State GOP Needs to Temper Confidence with Patience

Today’s Denver Post headline “State GOP plots revival, but in 2010” is not surprising for those in the know. For a variety of reasons, new Colorado Republican Party Chairman Dick Wadhams (who instills fear into the Left side of the state’s blogosphere) inherited a very difficult situation. He doesn’t have an easy task before him.

The headline is a little bit misleading, as Wadhams says there are real hopes for limited gains in 2008. Perhaps the better headline would have been “State GOP plots return to power by 2010.” But that’s a small detail. Confidently forecasting victory for U.S. Senate candidate Bob Schaffer and that Colorado will cast its vote for the Republican presidential candidate, Wadhams is playing the role of partisan cheerleader now largely filled on the other side by liberal bloggers like the Dead Governors.

Meanwhile, Wadhams’ counterpart may have spent too much time in the heat recently:

Wadhams’ crystal ball gazing amused Democratic Party chairwoman Pat Waak, who said that voters on both sides of the aisle are continually disillusioned by events in Iraq and blame Republicans. “I think rather than be embarrassed later, Dick should keep a low profile and keep his mouth shut,” she said. “Democrats are not cocky or cynical. We are working really hard to continue to solidify our base.”

Republicans have found the right leader to help lead them on their steady ascent from the political depths in Colorado. But we also need to be realistic about our prospects. Change isn’t going to happen without resources or a clear message differentiating the two parties, and it isn’t going to happen overnight. Confidence is terrific, but patience is a virtue.