The Owen Hill campaign is turning into a total car wreck. And, yet, we can’t look away. When we wrote our open letter to Owen Hill, it really was out of love. We weren’t demanding that he get out of the race, as some have accused, but we were asking him to maintain focus on defeating Sen. Mark Udall, instead of employing a scorched earth campaign intent on destroying Republican U.S. Senate candidates on his way out. And here’s why: we didn’t see a path to victory for him.
On Tuesday, the caucuses were held. Nothing says grassroots quite like caucusing – it’s the essence of people-driven politics. The results for Hill? Well, perhaps The Statesman‘s Ernest Luning best summed it up:
GOP insider re Gardner margins over Hill in straw polls: “Saddam Hussein won by smaller margins when he ran his own elections.” #copolitics
— Ernest Lee Luning (@eluning) March 5, 2014
And, here are some of the numbers to back up the sentiment.
.@BroomfieldGOP caucus #COSen poll results: Gardner 87.3%; Hill 7.0%; Baumgardner 5.1% #copolitics
— Ernest Lee Luning (@eluning) March 5, 2014
.@DougCOGOP caucus straw poll #COSen results: Gardner 1349; Hill 84; Baumgardner 50 #copolitics
— Ernest Lee Luning (@eluning) March 5, 2014
It’s not just about the raw numbers, though, it’s about the sentiment. Is the wind at your back or are you walking into it up-Hill? As we noted with our last post – the decision to stay in is Hill’s alone. But, Hill’s scorched earth strategy is doing long-term damage to his ability to create coalitions that will make or break his political career for years to come. That’s not a threat, unfortunately, it’s a fact. By all means, debate the issues, but let’s not forget President Ronald Reagan’s 11th Commandment.
The Cory Gardner deal was an inside job and it reeks of what is wrong with the Republican Party. Hill brings a lot to the party and will garner more independent votes than anyone else on the ballot. If you want a winner stick with Hill! Weather or not he becomes our next Senator Elect is not so important as that he stay the course and change the debate.
Since we're into posting caucus straw poll results, don't forget the incredibly small sample size of these things. On top of it, did you notice that among the precincts in El Paso that had straw polls, Hill won handily? Did you notice that in Pueblo, it was a squeaker?
See you at the state assembly and then the primary in June.
Go, Owen, go.
Cory is a tool of the Establishment and not a true Republican.