Mount Virtus

"Happy to come back to Michigan, but I miss the mountains!"

Ben on Social Media

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Home
  • About Ben
  • Mount Virtus?
  • Writer / Editor For Hire
  • What I’m Thankful For
  • Colorado Ballot Reviews
    • Colorado Ballot 2008
    • Colorado Ballot 2010
    • Colorado Ballot 2012
  • Archives
  • Passion and Purpose:
    The Rise & Fall of Al Gansee
  • Mary and Jacob: From the Forgotten Dust
Home Archives for campaign

6/8/2009 By Ben Leave a Comment

Learning from Bill Ritter’s Four Mistakes (so far) in the Senate Bill 180 Veto

I asked before if Bill Ritter called the bluff of Big Labor with his veto of Senate Bill 180. If we're to judge by last Friday's union-organized rally, then Ritter made a mistake. To see what I mean, take a step over to Face The State's slideshow, and see signs like "Why does Ritter hate fire fighters?" and "Ritter lied to my dad" (or just Senator Lois Tochtrop's angry expression). Of course, Ritter didn't make a mistake from the standpoint of choosing good policy over bad policy. But he has made four mistakes surrounding this issue: Don't make promises you don't intend to keep. Backroom campaign promises can come back to burn you. As observed at ColoradoPols and demonstrated by the little girl's "Ritter lied to my dad" sign, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: blogging, clean government, Colorado Politics, General, Labor, PPC Tagged With: angry, apparently, astroturfing, backroom, bad policy, Big Labor, Bill Ritter, blogosphere, bluff, bulk, burn, called, campaign, chief executive, ColoradoPols, compared, conveyed, damaging, decision, Democrat, Denver Post, enjoy, expression, Face the State, feet, fire fighters, fires, forced, good policy, harping, hide, intend, judge, keep, kill, labor bills, lied, Lois Tochtrop, media, minor, mistake, news conference, observed, offense, Party, politically, promises, prop, public, rally, Rocky Mountain Right, save, SB 180, Senate Bill 180, senator, show, sign, sit back, slideshow, standpoint, state house, state senate, stoked, support, threefold, traction, union-organized, veto, whoops

6/2/2009 By Ben 2 Comments

Mystery Tidwell Volunter Steps Over the Line, Hopefully Astroturfing Stops

I am relieved to learn that U.S. Senate candidate Cleve Tidwell was not posting bizarre online comments himself. As Mr. Tidwell joins us for tonight's Blog Talk Radio show, I hope to hear what the campaign learned from this episode. I also hope today's revelation marks the end of the online astroturfing. Inquiring minds will be left to wonder who the campaign volunteer was who had access to Mr. Tidwell's private email address and "might have stepped over the line". … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Colorado Politics, General, liberty, National Politics, PPC, Random and Miscellaneous Tagged With: astroturfing, bizarre, Blog Talk Radio, campaign, candidate, Cleve Tidwell, comments, episode, online, relieved, revelation, show, U.S. Senate

6/2/2009 By Ben Leave a Comment

RMA Blog Talk Radio Tonight at 8:30: Candidates Dan Maes, Cleve Tidwell

Tune in tonight at 8:30 PM local Mountain time for the 29th edition of Rocky Mountain Alliance Blog Talk Radio. Guests for tonight's show are a pair of political newcomers making longshot bids for statewide office. Evergreen businessman Dan Maes will join us to talk about his grassroots campaign for Colorado's Republican gubernatorial nomination in 2010. Causing a stir in the local blogosphere this week, U.S. Senate hopeful Cleve Tidwell will make an appearance in the latter half of the program to discuss his candidacy. If you miss the live show, you can go back and download the podcast, or just use the handy widget on my sidebar to listen directly from Mount Virtus. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: blogging, Colorado Politics, General, National Politics, PPC Tagged With: 2010, bids, Blog Talk Radio, blogosphere, businessman, campaign, candidacy, Cleve Tidwell, Colorado, Dan Maes, download, Evergreen, grassroots, gubernatorial, guests, hopeful, local, longshot, Mount Virtus, nomination, podcast, political newcomers, Republican, Rocky Mountain Alliance, show, sidebar, statewide office, stir, U.S. Senate, widget

5/7/2009 By Ben Leave a Comment

U.S. Senate Candidate Ken Buck Responds to Campaign Rumors

This morning a post appeared on Rocky Mountain Right about the first announced Republican candidate in Colorado's U.S. Senate race:Reports are trickling out that [Ken] Buck has split with Phase Line Strategies, a Republican consulting firm made up of GOP veterans who would have probably been fulfilling most of Buck's fundraising and communications needs, and that his campaign manager may have departed as well. Details are sketchy at this point, but the reports are coming from enough directions that it appears very likely to be true. Earlier this afternoon I called Ken Buck and recorded our conversation, to get a clearer picture of the story directly from the source. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, General, National Politics, PPC Tagged With: asset, campaign, campaign manager, candidate, clearer, Colorado, Colorado Pols, Colorado Statesman, communications, consulting firm, conversation, Democratic, Douglas County, Face the State, formal relationship, fundraising, general consultant, GOP veterans, Greeley Tribune, half-right, half-wrong, Jack Stansbery, Ken Buck, Lincoln Day dinner, Michael Bennet, misunderstanding, morning, online polls, opponent, Phase Line Strategies, Picture, polls, Public Policy Polling, quote, race, reporter, Republican, Rocky Mountain Right, Ryan Frazier, Sean Tonner, source, story, straw poll, title, U.S. Senate, unaffiliated, valuable, voters, Walt Klein

4/29/2009 By Ben 1 Comment

Michael Riley’s “100 Days” Obama Paean Could Use a Little Perspective

As Barack Obama nears 100 days in office, major newspapers take notice. Yet what a difference a turn of the phrase makes. First, Michael Riley leads off his "Potent voice of change" on the front page of today's Denver Post:One hundred days into his administration — forced by events and prodded by his own driving leadership style — Barack Obama has brought change to Washington that is bigger, bolder and far more risky than anything he articulated in his historic campaign. What's another way of saying that? Let's ask the editors of the Washington Times:Perplexed about complaints over Mr. Obama's expansion of government, Newsweek editor Jon Meacham asked: "does no one listen during campaigns?" It was these pundits who weren't … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Commemorative, Fiscal Policy, General, liberty, media bias, National Politics, PPC Tagged With: 100 days, adoration, article, articulated, attacks, Barack Obama, bigger, Bill Clinton, Bob Schaffer, bolder, campaign, candidate, change, choice, Congressional career, deficit, Democrat, Denver Post, Diana Degette, ethical debate, expansion, failing, fiscal course, Gallup, Gene Kinsey, George W. Bush, glorified, government, government spending, historical perspective, Jimmy Carter, job performance, Jon Meacham, leadership, Left-wing, massive, Michael Riley, Newsweek, obeisance, Olympian, promises, pundits, reckless, Republican, responsible, Richard Nixon, script, stem cells, succeeding, survey, thrust, U.S. Senate, Washington Times, wisdom

4/28/2009 By Ben 1 Comment

Ryan Frazier Out Stronger than Ken Buck – Don’t Expect to See Beauprez

If the earliest of trends are any indication, Ryan Frazier has come out of the gate looking the strongest in Colorado's Republican primary to challenge Michael Bennet for the U.S. Senate. After all, the rollout of the Ken Buck campaign could have been handled much more adeptly. But then again, the earliest of trends don't amount to much more than something for bloggers to write about. In the end, it should be a very interesting and competitive showdown between Frazier and Buck (with perhaps something to be heard from Cleve Tidwell). That's right. Count me among those who doesn't see former Congressman Bob Beauprez getting in this race. (At least as much as I can gather from a few fans on Ken Buck's Facebook page, and various … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, General, liberty, National Politics, PPC Tagged With: adeptly, attorney, bloggers, Bob Beauprez, campaign, Cleve Tidwell, clue, Colorado, competitive, Congressman, contributions, credit, Dan Caplis, earliest, Facebook, former, guess, handled, hazard, indication, interesting, Ken Buck, luck, Michael Bennet, nomination, occur, page, paying attention, primary, race, radio, rebirth, Republican, Right, rollout, scuttlebutt, showdown, significant, strength, talk show host, transformation, trends, U.S. Senate, victory, write, wrong

4/17/2009 By Ben Leave a Comment

Ryan Frazier Fires Up Crowd at Colorado Tax Day Tea Party

El Presidente has posted video of the Denver Tax Day Tea Party, but the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel has the video coverage of Colorado's largest Western Slope gathering. The apparent highlight of the event was the rousing speech of Ryan Frazier, who also announced a formal step toward a U.S. Senate campaign (watch the video below the fold): … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Colorado Politics, General, liberty, My Life, National Politics, PPC, Sports and Leisure Tagged With: American League Central, automotive bailouts, beloved team, campaign, Colorado, Denver, Detroit, Detroit Tigers, dismal, economic doldrums, El Presidente, event, first place, football, formal step, gathering, Grand Junction, Grand Junction Sentinel, highlight, performance, persistent, rousing speech, Ryan Frazier, Tax Day Tea Party, U.S. Senate, video coverage, wayward path

4/8/2009 By Ben 2 Comments

Thanks to What?: Posing a Clear Litmus Test Between Left and Right

Blogging for the Heritage Foundation, Conn Carroll points readers to a clear litmus test between the Left and the Right. If you followed that link and said, "Hey, that's not a bad idea, why didn't I think of that?" -- it's pretty safe to say you're on the Left. On the other hand, if you laughed out loud and/or your stomach turned upon reading it, you must be on the Right. But here's my thought: If we're going to be showing our gratitude for painful certainties that show no sign of abating, why not a campaign to get people to say Thanks for this? … [Read more...]

Filed Under: blogging, Cultural Conservatism, Fiscal Policy, General, liberty, PPC, Random and Miscellaneous Tagged With: abating, campaign, certainty, clear, Conn Carroll, death, gratitude, Heritage Foundation, laugh, Left, link, litmus test, Right, stomach, taxes, thanks, turned

3/30/2009 By Ben 4 Comments

Ryan Frazier Dominates Competition in DougCo U.S. Senate Straw Poll

El Presidente has some potentially earth-shaking news (for active lovers of liberty and the handful of Colorado political insiders who are paying attention at this point, that is): Despite the weak and transparent efforts of the liberal Dead Governors to marginalize his campaign with ridicule, Aurora city councilman Ryan Frazier not only won but dominated the competition in a U.S. Senate straw poll among the conservative Douglas County GOP faithful (complete with video of Frazier's Saturday speech at the Douglas County Lincoln Day dinner). Other names in the straw poll included former Congressman Bob Beauprez, popular radio talk show host Dan Caplis, Weld County district attorney Ken Buck, and businessman Cleve Tidwell. This result … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Colorado Politics, General, liberty, National Politics, PPC Tagged With: 2010, Aurora, Bob Beauprez, businessman, campaign, city councilman, Cleve Tidwell, Colorado, competition, Congressman, conservative, Dan Caplis, Dead Governors, District Attorney, dominated, Douglas County, earth-shaking news, edged, El Presidente, faithful, Ken Buck, liberal, Lincoln Day dinner, lovers of liberty, marginalize, Mark Hillman, mentioning, Michael Bennet, momentum, national pundits, non-candidate, paying attention, political insiders, radar, Radio talk show host, Republican, ridicule, Rocky Mountain Right, Ryan Frazier, Saturday, selected, speech, straw poll, transparent efforts, U.S. Senate races, Weld County

3/26/2009 By Ben Leave a Comment

Just What Did Colorado Ethics Watch Learn from Media Matters’ Demise?

Colorado Ethics Watch's Chantell Taylor has filed an especially frivolous complaint, reports Face The State. While a frustrating annoyance, it's also a badge of honor for Fort Collins city council candidate Andrew Boucher, who is running a tireless and effective pro-liberty campaign. The uncanny timing and sheer desperation of this complaint makes me wonder if Colorado Ethics Watch has been watching what happened to their state sister Media Matters (after all, they have the same rich Lefty sugar daddies as part of their common affiliation with the Colorado Democracy Alliance), and whether the group has observed the right lesson from its demise. Does Ethics Watch believe that the plug was pulled on Media Matters because the phony … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, General, liberty, PPC, Random and Miscellaneous Tagged With: Andrew Boucher, annoyance, badge of honor, butt, campaign, candidate, Chantell Taylor, city council, Colorado Democracy Alliance, Colorado Ethics Watch, common affiliation, complaint, curious, demise, effective, existence, Face the State, Fort Collins, frivolous complaint, frustrating, impelled, jokes, Lefty, Media Matters, organization, phony watchdogs, pick up slack, plug, pro-liberty, pulled, recently-departed, reports, right lesson, sheer desperation, sugar-daddies, theater of the absurd, timing, tireless, uncanny

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • Next Page »

Inside

  • About Ben
  • Archives
  • Colorado Ballot Reviews
    • Colorado Ballot 2008
    • Colorado Ballot 2010
    • Colorado Ballot 2012
    • Colorado Ballot 2014
  • Mary and Jacob: From the Forgotten Dust
  • Mount Virtus?
  • Passion and Purpose:
    The Rise & Fall of Al Gansee
  • What I’m Thankful For
  • Writer / Editor For Hire

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

  • Tips to Teach Kids to Set and Achieve Goals
  • The Christmas Music Countdown You’ve Been Looking For: 2022 Edition
  • Sleep Deprivation and Parental Controls: How to Ensure Your Kids are Safe from Media Exposure
  • 8 Original Ways To Leverage Influencer Marketing
  • Why Every Single Business Needs A YouTube Channel

Colorado News

  • Colorado Senate News
  • Complete Colorado
  • Independence Institute
  • Loveland Politics
  • The Colorado Observer

National News and Politics

  • Drudge Report
  • Hot Air
  • National Review
  • Politico
  • Real Clear Politics
  • Reason
  • The Washington Times
  • TownHall
  • Wall Street Journal
  • Weekly Standard
  • World Magazine

Blogs Extraordinaire

  • American Thinker
  • David Harsanyi’s Blog
  • E!! The True Conservative Story
  • EIA Intercepts
  • Evangelical Outpost
  • Hugh Hewitt
  • Instapundit
  • LaShawn Barber
  • Lileks
  • Little Green Footballs
  • Michelle Malkin
  • NRO's The Corner
  • Power Line
  • Red State

Completing the Blogroll

  • Alarming News
  • Black Five
  • Blogs of War
  • Eduwonk
  • Flypaper
  • Fraters Libertas
  • Historical Conversations
  • IMAO
  • Jay P. Greene
  • Mike Anderson
  • Mullings
  • Professor Bainbridge
  • Right Thinking
  • Right Wing News
  • Right Wing Nuthouse
  • Shot in the Dark
  • Talking Points Memo
  • Virginia Postrel
  • Volokh Conspiracy

Christian Commentary et al.

  • Kevin Pierpont
  • Sharper Iron

Conservative and GOP Sites

  • Backbone America
  • Cal Thomas
  • Colorado Republican Party
  • Colorado Republican Study Committee
  • Dennis Prager
  • Denver Metro Young Republicans
  • Free Republic
  • Heritage Foundation
  • Jefferson County Republican Party
  • Mackinac Center for Public Policy
  • Mark Steyn
  • Michael Medved
  • Rush Limbaugh

Colorado Blogs

  • American Kestrel
  • Bob Agard
  • Colorado Charter Schools
  • Colorado Peak Politics
  • Colorado Pols
  • Colorado Right
  • Conservative Libertarian Outpost
  • Coyote Gulch
  • Ed Is Watching
  • Free Colorado
  • Jeff Crank Show
  • Mark Hillman
  • Patient Power
  • PirateBallerina
  • Protein Wisdom
  • Reagan Girl
  • Rocky Mountain Alliance 1.0 (Archive)
  • Rocky Mountain Alliance 2.0 (Archive)
  • Rossputin
  • Stop the ACLU Blog
  • The Spot (Denver Post)
  • We Stand Firm

Other Sites

  • Technorati
  • Word Press

Rocky Mountain Alliance 2.0

  • Reclaim the Blue
  • The Business Word
  • The Daily Blogster
  • View from a Height

To Contact Me:
bendegrow-at-gmail.com

Copyright © 2023 RSS Feed · WordPress · Log in