- Why so much turnover in mayor's office?
- Hearing on the Ruby Hill towers
- Let freedom ring
- Promoting socialized medicine
- Immigration Laws or Lack Thereof
- Atheist Diversionary Tactics
- The "Melting Pot" is unique to America
- Many mighty hearts covering the world
- Roan Drilling Bad for Colorado, country
- Americans entitled to universal health care
Republicans in Jefferson County
This Speakout has not been edited
By Ron Rizzo, Littleton
Until 2004 Jefferson County Republicans have been immune from historical Democratic waves since 1952. In the 2006 election, Jefferson County lost one Congressman, a Commissioner, and several traditionally Republican Statehouse seats. It’s the worst loss since the 1930s, when ex-prize fighter, Democrat Eddie Bohn was elected president of the State Senate. Ironically, Eddie Bohn and Joan Fitz-Gerald have in common only one thing, the “D” next to their names.
The 2006 result is perverse given the GOP-delivered economy. Higher taxes, union coercion and speech intolerance are on the short horizon.
There are many excuses for the losses, no valid reasons, least of all the sudden influx of new Democrats stacked in new apartments in South Jeffco, where Republicans oddly won. Democratic voting exceeded Republican by a few thousand as reflected in the county-wide Commissioner race. A Berkeley-style, 1960s liberal beat a level headed engineer. Republicans are now the minority party in Jefferson County not for the first time in history, but for the first time in anyone’s memory.
The Party’s success in the face of contrary national trends stems from two decades of a tireless outreach, the 1950s and 1960s. The County Republican Party could have been renamed the Participation Party under historic Republican State Sen. Ruth Stockton, whose mantra was “get involved.” County Republicans withstood the Goldwater massacre of 1964. Hard work and fearless persuading, a willingness to sell anyone, kept Republicans in power in Jeffco for 54 years.
Some registered Republicans have never been contacted by their committee person, but have been contacted by Democratic candidates, swaying too many, making a difference in a close race. Who paid but an affable, logical, problem-solver, a Commissioner selected by his peers, who was replaced by a nervous, leftist firebrand? Never has this county and an elected official been so miss-matched.
There’s a simple axiom in politics, a lack of desire to work, produces compromise in proportion to the level of difficulty perceived.
In response, rather than compromising to liberalism, the Central Committee is rolling up its sleeves, evoking the courage of Ruth Stockton. In the 1950s and 1960s, Stockton would knock on every door in her district offering her services at the Statehouse. In her captivating calm tone, her message was simple: lower taxes, smaller government, expanded opportunity, peace through strength and preserving Constitutional freedoms for all Americans. That message has never changed. It was also a message Eddie Bohn would have appreciated.
Republicans state-wide need to study inch by inch Mike Kopp’s three victories to win one seat, with intelligent care not to improperly analyze the feat. Republicans win when they run as Republicans and work harder than the opposition. It’s a simple formula that works.
(Who votes for a tax and spend Republican?) The opportunity for Gen X’ers, such as Mike Kopp, a generation brought up by Ronald Reagan, is unprecedented, as will be the work required of committeemen and women. And it begins now for 2008.
While the Central Committe is rolling up its sleeves (not quite like the good ol days, since aspiring politicians today don't believe in door-to-door walking when they can spam voters with endless, unwanted, automated voice messages!) why not study this?
To heck with partisan back biting and start talking about ISSUES and VALUES. Seems like it would hold promise since the large body of undecided moderates in the middle in Colorado aren't blinded by your or democrat's nostalgia.
Neither "Party" can, without equivocation, claim a keen interest in serving the working class who incidentally comprise the largest group of potential voters. But nearly all are seduced by the party leaders for fear of not getting them campaign funds to maintain their position.
TERM LIMITS will purportedly dummy up the fine tuned political machinery by injecting newbie politicians with no developed expertise. . I ask, how can it get any more hosed up by either party?
Newt in 08!