If this was someone’s brilliant idea of a gubernatorial campaign launch, it probably looked better on paper. At some point over the last week, a Twitter handle @RunSteveRun18 popped up offering clues to the identity of the candidate that people “tired of the status quo and politics as usual” want to run for Governor. They offered three clues: he’s a fourth-generation Coloradan, he served a few years in the Marines, and his name is Steve. This was all gleaned from a fairly blank website that the tweets (as well as an ad in the Statesman‘s Hot Sheet) directed readers to.
The stunt was meant to seem like a campaign to convince someone to run; although, we have no idea who the people “tired of the status quo and politics as usual” are, well, except that’s really everybody, right? Here are a few questions for these people:
- If you’re tired of the status quo, why publicize this in a political insider media outlet? Why not take your message to the grassroots?
- Why would you not give readers more information about your candidate at the outset? Making people guess does not generate excitement and buzz, no matter what your consultants said.
- Why would you pick facts that are in Steve’s bio? Why not something more obscure and not Google-able?
In case you haven’t figured out yet who these folks want to run for Governor, it’s Democratic Rep. Steve Lebsock, which took us about three minutes plus Google to figure out.
So, there you have it folks, despite the lame scavenger hunt to make us guess who might be running for Governor (other than heavyweights Ken Salazar and Rep. Ed Perlmutter), we’ve unraveled the mystery for you. Sorry to ruin the surprise. Actually, just kidding, we’re not sorry.