I hate you, Colorado Peak Politics
Readers who cracked open Drudge Report this morning were greeted with a picture of Governor Hickenlooper with the headline “CO gov leaning strongly toward presidential run…”. The story was triggered by Hickenlooper’s remarks to a local reporter in New Hampshire today.
While this is something that we have sensed for a while – he wrote a book, got a cute new wife, hung out with celebrities, flew in (other people’s) private jets, established a PAC – a profile in The Hill speculating about Hickenlooper’s candidacy makes this all seem more real. And who knows – with the weak bench of 20 raving maniacs clawing their way towards the Democrat nomination with little more substance than a TrumpHate agenda, Hickenlooper may be able to pull together an interesting value proposition for Democrat primary voters.
Hickenlooper is currently campaigning for down ballot candidates in New Hampshire – you know, the ones with the potential to sway a lot of local votes in an important primary contest in about 14 months. According to the article in The Hill, Hickenlooper was overheard telling someone, “I am the governor of Colorado and I’m gonna run for president.” He then clarified his remark to say he was still thinking about it, because there are “all kinds of legal ramifications” if he just comes out and says he is doing it.
Hickenlooper also told another Granite State resident, “I’m John Hickenlooper and I’m running for president. You’re the first person in New Hampshire I’ve said that to.”
While the governor has played things close to the vest over the past year, these bold statements leave little room for doubt about what his intentions are.
Except. He’s just kidding, according to his comms folks. Obviously. That’s why he was in New Hampshire, right? We’d expect nothing less from Governor Chickenlooper.