We "Bennet Guerillas" are licking our wounds in defeat....

Great piece, Anita!

Personally, I rounded up about 50 caucus goers from my precinct and invited them to dinner before-hand, then poisoned the Romanoff supporters with food from Casa Bonita. The Bennet folks went with me to caucus while the Romies tossed their cheese burritos at home. It was less obvious than duct-tape.  

My opinions here do not reflect any organization or group with which I may be affiliated.  

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by: peacemonger @ Thu Mar 18, 2010 at 16:47:57 PM UTC

I don't like being this snarky, but ...

when I hear Romanoff supporters assume Andrew has all the grass-roots support, I just have to laugh. I am very familiar with both candidates. I freely chose Michael Bennet because I think he is better suited to the job and is capable of winning. The fact that Andrew Romanoff is not employed is simply not my problem. He had options; he chose not to take them. We all make choices, and live with those consequences. I wish him well.

My opinions here do not reflect any organization or group with which I may be affiliated.  

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by: peacemonger @ Thu Mar 18, 2010 at 16:52:27 PM UTC

@peacemonger...

Oh I like your tactics.  Still have time for assembly! Snarkiness and Spring seem to be in the air today. We'll all be excused for our folly. Thanks for posting in, and loved your points.

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by: Just Anita @ Thu Mar 18, 2010 at 17:14:27 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

interesting perspective

Are there some AR supporters who are saying he's entitled because of his position as Speaker?  Probably.  Are there some MB supporters who are saying he's entitled because Ritter appointed him?  Yes.

Have you heard Andrew speak? He's made it clear he doesn't think he's entitled to the position.  He thinks he's the better candidate -- both to win and to legislate.  That's the message he is driving home.

Just Anita -- sure -- Bennet won a place on the ballot.  He also pulled less delegates from far fewer counties than Andrew.  This whole expectations game is something the Bennet camp has been pushing for months -- that unless AR won by some obscene margin it was a loss.  Kinda screwy math to me.

As far as "the rest of the state" not following Denver, you may have noticed that Andrew swept the majority of counties -- you don't do that just by having support in Denver.  In fact, he won a number of rural counties by a higher percentage than he won Denver.

Sorry Michael Bennet, but I'm a real person too

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by: StrykerK2 @ Thu Mar 18, 2010 at 17:11:57 PM UTC

There we have it....

...Your interesting perspective. I would certainly hope Andrew thinks he's the better candidate for his supporters sake. It would be very sad, if he didn't. But thanks for posting and helping AR drive that 'message home', as a means to get us "Who's" to vote for a hopeful candidate, instead of the one doing the job. Screwy math can always be fixed during a campaign.  Screwy logic? Well that's a different matter. Best to you, Strykerk2.

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by: Just Anita @ Thu Mar 18, 2010 at 17:53:51 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

doing the job?

Yeah -- Bennet really is doing the job: voting to kick people out of their homes (but only if they have one home.  If they have several they can still renegotiate in court).  If that's getting the job done, I wish he came back to the state more often.

Sorry Michael Bennet, but I'm a real person too

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by: StrykerK2 @ Thu Mar 18, 2010 at 19:00:49 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Tea?

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by: Just Anita @ Fri Mar 19, 2010 at 15:18:32 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Absurdimus

1. Several million dollar advantage in fund-raising, of which roughly 60% comes from outside Colorado, including significant corporate funding (example: Safeway's PAC).

2. Presidential endorsement in an intra-party contest, compounded by a presidential visit.

3. Efforts of remnants of Obama's extra-party campaign organization.

4. PR opportunities galore as the nominal "incumbent" (except when he's running against the incumbents, of course).

So, how to explain Romanoff's victory? What is/was it about caucus attendees that makes them different than (a) registered Democrats (August) and (b) registered voters (November)?

What is it about Bennet that makes him the better candidate? Legislative experience. Elective experience. Familiarity with voters of the state. I don't blame his supporters for nominating "achievements in the Senate," but that's both unreasonable and silly.l Unelected freshmen aren't expected to have--have no way of having--achievements of any significance; that's not how the Senate works. Unless, of course, paring back the stimulus in league with Birch Bayh is an "achievement." Signing a non-binding letter that didn't change health care legislation--is that an "achievement"?

IF Bennet had not been appointed by Bill One-Term, would his backers be pushing the still-superintendent of Denver schools as the state's next senator, on some basis or other? Is Bill Ritter the Glorious Leader of Colorado Democrats nowadays? [Oh Billy boy, the pipes, the pipes are calling, from Glenwood Springs to Glenarm Place and down the mountain side. The summer's gone, and all the flowers are dying. 'Tis you, 'tis you must go and I must bide.] Were there hordes in the streets begging him to reconsider his decision not to run for a second term?

 

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by: JO @ Sat Mar 20, 2010 at 20:31:15 PM UTC

Well I do love your flare for the drama...

I'm jealous, and enjoyed the prose. However, Ritter didn't pull Bennet's name out of his ass. The core had something to do with the selection.  As far as 1-term Ritter. All good. Scott McGinnis is a scoundrel - dirty oil marked GWS douche bag ready, willing, and financially able - to go balls to the wall in this campaign - backed by O&G cronies. They've already started attacking our local Commissioner, Tresi Houpt - pouring money into her opponent's (owner of Sunlight) war chest. Houpt is our only seated Dem on the BoCC. It's going to be an ugly one in GarCo.

Ritter wasn't up for the fight. None of us blame him. Hickenlooper isn't shy about a brawl. It's a redistricting year, and we need a Democrat in office - period.  We've dug up a few corpses from McGinnis's wife beating and legislative days, and hope to get some "talk" soon. It appears SM's (sado-mashochist) files have mysteriously disappeared, locally. Wish us luck, and stay tuned.

As far as absurdities, I think it's absurd that we can't seem to move beyond the Caucus results.  It's now primary season. Game on...moving on.    

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by: Just Anita @ Sun Mar 21, 2010 at 18:51:56 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

"The core had something to do with the selection"

The long blue line has never failed us. Were it to do so, a million ghosts of pickets in denim would rise from their graves, thundering those magic words: All Men Are Created Equal, endowed by their creator with certain Unalianable Rights...., Life, Liberty, Pursuite of Happiness.

This does not mean that I am a Republican. On the contrary, the Democrat above all other people prays for the rights of Everyman, for she must suffer and bear the deepest wounds and scars of class war. Always in their ears ring the ominous words: "Only the dead have seen the end of class war."

The shadows are lengthening. My children are coming home from school. My popularity of old has vanished. It has gone glimmering through the dreams of things that might have been. The memory is one of wondrous beauty, watered by tears and coaxed and caressed by the smiles of former allies on the left. I listen then, but with thirsty ear, for the bewitching melody of faint calls for a second term.
In my dreams I hear again the chorus of Yeas, the rattle of organizers at the doors of voters, the strange, mournful mutter of the phonebank for Ritter.

But in the evening of my memory as I come back to Capitol, always there echoes and re-echoes: Democrats support Workers, the Underprivileged, the Poor. I forgot.

But I want you to know that when I nominated an unelected senator, the PACs, the money, the pressure had nothing to do with it. My last conscious thought before naming the name and getting on my bike was of the Core, and the Core, and the Core.  

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by: JO @ Sun Mar 21, 2010 at 19:34:59 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Romanoff's victory?

 PFFFfffff...

When is getting less than 50% of your own base a success? Caucus-goers are old party people. These people all know Andrew, and they still voted against him, or wouldn't commit to him, more than 50% of the time. (He may have done better at the Republican caucus.)

My opinions here do not reflect any organization or group with which I may be affiliated.  

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by: peacemonger @ Sun Mar 21, 2010 at 02:41:31 AM UTC

ummm....

Are you really this crazy (wait don't answer that).  How exactly are you calling Bennet (the sitting democratic senator) getting 40 percent of his own base a win?

Sorry Michael Bennet, but I'm a real person too

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by: StrykerK2 @ Sun Mar 21, 2010 at 05:41:15 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

StrykerK2

I think I figured out whose sockpuppet you are. Arguing with you is a waste of time.

My opinions here do not reflect any organization or group with which I may be affiliated.  

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by: peacemonger @ Sun Mar 21, 2010 at 08:32:56 AM UTC

[ Parent ]