Which Colorado Congressional seats can we take next year?

[coloradodem2005]

I am going to say CD 7 is definitely doable. CD 4 if we can drag Musgrave through the mud enough.

[mikehiggins]

1. Potentially, all of them, thanks to Hackett

WIthout making too much of what happened, it seems crystal clear that a candidate who fights hard and stands for something has a good chance of winning in 2006, provided he or she is given adequate support by the local, state and national party infrastructure as well as the grass-roots.

And that's what we should be doing. Aiming directly at ALL the GOPukes across the board, and hitting them hard with everything we can dig up.

Years ago I was involved with a campaign and suggested the theme of the operation be "whatever it takes." An awful lot of folks thought that would be too blunt and too direct a statement to be any good. It might even drive away support from voters too intimindated by the out-and-out aggressiveness of the campaign. Needless to say, we lost to someone who should have been beatable IF we had something to beat him with. Marshmallows and fluffy pillows just didn't cut it.

In 2006 the gloves not only have to come off, they have to be left at home entirely.

[coloradodem2005]

2. Amen.

I am 100% with you my friend.

[CODem]

7. Be realistic

The only way to win House seats is to focus resources on the winnable races. The Seventh should be a pick-up for the Dems. The Fourth is a stretch, but is a possibility for the Dems with the right candidate.

The Dems would be wasting resources by attempting to win in the 5th or the 6th. Just look at the voter registrations in those districts.

[Hippo_Tron]

21. Running serious races in 25 districts hasn't worked too well so far

Now I admit, running serious races against every single Republican isn't going to happen. But he did make a good point about Hackett. The Ohio 2nd is about as red as they come, about 67% for Bush and 70+% for Portman.

It's standard DSCC policy to target districts that the incumbent won by 55% or less. Perhaps if we have good candidates, we can increase that to 60%.

[Turn CO Blue]

3. The one I'm willing to spend time and money

(and blood,sweat and tears if it comes to that) is ousting Musgrave out of CO-04. It's not my district, but she is so hateful, she's blacking the eye of the whole state!

tcb

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

4. As an amateur activist, freshly returned from Crawford...I just need to

know, who, where and how can I help?

After experiencing Camp Casey, I really want to get very involved in local politics.

Any information would be greatly valued. MKJ

[Name removed]

5. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[CODem]

6. Thank you for electing Bob Beauprez

Mr. Chandler,

Thanks to you and your Green buddies, Bob Beauprez beat Mike Feeley by 121 votes in 2002. The Green candidate in that race won more than 121 votes, thereby handing Beauprez the margin of victory. I am so glad that you are helping the Republicans beat Ed Perlmutter or Peggy Lamm in 2006. (The Greens are the same reason why Heather Wilson won her House seat in New Mexico.)

[rockymountaindem]

8. That really sucked because

Mike Feeley is a good person who really is on the side of the little guy. I know he represented a group of independent family pharmacists against big mail pharmacy corps in a pricing discrimination lawsuit and won. That's what Democrats (and progressives) are supposed to do. For some reason that's not good enough for some people.

[earthside]

10. Feeley Beat Himself

Voters deserve a choice. Two pro-war candidates in the 2002 election was not a choice.

And until the Democrats decide to be an opposition party with backbone and principles ... there will be third party candidates who will give the voters a REAL choice.

So, in 2006, it may be the same. If Perlmutter or Lamm cannot say forthrightly that they would support a House resolution demanding a plan for withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq, then they might as well be Republicans. If Perlmutter or Lamm cannot voice support for Cindy Sheehan, then they will be on the same side as O'Donnell or Paschal. If Permutter or Lamm will not express support for repealing the Bush tax cuts for the rich elite, then they're in good company with Grover Norquist.

Democrats who think they can take progressive voters for granted are making a big mistake. For as much anger as I hear today about Bush, I hear disgust at the spinelessness of the inside-the-beltway, establishment Democrats.

So, blame cast towards Green candidates because Democrats don't get elected is misplaced ... Democrats defeat themselves by being so weak, hesitant, wavering, and compromising that the core progressive voters and thoughtful centerist voters just don't trust them. In other words, in 2002, Feeley beat himself.

And in 2006, if the Democratic candidate positions him or herself in the same way, then they deserve to be defeated.

(By the way, Peggy Lamm is so ashamed of her party that the word 'Democrat' doesn't even appear on her web site.)

[CODem]

11. The Democrats provide a real choice

It is a fact that a vote for a third party candidate is a wasted vote. No Green candidate will be elected to Congress from the 7th C.D. In a close election, the Greens will cost the Democrats a seat in Congress.

So you don't think there's a difference between the parties? Mike Feeley is pro choice. Bob Beauprez is a staunch right-to-lifer. Mike Feeley would have opposed the flag burning amendment. Beauprez voted for it. Feeley would not have supported making the Bush tax cuts permanent. Beauprez believes in cutting taxes for the wealthy. Feeley would have voted to support federal funding for stem cell research. Beauprez voted no. Feeley would not have voted to extend the PATRIOT Act. Beauprez did. Feeley had one of the strongest pro-labor voting records in the Colorado Senate. Beauprez is no friend of the working people of this country.

It makes a huge difference whether Nancy Pelosi or Denny Hastert is elected Speaker of the House.

There was a huge difference between Feeley and Beauprez. So long as the Greens continue to demand ideological purity from the Democrats, they will continue to help put Republicans in office.

[CODem]

12. . . . not to mention drilling in ANWR

I did not even mention environmental issues in my prior post. Feeley is a strong environmentalist, while Beauprez has been an environmental disaster.

You still think there was no difference between Feeley and Beauprez?

[earthside]

18. Not Significant Differences

Actually, after Feeley's support of the Iraq War Resolution in 2002, the issue that hurt him most was the environment.

He supported building the Two Forks dam.
He was a leader AGAINST the Growth Limitation Amendment.
He supported building a beltway running through Golden.
Once again, not significantly different that Beauprez.

I was on the other side of those important environmental issues.

On federal economic issues, I suggest you take a look at the commentary I posted today on my web site that deals with 2006: DaveChandler.us

And, I just do not believe that there is such a thing as a 'wasted vote' in our republic if a person casts a ballot for the things they truly believe in. Indeed, it seems condescending to belittle the reasons that some folks vote when based on their principles.

[paulk]

19. the significant difference is control of the House

and the committee chairmanships that come with it.

The crimes of the Bush Admin. need to be investigated - that will not happen with Republican control.

[CODem]

20. Fuzzyheaded thinking

A wasted vote is one that results in a gain for one's opponents. In the 7th C.D., a vote for the Green candidate is a vote for the Republican. That's reality, folks. (And that's why Republicans love Green candidates and help to get them onto the ballot. Here's but one example: http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/34741_green10.shtml)

You and your fellow Greens seem to forget about issues like gay rights and the right to choose when you chant your mantra of "no difference between the parties." Do you believe there was no difference between Feeley and Beauprez on gay rights and abortion rights?

P.S. Feeley would have opposed driling in ANWR. You conveniently did not address that very significant environmental issue.

[rawtribe]

9. Who is contesting Musgrave?

She has to go!

[Bodisat]

13. Hey CD-5 looks like it might be up.

I picked up a flyer for somebody named Jay Fawcett who's running against Hefley in 06. The guys a Air Force grad, fought in the first gulf war, receiving the bronze star...I'm hoping a possible Hackett.

[rockymountaindem]

14. I'm sorry, but no chance.

That little (D) will sink anybody in this town.

[Bodisat]

15. I disagree

A run against Hefley isn't impossible for a moderate dem, especially one with a strong military background. I'm gonna support the guy, see what shakes loose in this town. Than again I'm new to Colorado, maybe that's why my faith hasn't been shaken yet.

[rockymountaindem]

16. Don't get me wrong

I'd love to see a strong Democrat make a good run against Hefley. Not to mention the fact that he may be retiring (they tell us to expect an official announcement in January) and the local Republican clowns will be falling all over themselves in a nasty primary. But when you've spent your whole life under the rule of people like Douglas Bruce and Will Perkins (although he never won elected office), you're a little more cyincal :)

[CODem]

17. No Democrat can win in the 5th CD

El Paso is the largest county in the 5th CD. The party registration in El Paso County, as of October 27, 2004, was 164,884 Republicans, 77,485 Democrats, and 112,149 Independents.

With those voter registration figures, the 5th CD is a hopeless cause for the Democrats. Since the District was created, prior to the 1972 election, no Democrat has ever held the seat -- or even come close to beating the Republican candidate.

The Dems need to focus on winnable seats. The 5th is not one of them.

[lakercub]

22. No chance of Hefley

Having lived here for years, I know Hefley is untouchable. Another poster gave the breakdown of democrats, republicans, and independents in the district and its not close. Also, a good deal of those independents (I would say about 3/4 although I have absolutely nothing to back that up) are as right wing, or more, than the registered republicans.

There may be honorable dem candidates to run around here, but we shouldn't give one dime to them until Hefley retires. It would just be throwing away money.

When Hefley retires, however, we need to go ALL OUT in this district. There is going to be a bloodbath with republicans tripping over themselves to show who is more religious and hates taxes the most. My dream is that one of them will so irritate the other, that the loser of the R primary runs as an independent, and they beat each other to death. This could very well happen.

[MissMarple]

24. It's possible. John Wesley Anderson is also to run.

He was El Paso County sheriff, and people respect him. If Hefley runs Anderson will divide the vote. Also, there is talk of Ted Haggard of New Life Church running. It's one of the mega churches, here. He talks to George regularly. So if he runs, things could get interesting here. The fundies against the old line Republicans and the law and order types.

Fawcett could do quite well. He may not win. But for now, he just needs to follow in Hackett's footsteps. He WILL get votes. The more the Republican culture of corruption is revealed the more that works against any Republican in office. Hefley is not invincible. And he may not even run. He understands that DeLay has all but ruined the Republican party. His party, as it once was, is long gone.

I wish Miles would run again, even if for state office. The Republicans have had it too easy here. They don't feel accountable for people like DeLay and Roy Blunt. They golf, dine, and play bridge will Rome burns. They need to be shown how culpable they are.

Here's an interesting site. I found it googling Anderson.
http://www.politics1.com/co.htm

[newyawker99]

26. Hi Bodisat!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[newyawker99]

28. delete

[Bodisat]

23. CD-5 candidate Jay Fawcett has his website up.

Now I've been told that it's a lost cause, but I'm gonna do what I can. The rumor is that Hefley's retiring, so who knows.

www.fawcett4congress.com

[KingFlorez]

25. CD 7 and CD 4 are the best targets

CD 7 should be easy for the Dems to when with Perlmutter. As for CD 4, Musgrave went down 3% from her 02 victory in 04, plus her CAFTA vote is selling out the sugar beet farmers and she's more focused on social issues than her constituents.

[paulk]

27. the Greens will very likely cost us CD 4

They pulled 4% up there in 2004 - 52 - 44 - 04

She could win with less than 50%