OUR VIEW: Governor Hickenlooper has lost his base and his moderate trump card. Who will stand with Hickenlooper? At this point, that is as hard to figure out as where Hickenlooper himself stands with every issue in the headlines.
Something interesting is happening at the top levels of the Colorado political hierarchy. For the first time ever, Governor John Hickenlooper is in hot water.
For two years, Hickenlooper seemed like a moderate. We say seemed because he was actually only allowed to fake moderation, since all the really bad liberal bills died in the Republican House.
But now Hickenlooper seems like a governor without a home.
Even though Hick just sold his soul to Mike Bloomberg and Barack Obama on gun control, that bought him exactly nothing from the nut-jobs on the left.
From the left-wing Colorado Pols:
For all of his political success, it must be noted that Hickenlooper has never really had to deal with any intense, sustained public opposition since he was first elected Mayor of Denver. There have been spats, sure, but nothing that Hick couldn’t easily sidestep before things got sticky…until now.
…In today’s fracking “debate” at the University of Denver, Hickenlooper tried several times to duck tough questions with his folksy brewer dance, but instead of getting him out of a jam, it just made him look, well, stupid. It wasn’t charming. It wasn’t cute. But he kept pushing it, all the way up until the end of the debate, when he went one step too far in a poor attempt at a joke that ended up sounding more like an insult.
How stupid was Hickenlooper’s move on guns? He destroyed himself with Republicans and gun-loving moderates, and got no credit and nothing in return from his wacked out base.
Whomever is running the Governor’s political shop should be fired.
Pols takedown of the Guv caused Hickenloopers’s political adviser, Alan Salazar, to dismiss the post on Twitter as “mostly an ad hominem snark attacking the Guv. Thin on actual policy.”
Pols raving lefty commenters, on the other hand, took the post as an opportunity to call on Hickenlooper to “pull a Ritter” and not run for a second term. Instead, the Polsters seemed inclined to get behind Morgan Carroll or even Ken Salazar.
Ouch.
It’s not only anonymous liberal commenters going after Hick, but left wing wackos in the flesh. At the fracking debate in Denver yesterday, no less than three people were escorted out for verbally attacking the governor, including one particularly memorable protester who jammed on his harmonica as he was led out by security.
It looks like all the flack coming his way is getting to him. His weird outburst where he threatened a 9news reporter for asking tough questions, mostly glossed over by media who would crucify a Republican for daring to say the same, was still a sign that the pressure cooker of being chief executive is getting to the thin skinned Guv.
Hickenlooper seems to have quashed the death penalty repeal, but you’d never know. Instead of saying he was opposed to it, he said he didn’t know what his position was, and mostly looked like an ambivalent schmuck.
Who older than 16 years of age doesn’t know their personal view on the death penalty? Does this guy stand for anything?
Hickenlooper has lost his base and his moderate trump card. Who will stand with Hickenlooper? At this point, that is as hard to figure out as where Hickenlooper himself stands with every issue in the headlines.
Dan Maes in 2014. He may charge you mileage but he's a secret agent man!
Damn right, Hickenlooper will be Hicken-loser in 2014. He has thrown gun-owning moderates and Independents (who tend to be slightly right of center, especially on gun control) who voted for him the first time under the bus. But, then he put it in reverse and ran over them again! Even my wife, a strong Democrat, thinks the party has gone WAY too far on gun control and does not appreciate Hicks' violent mood swings from "aw-shucks" to anger. Maybe that provides some insight into his divorce? Just sayin'
Bottom line, Colorado's electorate is divided 1/3 each among Republicans, Democrats and Independents. NO Colorado governor gets elected on a pure partisan platform. Unless the Republicans put up yet another Coors brother or incompetent (e.g., Dan Maes), the governor's mansion is theirs to lose.
This person has to go. It started with his answer on the death penalty issue and only has gotten worst
I agree with Bob Mullikin. Hickenlooper did sell his soul. He will be defeated in the next election for Governor and Ken Salizar is just as bad. Please, Coloradans vote the Democrats out of office including Ferrandino and his co-horts with the abomination they did with "Jessica's Law". As an ex-New Yorker living here in Colorado for 3 years and a Republican to boot, interference from Bloomberg (that ass of a Mayor in New York) and George Soros along with Barack Obama are using Colorado as their petrie dish for their liberal ideas. This has been going on since the big O's campaign convention he had here in 2008. Vote them out and give us back our freedom.
I had go back to Kenya in white rocks in my pasture and the plane flew over in Fort Collins I would repaint em but I think he is going to Denver
Screw hick dumb ass he will be gone we live in Colorado not NEW YORK CITY fire or recall him and run him out of our state even the city people are pissed at him!
Myself I would run them all out of Colorado. We need some common sense and it's not there.
Please tell me that you folks on the Front Range have a reception planned for tomorrow, or are you just going to let the President do his victory dance.
He absolutely sold his soul and – more importantly – he sold Colorado to the highest bidders – Soros and Bloomberg! This weasel is not FIT to live in this State – let alone be Governor. The Obummer is coming tomorrow to try and give him some cover – however – I believe Coloradans, other than the looney left in Denver and Boulder, are finally starting to see the Obummer for what he is – not what he says!