The exciting opportunity for a Republican pickup in Senate District 16 with a departing incumbent Democrat Dan Gibbs has taken some interesting turns in the past week. State senate minority leader Josh Penry’s most highly touted replacement was Cheri Gerou. But the HD 25 representative told me today her current seat is “where I plan to stay.” So count out Gerou.

Then there’s Ali Hasan who, while refuting my initial speculations that he might contend, had suggested Jeffco GOP chair Don Ytterberg as a great candidate. However, Ytterberg says he has no desire to take another shot at SD 16 and is dedicated to his current work. “I made the commitment to work for the success of our party and I will do that to the best of my ability,” he said.

But as of today the Republican Party finally has an Evergreen businessman willing to jump in and battle for the open SD 16 seat. No, not that Evergreen businessman, the one who has expressed a firm commitment to the governor’s race and was left out of the crafting of the unity “Prosperity Platform.” (more…)

Word has leaked to the Grand Junction Sentinel that state senate minority leader Josh Penry will formally announce his endorsement of former rival Scott McInnis for Colorado governor. The endorsement was contingent on the McInnis formally agreeing to 20 conservative governing principles.

“These are the principles that swept the GOP to victory in New Jersey in Virginia,” Penry said. “And they can re-unite our Party too, and pave the way for a successful campaign and, more important, a successful governing party when the election’s over and done with.”

Without further ado, here’s the list of unified governing principles that was forwarded to Mount Virtus, a list that contains a fair amount of specificity: (more…)

As Don at Business Word notes, the Ryan Frazier campaign yesterday touted a list of endorsements from “nearly one hundred influential Coloradans” in his bid to be the next Congressman from the 7th District. Yes, the list contains the names of some heavy-hitters — including Phil Anschutz, Pete Coors, Attorney General John Suthers, and former Governor Bill Owens.

But at least as telling to me is that Ryan Frazier has earned the support from both my friends Jessica Corry and Libby Szabo, the last two Republican candidates for state senate District 19. Why so significant? Jessica is a young up-and-comer from the more libertarian wing of the party. Libby is more of a traditional conservative and a longtime activist well known in Jefferson County Republican — especially Arvada (House District 27) — circles.

The fact they both (along with many other Republicans of prominence at different levels) have thrown in with Ryan Frazier is an important sign that he has picked up necessary traction after switching from the U.S. Senate race five weeks ago.

Sealing the deal with the grassroots should be a major focus for Frazier in the few months leading up to the caucuses — especially with primary opponent Brian Campbell (among others) and potential primary opponent Jimmy Lakey lurking out there.

If you live in the Denver metro area, Ryan Frazier, a Republican candidate for Colorado’s 7th Congressional District, is advertising a volunteer opportunity for you that does not involve stuffing envelopes, knocking on doors or waving signs. Rather, it’s a way to help those in the community who are struggling during these difficult economic times:

Please join us on Monday, November 23 from 9:30am – noon as we volunteer our time at the JeffCo Action Center. We will be helping to sort and box food in their warehouse 8035 W. Colfax Avenue in Lakewood. The JeffCo Action Center needs to know how many of us to expect, so please RSVP by clicking here or emailing Marc Massey at marc@frazierforcolorado.com by noon on November 20.

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(H/T Gene Kinsey) It appears President Obama could have used some world leader greeting etiquette refreshers before giving a deep, subservient bow to the emperor of Japan: (more…)

Our current survey of Colorado’s political temperature has inspired more than just a series of click-in-the-box responses.

Having read one of our test issue statements — It is important for Republicans to employ a “big tent” policy when considering candidates for office. — Karen Kataline decided to deconstruct the term “big tent” in a thoughtful new essay for Backbone America:

Our party is and has always been united not by our ethnicity but by our ideas. As members of minority Republican groups, our role is to welcome others into the party rather than to seek special favors or victim status as the parade of minority groups on the Left have consistently done.

Go ahead. Read the whole thing. Then go ahead and take our latest survey. Maybe you’ll be inspired, too.

I was planning to post a notice today about the need to take action against the Pelosi version of Obama Care. And today is the time to do it! But being busy, I got permission to paste this email (with a couple slight tweaks) from a friend:

Hello to all!

If you want tax dollars funding abortions and for medical coverage to become less available, now is the time to do nothing! The house version of the health care “reform” bill will come up for a vote tomorrow (Saturday). (more…)

Everyone and his brother (a particularly strange piece of slang I picked up from my childhood) has been offering spin to explain why on an election night so good for Republicans and conservatives, insurgent Conservative Doug Hoffman came up short against Democrat Bill Owens. I think that’s looking at it the wrong way: given the facts and observations provided by Michael Patrick Leahy, it’s fairly remarkable Hoffman came as close as he did.

I spot three major factors Leahy cites that determined the outcome. First: (more…)

From CBS4 Denver, foot-in-mouth State Senator David Schultheis (R-Colorado Springs) has pulled a surprise and announced he’s not running for re-election in 2010.

Does this make former blogger and self-proclaimed “big tent” Republican candidate Tom McDowell the frontrunner in Senate District 9?

It’s no secret that Tom once was a frequent visitor to this blog, and has left his share of comments that speak for themselves. All I can say is he seems to like to pick fights over imagined disputes. If nominated and elected, I hope he shows more tact than his predecessor.

I’ve spent the past several days trying to reach a coherent synthesis from these two poll results taken by Rasmussen:

• 73 percent of Republican voters say Republicans in Congress have lost touch with their base — men and older voters are more likely to share these sentiments; and (unsurprisingly) far more voters obviously are concerned about economic, fiscal, and national security issues than domestic or cultural issues
• General election voters trust Republicans more than Democrats on all 10 key electoral issues — with double-digit advantages in national security, Iraq, taxes, economy and abortion

So what should Republican politicians and candidates learn from these results? I mean, besides the fact that it’s hard to make too much sense out of what a wide sample of voters are thinking. Rather than come up with a cogent analysis, I decided to throw out some quick hits: (more…)

Reason #2,637 why Democrat one-party rule in Washington has proven itself a travesty: sneaking an unconstitutional, politically-correct hate crimes legislation into the military appropriations bill.

Opposition to the hate-crimes bill is by no means a socially conservative preoccupation — it’s common sense and good policy all around. Tim Lynch from the libertarian Cato Institute explains the problems with it.

Republicans may be doing well now at starting to make the case why they would be less of a travesty in Congress, but many of us out here long for something better — and are willing to work and sacrifice to make it happen. I’m talking about a large cadre of truly fiscally responsible reformers, devotees of liberty and limited government, principled leaders to guide a governing majority.

Hey … I can dream, can’t I?

With the nearly never-ending election cycle, those of us here in the trenches can sometimes too easily lapse into the day-to-day tussles of the news without enough time spent in more serious reflection. (Or maybe it’s just those of us with small children whose attention spans are so easily distracted.)

Earlier this year I wrote several more reflective essays, most of which have ended up ignored by now. But while I still plan to write about the immediate issues of the day and follow events leading up to the 2010 election, I am also interested in engaging once more in deeper discussions about the status and future of the conservative movement — albeit, as dictated by the limits of my own time, occasionally.

What (besides the approaching end of baseball season) prompted me to do so? A recent essay published in the Washington Post by AEI’s Steven Hayward titled “Is Conservatism Brain-Dead?” (H/T The Next Right) ( I commend it to you — if you haven’t checked it out already.

Consider this post a teaser, and notice of a small course correction. There still will be plenty of political junk food to snack on here, but soon you also may have the opportunity to dine on something a little more substantive, too.

Five weeks ago the Sunday Denver Post editorial page featured a piece by columnist Vince Carroll that made short shrift of the U.S. Senate candidacies of Ryan Frazier and Ken Buck, while making the pitch for Bob Beauprez. The Post‘s management clearly was using its editorial heft to tout Beauprez as the GOP’s great hope to defeat Ritter-appointed incumbent Michael Bennet.

Well, two weeks later Bob Beauprez officially announced he was NOT tossing his hat in the ring. So now the Post is rolling out the red carpet for Jane Norton. Witness today’s column by editorial page editor Dan Haley straining the bounds of credibility to tout Norton’s virtues and dismiss her opponents. (more…)

We’re back at it again. After the results and analysis from the July 2009 survey in which we are grateful that more than 600 of you participated, we’re at it again.

Yes, El Presidente and I have commissioned and fashioned another survey that we hope you will take 10 minutes or so to complete — especially if you’re from Colorado.

These aren’t your run-of-the-mill quick-hit polls. Once again we’ve gone a little more in-depth. Some of the questions are the same. Some are new. One interesting added follow-up is asking what the most important factor is for you in choosing to support a Republican primary candidate for governor and U.S. Senate.

Click here to take the September 2009 Colorado online political survey

Your opinion counts. Take a few moments to make it happen. Not only show your support for candidates, but also let us know where you stand on key issues and give us some honest prognostication about the 2010 elections. The survey won’t be there forever, only until next Thursday, September 17, 5 PM local Mountain time … Thanks for participating! We’ll get back to you with the results soon. Stay tuned.

Below the fold is the “official” release announcing the survey: (more…)

Getting caught up in the intense, day-to-day political and policy battles over the health care reform debate, it can be helpful from time to time to step back and take a look at the big picture. Not that I have time myself, but I can point you to two excellent pieces that do just that.

First, National Review’s Ivan Kenneally identifies evidence of a disturbing trend emerging in the current political showdown. Key quote to whet your appetite:

Unfortunately, the contempt for public debate is one of the hallmarks of Obama’s technocratic approach to politics — in place of a healthy and democratic deference to public opinion, we get the assurance of expertise that comes with a bevy of special-issue czars.

Meanwhile, the always insightful Michael Barone writes in the Washington Examiner that the national political fault-line is shifting right before our eyes — economic issues and debates over the size and scope of government are trumping old cultural divides.

Check them out. Of course, if you still want to be engaged in the day-to-day debates in an entertaining way, check out the Independence Institute’s popular new health reform video.