Was it that bad…?
If there was any question remaining about whether Gov. John Hickenlooper was indecisive, the answer was abundantly clear at tonight’s Denver Post debate. At times, the embattled Governor seemed not only to debate opponent Bob Beauprez, but also himself. This internal debate caused Hick to come off as rambling and incoherent at times and unsure of his footing (metaphorically, of course) at other times.
In contrast, Beauprez seemed relaxed and sure of himself and his answers. He handled the tough questions adroitly. On a controversial topic, he noted that he may not share the same views as other Coloradans, but that he respects their views and will govern with respect. It doesn’t get much better than that.
But, perhaps the best summation of Beauprez’s performance tonight came from the Dowager Countess of Colorado Politics Lynn Bartels, who tweeted the following:
Let’s just say @bobBeauprez 2014 is not @bobbeauprez 2006. #copolitics
— Lynn Bartels (@lynn_bartels) October 1, 2014
Indeed not. Even on a seemingly esoteric issue like transportation funding, Beauprez seemed to be schooling the guy who is supposed to be in charge (that’s you, Gov). Additionally, Hick flailed on questions about his decision to grant a reprieve for convicted killer Nathan Dunlap when he said that some of the families of Dunlap’s victims backed his decision. It’s unclear whether he actually spoke to the Crowell family, whose daughter/sister, Sylvia, was brutally killed by Dunlap. The Crowell family is not pleased with Hick’s decision. And, on guns, Hick said he didn’t regret his decision to sign into law one of the most extreme gun grabs in the country, which drew criticism from a violent crime survivor, Kimberly Weeks, on Twitter:
Hick, you don’t listen to us, you don’t deserve our vote MT @denverpolitics “Hick:No regrets for signing gun bills” @bobbeauprez #copolitics
— Kimberly Weeks (@notkimco) October 1, 2014
All in all, it was a great night for Beauprez. As for Hick, we heard he once owned a brewpub. There might be something there to take the sting out.