Thanks, TGOP!
In Colorado, the right fringe has all but handed the gubernatorial election to the Democrat on a platter. The mainstream republican lost in the primary to a "Tea Party" candidate, Dan Maes, and then our resident nutjob, Tom Tancredo, threw his hat in the ring, too, running under a last-minute nomination as the Constitution Party candidate. (If you don't remember him, he is a former US congressman who had an abbreviated presidential campaign, and said that undocumented immigrants "need to be found before it is too late. They're coming here to kill you, and you, and me, and my grandchildren.")
Maes, the Republican candidate, also has some really weird positions and history. He opposed itemizing taxes on utility bills because if they are itemized, people are more likely to express an opinion about them. (?) Also, he got a lot of attention for criticizing a bicycle sharing program (promoted by the Democratic candidate, John Hickenlooper, who is the mayor) in Denver, saying it was turning Denver into a United Nations community (whatever that is supposed to be.) Later when he clarified his remarks, he sounded even nuttier and said that the bike sharing program was being promoted by people who "put the environment above citizens' rights." The bike program is partially sponsored by ICLEI, and Maes said ICLEI is affiliated with the United Nations and is "signing up mayors across the country, and these mayors are signing on to this U.N. agreement to have their cities abide by this dream philosophy."
Maes has already violated the campaign finance laws (which he called "ridiculous") including trying to claim $44,000 in undocumented mileage expenses. (Colorado's a big state, but not THAT big.) Plus, he claims to have worked as an undercover Kansas Bureau of Investigation officer -- but there is no record of his ever having done that. He might qualify as being nuttier than Tancredo.
So the Democrat is running against two men who are BOTH far-right candidates with really odd positions. The Democrat, who is more liberal than most Democrats who have won statewide office in Colorado recently, seems quite moderate compared to the other two candidates.
If the more mainstream Republican had won the primary, it would have been a tough battle. Assuming both right-wing candidates remain in the race, it should be a walk for John Hickenlooper (the Democrat) unless he does something really, really stupid. Right now, Hickenlooper leads in the polls with 46.1%, followed by Maes at 22.1% and Tancredo at 21.0%.
Thank you, Tea Party. May you have similar successes around the country. ;)
Maes, the Republican candidate, also has some really weird positions and history. He opposed itemizing taxes on utility bills because if they are itemized, people are more likely to express an opinion about them. (?) Also, he got a lot of attention for criticizing a bicycle sharing program (promoted by the Democratic candidate, John Hickenlooper, who is the mayor) in Denver, saying it was turning Denver into a United Nations community (whatever that is supposed to be.) Later when he clarified his remarks, he sounded even nuttier and said that the bike sharing program was being promoted by people who "put the environment above citizens' rights." The bike program is partially sponsored by ICLEI, and Maes said ICLEI is affiliated with the United Nations and is "signing up mayors across the country, and these mayors are signing on to this U.N. agreement to have their cities abide by this dream philosophy."
Maes has already violated the campaign finance laws (which he called "ridiculous") including trying to claim $44,000 in undocumented mileage expenses. (Colorado's a big state, but not THAT big.) Plus, he claims to have worked as an undercover Kansas Bureau of Investigation officer -- but there is no record of his ever having done that. He might qualify as being nuttier than Tancredo.
So the Democrat is running against two men who are BOTH far-right candidates with really odd positions. The Democrat, who is more liberal than most Democrats who have won statewide office in Colorado recently, seems quite moderate compared to the other two candidates.
If the more mainstream Republican had won the primary, it would have been a tough battle. Assuming both right-wing candidates remain in the race, it should be a walk for John Hickenlooper (the Democrat) unless he does something really, really stupid. Right now, Hickenlooper leads in the polls with 46.1%, followed by Maes at 22.1% and Tancredo at 21.0%.
Thank you, Tea Party. May you have similar successes around the country. ;)
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