Governor Hickenlooper has long traded on his reputation for being a brewer and businessman first and politician second. In today’s Denver Post, Hickenlooper does a good job of making clear he’s reversed that order since becoming governor.

In true politician fashion, it is a threat to losing his own job that makes Hickenlooper work harder, not the great challenges this state faces.

Per Lynn Bartels:

“Each time another person decides to get in this campaign,” Hickenlooper said, “it makes me want to work a little harder, listen a little more closely.

Hickenlooper has long led a charmed political life, with little to no sustained political opposition. The fact of the matter is he hasn’t had to work that hard or listen that closely to attain what he has politically.

Now that the chattering classes have begun to dispense with the narrative that Hickenlooper is a moderate, maybe it’s time to start challenging the idea that he’s only a politician second?

Because, after all, that’s what politicians do first — look out for numero uno.