I hate you, Colorado Peak Politics
Over the weekend, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton made her VP pick official – and it’s Virginia U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine, not John Hickenlooper. We almost feel for our Governor. It seemed he really wanted the gig. A little-reported fact from the presidential campaign trail was just how aggressively John Hickenlooper lobbied for the VP slot. (See: “The Opposite of Woe: My Life in Beer and Politics.)
This weekend Politico published an in depth report on Clinton’s VP selection process, revealing some interesting things about Hickenlooper’s approach:
- Had a “near constant presence in Washington” this spring, where he met with senior Clinton advisors such as Jane Harmann.
- Hired a NY-based PR firm that “urged reporters to interview him about gun control and terrorism.”
- Shamelessly tried to politicize the Aurora theater shooting. From a media pitch sent to reporters: “Governor John Hickenlooper of Colorado who is still dealing with the fallout from the 2012 mass shooting in Aurora, is disturbed by Trump’s comments about Orlando, and is available to discuss it.”
For those on the left who are impressed by Hickenlooper’s “aw shucks” persona, just understand that under that thin veneer is a regular old politician, willing to do almost anything to get that next gig, including exploiting one of the worst mass shootings in our nation’s history.