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How to turn a state liberal
Colorado's progressive miracle is a road map to a much brighter America. Here are 9 steps behind the transformation
. . .
9. A decimated and demoralized Republican Party
If all of the Colorado Miracle’s progressive change was happening and it appeared to seriously imperil the power of progressive organizations and the Democratic Party, the story might be a bit different. It might be the tale of liberals merely trying to seize a fleeting moment. But one of the most encouraging parts of the Colorado Miracle is the fact that as it has unfolded, the Republican Party’s political prospects have been decimated.
Today, Democrats control the Legislature, the governor’s office, two U.S. Senate seats and three of the state’s seven congressional districts (with one more possibly on the way as Democrats mount a strong fight against embattled Republican Rep. Mike Coffman). As important, the Colorado GOP is in utter disarray to the point where it doesn’t appear to have a serious candidate for any of the state’s major offices.
But don’t believe my political analysis; believe Dean Singleton, the Denver Post publisher and longtime Republican power broker in Colorado. Here’s an excerpt of what he had to say in a recent radio appearance:
In light of those words, Americans should be looking at what’s happening here to know what could soon be happening all over the country. If “as Colorado goes, so goes the nation,” then this square state is a glimpse into America’s potentially much brighter political future.
. . .
9. A decimated and demoralized Republican Party
If all of the Colorado Miracle’s progressive change was happening and it appeared to seriously imperil the power of progressive organizations and the Democratic Party, the story might be a bit different. It might be the tale of liberals merely trying to seize a fleeting moment. But one of the most encouraging parts of the Colorado Miracle is the fact that as it has unfolded, the Republican Party’s political prospects have been decimated.
Today, Democrats control the Legislature, the governor’s office, two U.S. Senate seats and three of the state’s seven congressional districts (with one more possibly on the way as Democrats mount a strong fight against embattled Republican Rep. Mike Coffman). As important, the Colorado GOP is in utter disarray to the point where it doesn’t appear to have a serious candidate for any of the state’s major offices.
But don’t believe my political analysis; believe Dean Singleton, the Denver Post publisher and longtime Republican power broker in Colorado. Here’s an excerpt of what he had to say in a recent radio appearance:
I think (the GOP) is dead in Colorado … It really doesn’t matter whom the Republicans put up. Republicans, in my view, won’t win another presidency in our lifetime … Republicans have (three) elected state-wide office holders, the Treasurer and the Attorney General (and Secretary of State). The Attorney General is not running for re-election, so that will go Democratic … The party has shifted so far right that that’s the kind candidates they pick. And they pick candidates that aren’t in the mainstream … I think Colorado is probably a Democratic state from now on. It is a Democratic state today, and I don’t think it’s going back.
In light of those words, Americans should be looking at what’s happening here to know what could soon be happening all over the country. If “as Colorado goes, so goes the nation,” then this square state is a glimpse into America’s potentially much brighter political future.
MORE...
http://www.salon.com/2013/03/20/how_to_turn_your_state_liberal/