July 18, 2008 9:51 AM
Rocky's choice in Dems' 2nd CD race: Will Shafroth
Democrats should choose professional conservationist Will Shafroth as their nominee to replace Mark Udall in the second Congressional district says the Rocky's editorial. Besides boosting Shafoth, the editorial is a smackdown on Shafroth's better-known opponents, Jared Polis and Joan Fitz-Gerald.
We actually had hope for Polis' campaign given his obvious intelligence, attractive record as a entrepreneur and avid support for educational choice. But we should have foreseen trouble when he pretended last year that he had never backed the state's pilot school voucher program, though he clearly had. When he went to Iraq and started issuing feverish blog posts suggesting that contractors might "have me killed as an 'accident' if I published anything they didn't like," we knew he'd veered into a ditch.And Fitz-Gerald? The former state Senate president is smart and tenacious, and differs only marginally on the issues from her opponents. Yet those differences are significant enough to cause concern.
Not only does Fitz-Gerald support a single-payer universal health care system (as does Polis, unfortunately) that will boost the frequency of rationed care, she is the least friendly to free trade among the candidates - even opposing NAFTA and in an apparently successful bid for union support.
Trade will be a huge challenge for labor-beholden Democrats if their majorities are large. And yet the importance of trade to economic prosperity is one of the few issues on which the vast majority of economists agree. Which brings us to Shafroth. He may be the underdog, but his grass-roots campaign could surprise people; its thoughtfulness has already attracted an impressive list of supporters.
No, we're not deluded. There are many issues on which we part company with the liberal Shafroth, beginning with his belief that conservation and renewables are sufficient to handle future growth in U.S. energy demand. If such views prevail and fossil fuels and nuclear power are pushed off the table, the price of energy and everything related to it could climb to the point that it slowly chokes off economic growth.
But Shafroth's rhetoric on green issues differs little from that of his opponents. What sets him apart is his lack of shrillness on issues generally, his proven ability to work with people across the political spectrum and his realism on critical issues such as health care and trade. Yes, he favors universal medical coverage, for example, but through both government and private insurers.
Shafroth's level-headed approach paid big dividends while he was executive director of Great Outdoors Colorado, where he leveraged lottery money to preserve thousands of acres of scenic land, and then as founder of the Colorado Conservation Trust.
Agree? Would Shafroth be the best choice in the field? Would his as-yet lower name recognition make him harder to elect in the general election?
July 18, 2008
11:22 AM
Jack Woehr writes:
Shafroth has the advantage of Not Being Polis (a nudnick with dollars falling out of his pockets) and of Not Being Joan Fitzgerald, a Democrat pillar of the War on Drugs.
July 18, 2008
11:31 AM
David writes:
Will Shafroth is clearly the best of the three Democrats running. The only negative thing they can say about him is that he has low name ID. Well, the $1.3 million he has raised should be more than enough to get his name ID up among Democrats in the district.
July 21, 2008
1:44 AM
karen writes:
Jared Polis has sent me ten times as much junk mail this season as I've gotten for all the other candidates and issues put together. The guy clearly thinks he's God's gift to the world and especially to the 2nd Congressional District. Having amassed a large personal fortune at a young age has apparently convinced him that he is worthier than either of his opponents who are more experienced and make do with a lot less cash.
The GOP will not have a viable candidate for this race, so the only chance to make a difference is to vote in the upcoming Democratic primary.
Vote Shafroth or vote Fitzgerald!!
Tell Jared Polis that this seat in Congress is not for sale to the wealthiest candidate, or the one with the most junk mail and TV ads.
July 21, 2008
9:07 AM
Tree writes:
I u/s where u r coming from Karen. However I'm a firm believer our democracy has turned into an auction. Otherwise Pharmaceutical giants wouldn't write our health care legislation for profit and Rush Lintball wouldn't be on 3-4 different stations in some markets. Just force it on us.
What the American people don't know is what makes them the American people- Dan Akroyd as the auto parts King in Tommy Boy. Say that in your best deep Chicago accent.
July 23, 2008
2:29 PM
Manny Quintana writes:
I am glad to see someone out there who has a sense of purpose. It seems that this Will is there to do something for the people who he will represent and not do for himself or his ego. I read that he gave up a job in conservation in order to try to further this cause nationally. Pretty good if you ask me!
Polis seems to spend plenty and say little when it comes to what he will do. Fitzgerald it seems will say anything if she feels it will buy a vote. Will seems to have stayed the course all along an not changed to please a small set of voters.
He's got mine.