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Mount Virtus?

Every day is seeking to rise to the challenge, 'neath the shadow of the mighty Rockies.

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Colorado Ballot Reviews

Sometimes the choices are daunting or confusing, sometimes they're as clear as a Mile High view.

Writer / Editor For Hire

If I had five more writers just like him, I think my job would be the easiest in journalism....

2/7/2026 By Ben Leave a Comment

Hugh Hewitt Makes Weak Attempt to Bolster Jane Norton’s Poll Showing

Yesterday I actually found myself in a mood to give national radio host Hugh Hewitt a chance to not embarrass himself in talking about Colorado politics. After all, with a great interview early in the show, Hewitt finally acknowledged the existence of rising star and Colorado Congressional candidate Ryan Frazier. (I haven't listened much lately: has Hugh Hewitt finally noticed Cory Gardner, too?) But toward the end of the program Hewitt started following the Jane Norton campaign's lead and bashing the SurveyUSA poll that put Ken Buck ahead of Jane Norton, 53-37. The host asserted in all-too-typical bombastic fashion that the polling sample of 59 percent men vs. 41 percent women wildly skewed the results in Buck's favor. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Colorado Politics, liberty, media bias, National Politics, PPC

2/7/2026 By Ben Leave a Comment

Teflon John Hickenlooper Backs “Crash Tax” for Non-Resident Denver Wrecks

7News reporter Russell Haythorn has a great story today about a Denver proposal backed by Mayor John Hickenlooper to institute a "crash tax" on non-residents who cause traffic accidents on highways inside city limits:Some say it would raise revenue, others say it's a double-tax that would scare visitors away. "It would seem to me to be a little bit stupid," said Dan Trippie who was visiting from New York and rented a car to get around. "I think that's outrageous since I already pay taxes to work in Denver," said Ellen Warp, who lives in Wheat Ridge and works in downtown Denver. Go here to watch the video of the report. Kudos to my Independence Institute colleague Todd Shepherd for cracking the lid on this story. One of his … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, Fiscal Policy, liberty, PPC

2/7/2026 By Ben Leave a Comment

SurveyUSA: Walker Stapleton Up By 10, J.J. Ament Faces Tough Challenge

Last night I posted a quick analysis on the fresh survey data on Colorado's big-ticket 2010 political races. Down the ticket, state treasurer hopeful Walker Stapleton has a 10-point lead on J.J. Ament -- who only a month ago won a resounding victory at the State Assembly. Having bypassed the assembly process, Stapleton successfully petitioned onto the ballot. The big numbers: Stapleton 41, Ament 31, Undecided 28. And according to the crosstabs underneath, Stapleton lead (or at least is statistically tied) among all demographic groups -- age, gender, race, region, etc. Even the pro-Tea Party voters narrowly picked Stapleton over Ament, 37-34. "This poll clearly shows that our message is resonating with voters across Colorado. Voters … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, Fiscal Policy, liberty, PPC

2/7/2026 By Ben Leave a Comment

Dan Maes Responds: “I would never attempt to hide taxes and fees…”

I was taken aback yesterday when I read this Grand Junction Sentinel column that sure made it sound like Colorado Republican gubernatorial candidate Dan Maes favored a lack of transparency in public utilities rate disclosure. Both a Rocky Mountain Right diarist and fellow RMA/PPC blogger Don Johnson jumped over the comments to assail Maes' views. I called Dan Maes this morning to get some important clarification. Below are my three questions and his brief answers: … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, Energy, Fiscal Policy, liberty, PPC

2/7/2026 By Ben 1 Comment

Ryan Frazier for Colorado 7th CD

This evening is Colorado's 7th Congressional Republican Assembly, and conservatives' best and strongest chance to unseat liberal Democrat Ed Perlmutter is Ryan Frazier. A great new video that makes the case in two minutes: … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, liberty, National Politics, PPC

2/7/2026 By Ben Leave a Comment

May Survey of Colorado’s Political Temperature: Same Winners Emerge

For those who are interested, the results of the May survey of Colorado's political temperature are posted on Facebook. For a variety of reasons, including the transition to a new setting, participation in the survey is down significantly -- leaving perhaps the most dedicated and passionate 117 conservative Colorado political Facebookers (half of whom say they plan to attend Saturday's state GOP Assembly as either delegates or alternates) to chime in. A few highlights for your consumption: Ken Buck is a runaway winner in the U.S. Senate primary Dan Maes pulls in 50 percent, Scott McInnis about 30 percent and newcomer Joe Gschwendtner picks up a few votes Ryan Frazier, Cory Gardner and Scott Tipton remain clear frontrunners in their … [Read more...]

Filed Under: blogging, clean government, Colorado Politics, liberty, National Politics, PPC

2/7/2026 By Ben 2 Comments

Colorado State House Breakdown: Majority Up for Grabs, Tiny GOP Edge

On Thursday I updated the rankings of Colorado's competitive state senate seats. After 15 weeks it's also time to update the Colorado state house rankings. A quick overview: There are 65 seats in the Colorado state house, and all of them are up for re-election every two years. State representatives are limited to four two-year terms of service. Currently, the Democratic majority holds 37 seats and Republicans 27, with one seat belonging to unaffiliated (and former Democrat) Kathleen Curry. Fifty-two incumbents are running to retain their seats: 30 Democrats (including 2 vacancy appointments), 21 Republicans (including 2 vacancy appointments) and Curry. That leaves 7 open Democrat and 6 Republican seats. Interestingly, Colorado … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, Fiscal Policy, General, liberty, PPC

2/7/2026 By Ben 2 Comments

John McCain to Host D.C. Fundraiser for 7th CD Candidate Lang Sias

A lot of hullabaloo has been made of late about U.S. Senate candidate Jane Norton's D.C. fundraisers. Less well known are the plans of 7th Congressional candidate Lang Sias. Four days after the 7th CD Assembly -- in which Sias will struggle against the strong grassroots base of support for conservative Ryan Frazier to secure 30 percent and get a place on the ballot -- Sias is planning a D.C. fundraiser at the Capitol Hill Club with John McCain. The following is the email from Lang Sias:As many of you know, I'm running for Congress in Colorado's 7th Congressional district. We're making some very good progress on the ground; we picked up a bunch of endorsements over the last week, and are charging into the Congressional district … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, liberty, National Politics, PPC

2/7/2026 By Ben Leave a Comment

The National Debt and My Children

A quick video with an important message -- one that's hard-hitting for this father of young children -- brought to you by the growing grassroots group Mothers Against Debt. Check it out: … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Fiscal Policy, liberty, My Life, National Politics, PPC

2/7/2026 By Ben 8 Comments

Colorado 2010 State Senate Showdown: GOP Challengers Gain Momentum

It's been a long time since I offered up rankings of the Colorado state senate races most likely to switch party hands this fall. Now that the latest voter registration numbers are available, campaign finance reports are in and the legislature is out of session, it's time to take a fresh look. Just for review, there are 35 seats in the Colorado state senate, and Democrats possess a decisive 21-14 advantage. State senators serve four-year terms and only come up for election every other cycle, unless there was a vacancy filled and a special election is needed. Nineteen of the 35 seats are up for grabs in 2010: 11 held by Democrats and 8 held by Republicans. Five of the Democrat-held seats and all but one of the Republican-held seats are … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, Fiscal Policy, liberty, PPC

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Inside

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    The Rise & Fall of Al Gansee
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About Me

Ben DeGrow
Grateful and growing Christian, devoted husband and father of 3, public policy analyst, returned to Michigan by way of Colorado, conservative writer, lifelong learner, Detroit Tigers fan.

Recent Posts

  • AI-Enhanced Cyberbullying: The Dark Side of Teen Innovation
  • My Baker’s Dozen of Top 2023 Reads
  • Common Learning Disabilities in Children
  • Tips to Teach Kids to Set and Achieve Goals
  • The Christmas Music Countdown You’ve Been Looking For: 2022 Edition

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Completing the Blogroll

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Rocky Mountain Alliance 2.0

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To Contact Me:
bendegrow-at-gmail.com

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