Dan Haley’s Monday Denver Post column on the emerging Republican candidate in the looming Colorado governor’s race was recently brought to my attention.
Perhaps you have heard of Marc Holtzman by now. Some five months ago I detailed my early impressions of the then-prospective gubernatorial candidate. And you probably have seen the Dead Governors ranking him as the current favorite to fill their long-emptied shoes.
Holtzman will be stepping down from his post as president of the University of Denver tomorrow and putting his campaign into another gear. But look where he is already in the early stages of the race: he’s doing everything he needs to do to stay competitive. Good estimates indicate Holtzman has already raised more than $800,000, which breaks a record for any Colorado gubernatorial candidate at this point in the campaign. He is actively building relationships with key figures, and word has it that he has building a grassroots campaign with some highly-skilled staff.
But then Haley’s column highlights Holtzman’s summer plans:
Holtzman in August will launch a tour of Colorado in a bus outfitted for a rock star and will visit all 64 counties the first two months.
“We’re going to go to places where no gubernatorial candidate has gone in a long time,” he said.
Gov. Bill Owens’ former technology secretary also says his campaign will have a website up within the next 30 days, and he’ll be blogging from the road. [My emphasis]
He’s expected to be joined along the way by a diverse crowd, including John Elway, boxer/pitch man George Foreman and, quite possibly in September, Poland’s president Aleksander Kwasniewski, whom he considers a close friend.
Knowing he has to build widespread name recognition, credibility and enthusiasm through a string of media appearances, it looks like Holtzman is going about it the right way. Hitting all the nooks and crannies, bringing along a wide range of star power, and maybe best of all… he will be blogging. This kind of savvy activity should put Holtzman on the cutting edge. Potentially exciting stuff, really.
I will do my best to stay on top of developments concerning Holtzman’s impending Web site and look ahead with interest to reading the candidate’s blog.
As long as we’re going to have perpetual campaigns anyway, why not go back to 2-year terms for governors?
Most states started out that way, and we can even sweeten the pot by making the first term 4-years, so he “has time to adjust.”
Since most executives (governors, mayors, presidents) become lame ducks in their second 4-year term anyway, why not give voters the chance to boot them out in an orderly, anticipated, non-recall way?
Okay, just my two cents.
Remember, freedom is just an illusion unless you are in Christ Jesus.
Another $0.02
Well said, Kevin. For many, life is a perpetual political campaign. It’s the only way of living for them.