you posted this you fronted this and not me?

    Not really.  But I’ve been laughing so hard the past 30 minutes I thought that it would be fun to be funny.

      1. I was surfing somewhere else in and out of COPols – and  was seeing some very funny stuff.

        Including a whiney- I diaried the same subject and the other guy got promoted but not me to which Club Twitty responded very humourously.  He didn’t actually write “ass hat” but it was close.

        1. I knew Jambalya was funny. And some others around here.  I never quite got how funny CT is until this afternoon.  I know, I know I need to get out more. And switch to decaf after noon.

          But the Alcoa Tin Foil thing got me going.

          2. Anyone who speaks favorably of me, even vaguely, is my new BFF.  And by “forever,” I mean “until further notice.”  Please join me at my private lunch table in the center of the Pols cafeteria as we fiercely personify political discourse circa 2009.

  3. In the past 32 days on ActBlue.com Romanoff has raised 31,111. Not sure how much other money he has raised. Seems a little on the low side.

  4. Joelle is NOTORIOUS for not having the guts to put a knife in someones chest but has NO problem putting it between the shoulder blades!

    SHE is a problem, Mom, Dad and brother are not much better.  

    I’m betting Joelle is a MAJOR part of the problem.  She just has too much of a track record of not playing nice or fair on internal issues…

  5. 1. Have his base of activists get him to the top line of the ballot at the caucus.

    2. hope that #1 gets him a boost in fundraising.

    3. Do as a little as possible openly until then hoping that Sen Bennet will stumble.

    I don’t see Sen Bennet stumbling. He’ll gain traction as times goes by.

    Romanoff’s money problems won’t go away. Even if he were to win the primary, he’d need to raise another 5-10 million WHILE campagning, and being pummelled by 527 attack ads.

    Just my opinion.

    1. He needs 5-10 million for the primary?  Right.

      I hope Bennet’s people assume Romanoff is just another Mike Miles.  If they do, Bennet will get killed in the primary next August.  

        1. It’s just my obeservation that Romanoff is at a great disadvantage and is having trouble raising money.

          Sen Bennet continues to lead in the Senate, and as his CNN appearance indicates, he’s getting good at it. He’s smart. He gets good at most everything he does.

          I think that Romanoff people are the ones underestimating the opponent.

          I believe that the Speaker is going to lose due to his late start, the fact that he is really a moderate that his supporters are trying to make into super liberal,and  money problems.

          I also happen to believe that Sen. Bennet is better suited for DC. He has a good relationship with the leadership, and already has prime committee assignments to advocate for the citizens of Colorado.  

      2. I said that even if he wins the primary, he then needs another 5-10 million, which he would have to raise from August to November, WHILE campagining.

        These are harsh realities, but true.  

  6. I assume the folks calling the Romanoff campaign dead in the water are the same folks that were and still are continually insulting the Polis campaign.  Colorado Pols could not criticize Jared’s campaign often enough two years ago and now he’s my congressman.  Nice political insight.

    That being said, this is fundraising time.  The Romanoff folks know that.  They will be judged in January by how they did raising money.  I suppose Andrew could run around the state doing stupid Penry stunts to get attention.  Instead of stupid gimmicks he’s raising money, as he should be.  Until there is a reporting of that fundraising there is no sexy press that comes from it.

    2. except for the bonafide shills.

      Actually, what I read in most of these comments is that Romanoff’s campaign is devoid of any message or ideas.

      Many of us like Romanoff and would be happy to have an excuse to support him. Unfortunately, that excuse hasn’t been forthcoming.

      Just as you can’t replace somebody with nobody, you can’t replace something with nothing.

      If Romanoff wants to get our attention, he has to give us something besides nothing.

      1. My sources tell me that Bennet is taking the Romanoff challenge seriously, and understands that he could pose a real challenge in caucuses.

        Still, AR needs to distinguish himself, and he needs to show that he can raise the money to wage what will likely be the most expensive Senate race in Colorado history.  He has done neither so far.

        I sent the Romanoff campaign an email asking for more information on his issues and positions, four weeks ago, and have heard squat.  That he feels like a jilted prom date doesn’t compel me to dump the incumbent.

        I need to know how he will represent me better on the things I care about, and I need to know he can win.  

      3. Ralphie said: “Many of us like Romanoff and would be happy to have an excuse to support him.”

        We all like him as a human being.  I also like Michael Bennet as a human being, and from the sounds of most of the blogs, Ray and I are amonng the few who have spent much time getting to know him.  Shame really — he is incredibly responsive and a great guy.  His wife worked for an environmental org for many years, and they are very progressive people, as far as I can tell.  

        Months ago, I was telling folks on another blog Michael Bennet was in favor of the public option and was a strong supporter on an overhauling the health care system, after much consultation with President Obama.  Few believed me because they hadn’t had the personal conversations with Michael that Ray Springfield and I have had.  Thanks to CNN’s reporting, Michael’s willingness to lose his job to effect CHANGE (anyone remember change?) is more substantiated.

        Liking Andrew Romanoff as a human being is not reason enough to replace the experienced quarterback with the homecoming king in the big game.  Might sell a few more tickets at homecoming, but what about the overall rating for the school that year, and ability to attract serious new recruits later? If the homecoming boy should have been appointed quarterback a year prior, he still missed a year of daily training and conditioning. Now who should be quarterback?

        Just sayin’.  

    3. I have a good realationship building with Rep.Polis. His immigration and civil rights positions demonstrate great leadership on tough issues.

      He’ a very effective Congessman.  

    4. From one year to the next. We gave credit where it was due when Polis made necessary changes to right a sagging ship.

      Similarly, we’ll congratulate Romanoff if he turns things around and shows that he can run a strong statewide campaign.

    5. The difference between Polis and Romanoff’s campaigns is that Polis had money — lots of it — and lots of connections to get more.

      Romanoff is a local hero.  Bennet is the underdog here, rising from relative obscurity as a school Superintendant, Hickenlooper staffer and a successful businessman, not a career politician like Romanoff. It is going to take awhile for people to get to know him, but when they do, I think they will see there is very little difference between the two candidates politically.  

      No difference + Bennet can raise money + President Obama endorses him = I think Andrew should save his money for another race.  JMHO.

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