Colorado Governor's Race: Dem 42%, Tancredo 38%, GOP 12%

[roo_ster]

http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/250380/whos-spoiler-now-mark-krikorian
http://coloradoindependent.com/64476/tancredo-celebrates-rising-poll-numbers-mocks-gop
http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/elections/election_2010/election_2010_governor_elections/colorado/election_2010_colorado_governor
http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/general_state_surveys/colorado/60_in_colorado_say_policies_of_federal_government_encourage_people_to_enter_the_united_states_illegally

Tom Tancredo is running as the Constitution Party candidate for governor in Colorado.

The latest Rassmussen poll puts Tancredo in the margin of error of the Democrat candidate.  The Republican candidate is at 12%.

Mark Krikorian, in the first link, makes the point, "Who's the spoiler now?" with regard to the race.  At first, the GOP called Tancredo the spoiler, but it is their guy who is drawing support away from Tancredo.

Another point: if the GOP candidate gets less than 10% on election day, the GOP will be relegated to minor party status in Colorado.  That brings the usual raft of obstacles the two-party system has imposed on third parties since after the Civil War. 

It makes one wonder if a conservative-ish third party upsets the GOP in a few places, the GOP may have a hard time coming back due to the two-party-system-favoring legislation is helped put in place.

One reason given for Tancredo's success is that Democrats don't like the Dem candidate's record on illegal immigration.  See, he was mayor of Denver and he imposed or allowed to exist, the "sancuary city" policy WRT illegals.  So, many Dems are switching their vote to Tancredo. 

[AZRedhawk44]

Is the GOP candidate a McCain-esque wanker that believes in "Comprehensive Immigration Reform" and "reaching across the aisle" to "his friends?"

[roo_ster]

Is the GOP candidate a McCain-esque wanker that believes in "Comprehensive Immigration Reform" and "reaching across the aisle" to "his friends?"

Looking at Maes candidate web site
http://www.danmaes.com/the-issues/#immigration

Early in my campaign, before any other candidate had entered the race, I did not see illegal immigration as a top issue. As I travelled Colorado it became obvious to me that the issue was very important to many. It lead me to consult many in the immigration area to develop a policy more in line with the current wishes of Colorado voters. This is what a statesman should do. With the recent events in Arizona the issue has become one of the top issues on peoples’ minds.

Sounds like he might have pulled a "Full McCain" and flipped from squish to hawk to win this year.

Oh, I bet Michael Medved is nursing some butthurt, as he HATES Tancredo.

[taurusowner]

Hm.  I'm having a hard time seeing anything but the fact that the Dems are about to win because of a split vote.

[grampster]

The fact remains that the people of Colorado could go to the polls and elect the particular candidate they want, regardless of party affiliation.

[taurusowner]

The fact remains that the people of Colorado could go to the polls and elect vote for the particular candidate they want, regardless of party affiliation.

Who gets elected has as much to do with who you don't vote for as much as who you do.

[Sergeant Bob]

Hm.  I'm having a hard time seeing anything but the fact that the Dems are about to win because of a split vote.

Are you advocating a "win no matter how lousy the GOP candidate is" strategy?

[MicroBalrog]

Are you advocating a "win no matter how lousy the GOP candidate is" strategy?

Sure. It's worked fine in the last sixty or so years, why would anybody want to replace it?

[taurusowner]

Are you advocating a "win no matter how lousy the GOP candidate is" strategy?

I'm not advocating anything.  I am saying that trying to hoist up a physical loss as some sort of metaphysical win is nothing but bar-room consolation.  It's what losers tell themselves to make themselves feel better about being losers.  If the Democrats win, the Democrats win.  That really is the only real fact of consequence.

To quote Sean Connery in "The Rock", "Losers always whine about their best. Winners go home and #### the prom queen"

[Scout26]

Tell the Prom queen she might have to pucker up for Tancredo....

[Perd Hapley]

I'm not advocating anything.  I am saying that trying to hoist up a physical loss as some sort of metaphysical win is nothing but bar-room consolation.  It's what losers tell themselves to make themselves feel better about being losers.  If the Democrats win, the Democrats win.  That really is the only real fact of consequence.

No. Heck no. You're missing the forest for a very unpleasant tree. A "far-right" "third party" candidate polling three times higher than a Republican? And in a purple state? This is huge. Massive.

The probable Dem. victory is just a temporary setback. In all likelihood, the Colorado GOP will learn their lesson, and take measures to reclaim their base for the next few elections. 

[taurusowner]

The probable Dem. victory is just a temporary setback.

I heard that line about Obama too.  And no we have things like the nationalization of banks and socialist health care that will take decades to repeal, if ever.

You think that the Tea Party revolution or other variations of conservative resurgence we're seeing now are going to matter?  You think the GOP winning back Congress the November means anything?  Wake up.  We lost.  National health care will never be repealed.  The industries and businesses Obama took control over will never be wholly private again.  There is no going back.  The step America took when we allowed Obama to be elected is down a path we will never, ever come back from.  And any time someone says it's only temporary, they are only trying to make themselves feel better about the eventual defeat.  There is no going back.  We're done.

I've said it before and I'll say it again.  There may be some variation of what we consider the United States in the future where things like personal responsibility, frugality, and individual rights are considered important.  But between now and then is burning cars in every street in every city in the country.

[MicroBalrog]

National health care will never be repealed

That's what the left wants you to believe:

That their expansions of the state are forever.

Giant expansions of state involvement in health care and other industries have been passed by politicians before, and then repealed, just recently in American history.

But it isn't true.

The railways were nationalized, and later privatized again.

The Assault Weapons Ban came, and then it died.

The trucking industry and airlines were deregulated.

Prohibition came, and it died.

Massive expansions of state involvement in health care were passed, and then repealed.

All of these were massive projects for Progressives, and then they were defeated and destroyed. Sometimes political exigency forced the Progressives to wield the knife themselves.

[Perd Hapley]

I heard that line about Obama too.  And no we have things like the nationalization of banks and socialist health care that will take decades to repeal, if ever.

You think that the Tea Party revolution or other variations of conservative resurgence we're seeing now are going to matter?  You think the GOP winning back Congress the November means anything?  Wake up.  We lost.  National health care will never be repealed.  The industries and businesses Obama took control over will never be wholly private again.  There is no going back.  The step America took when we allowed Obama to be elected is down a path we will never, ever come back from.  And any time someone says it's only temporary, they are only trying to make themselves feel better about the eventual defeat.  There is no going back.  We're done.

I've said it before and I'll say it again.  There may be some variation of what we consider the United States in the future where things like personal responsibility, frugality, and individual rights are considered important.  But between now and then is burning cars in every street in every city in the country.

I have had thoughts like that for years now, but if we really believed that, neither of us would care who wins in Colorado. It only matters if there is some small hope that we will come back from the brink. And it will take something huge, like the Republicans becoming a third party, for that to happen. Well, the Republicans in Colorado are becoming a third party. That's the big story here. A Democrat governor? They come and go.

But if the graph on the below link is accurate, the Dem's numbers are flat, while Tancredo is surging, and the Republican's numbers are diving. Tancredo may win.
http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/10/rasmussen-poll-hickenlooper-leading-tancredo-by-4-points-in-co-gov.php

[MicroBalrog]

4 points is the size of that poll's margin of error.

[Headless Thompson Gunner]

Hm.  I'm having a hard time seeing anything but the fact that the Dems are about to win because of a split vote.

Ayup.

This looks like a case study in why we use parties in American politics. 

[Perd Hapley]

Yeah, two parties. There's a reason why the guy with 12% is called a spoiler.

[grampster]

The biggest indicator that .fedgov is in the beginning throws of being jerked back into Federalism is the proposition in Ca. to decriminalize/legalize weed.  This is California, campers, the Socialist State defying the Commissars.  Arizona's immigration deal.  Several state legislators are working on how to repeal the 14th A to delete the anchor baby provision.  Several state AG's opposing Obamanation health care.  The grass toots Tea Party movement.  (It is not anything like it's being portrayed by the media, the ruling class and various other statists)

It probably won't happen fast, but most of us watched the Soviet Empire collapse almost overnight.  I still haven't gotten over the wonder of that empire actually going down, to say nothing about the speed of it.

I think America is rising.  Probably won't be easy.  Probably will not be without some pain and maybe even some violence from those who have unproductively sucked at the teat for the last 50 years.  Five generations of welfare people won't go to work without some sort of kerfluffle.  But it won't be as bad as some say.  Some national projects might need to happen to put folks to productive, valuable work.  A national program to build a high speed elevated rail system using the interstate rights of way comes to mind.  Private companies funded with investment dollars from pension funds that are losing or laying idle could be put into stable transportation bonds at a reasonable return backed by tax dollars.  The power grid would need to be updated as a result which would be a twofold blessing.

In otherwords some foreward thinking that catches the imagination of Americans.  We are waiting for that imagination to begin to be verbalized.  The future is bright with possibiliy.

[TommyGunn]

I heard that line about Obama too.  And no we have things like the nationalization of banks and socialist health care that will take decades to repeal, if ever.

You think that the Tea Party revolution or other variations of conservative resurgence we're seeing now are going to matter?  You think the GOP winning back Congress the November means anything?  Wake up.  We lost.  National health care will never be repealed.  The industries and businesses Obama took control over will never be wholly private again.  There is no going back.  The step America took when we allowed Obama to be elected is down a path we will never, ever come back from.  And any time someone says it's only temporary, they are only trying to make themselves feel better about the eventual defeat.  There is no going back.  We're done.

I've said it before and I'll say it again.  There may be some variation of what we consider the United States in the future where things like personal responsibility, frugality, and individual rights are considered important.  But between now and then is burning cars in every street in every city in the country.

Good grief.

While I admit repealing health care would be a tough, tough job, it's not impossible.

......

Or ... I suppose we could just wat until the entire system collapses and then rebuild from scratch. 

After we banish all the democrats/liberals/progressives to Novaya Zemlya. 

[roo_ster]

Ayup.

This looks like a case study in why we use parties in American politics. 

Clue:
Tancredo is a party's candidate.  Just not the Whig's GOP's.


If the Republican had any conservative convictions, he'd withdraw and endorse Tancredo.  The Republican candidate is the spoiler.

The GOP mucky-mucks best get their collective heads out of their 4th point of contact and run out in front of the bandwagon...or get smooshed by it.

[mtnbkr]

The only parties that matter are the Dems and Repubs.  All else is a distraction.

Chris

[MechAg94]

4 points is the size of that poll's margin of error.

I was also curious if the polls are doing any fudging to account or discount voter turnout.  I thought I had heard that it looked like Tea Party supporters and Republicans were looking to turn out in big numbers this election, but Democrats may not.  I am curious how these polls see that and account for it.

[roo_ster]

Whoooee, baby! 

Getting more interesting:
http://dailycaller.com/2010/10/22/hickenlooper-backwards-thinking-in-western-rural-areas/

Teh Dem candidate had a "bitter, clinger" moment a while back on a radio program geared toward homosexuals.

"When asked by the radio host Eden Lane why the Matthew Shepard Foundation had chosen to locate in Denver, Hickenlooper responded:

    Hickenlooper: I think a couple things, I mean, you know, the tragic death of Matthew Shepard occurred in Wyoming. Colorado and Wyoming are very similar. We have some of the same, you know, backwards thinking in the kind of rural Western areas you see in, you know, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico."

Oh, yeah, that's gonna help.

[Sindawe]

Oh, yeah, that's gonna help.

Well that shure do impress this here backward thinkin sub-urban Westerner in Colorodo.  I needs Hickenlooper's sort of smarts to tell me how to think and live my benighted existance.   

[TommyGunn]

Ooooops.  Unintentional post.