(Cross-Posted to DemNotes at www.DemNotes.com)
Saturday was a big day in Pueblo, full of some pretty historic decisions in a warm Steelworkers Hall.
Many of you were there, as the Democratic State Executive Committee and Central Committee both met. (By the way, I want to thank the many people who often come up to me at events and give me comments about DemNotes — I haven’t written as much lately, but the many kind words I receive keep me going.)
The Executive Committee was first — and the one item of business on the agenda was to approve the recommendation of the Site Selection Committee that Colorado Springs be chosen as the site of the 2008 State Democratic Convention and Assembly. Along with the rest of the Site Selection Committee members that were there, I led the group on an explanation of the process that led to the decision to support El Paso County’s bid, and then discussed the high points and advantages of the Colorado Springs bid. There were several very intelligent and well-thought questions from the Executive Committee, and some debate about the decision to choose Colorado Springs over Broomfield. In the end, though, the Party overwhelmingly chose to endorse the decision of the Site Selection Committee.
So, as I’ve mentioned before, the delegates that will represent the home-state of Colorado at the Democratic National Convention in Denver in August of next year will be chosen in Colorado Springs.
The Central Committee met next. The big item on the Central Committee’s agenda was to decide whether to move the Colorado Caucus to February 5, the earliest date available, or to leave the caucus in March. I have been working on this issue for over a year now. As many of you may recall, Colorado bid on the DNC’s opening of adding an early caucus state between Iowa and New Hampshire. While Colorado didn’t get selected (Nevada was chosen instead), we didn’t stop there. Since then, we’ve been working with other states in the interior West to ensure that Presidential candidates have to come out west and address issues important to the west and our electorate.
Colorado was the last piece in that puzzle. We worked hard with the Legislature to pass a bill that would move Colorado’s caucus to February 5. In the end, the Legislature gave the choice to move to February 5 to the State Parties’ Central Committees. That’s where Saturday came in. While there wasn’t much debate, it was not a unanimous issue. The voice vote was clearly in favor of moving to February 5, but the opponents of the move — for some valid reasons — were vocal in their opposition. As I mentioned, the vote carried, and we will now be holding our caucuses on February 5.
I think this is a good thing. Presidential candidates have made it clear that until Feb. 5, they are focused only on those states going on February 5 or earlier. Indeed, I received an e-mail just this morning from a fellow vice-chair in a state going just a few days after February 5 who complained that the Presidential campaigns have been clear to her that they will not bother with her state because it is after February 5.
Some have made the argument that the front-loading on February 5 raises the possibility that there will be a longer, not a shorter, race, and that the few remaining states in March and April will see intense competition. While this may be true, it really works out well for Colorado, considering the process we use. In Colorado, you aren’t bound to the delegate preference you chose at the caucus or the county assembly. So smart, well-organized candidates will recognize this and continue to compete for votes beyond February 5 in Colorado. The County Conventions will become critical to the Presidential campaigns, as will the CD and State Convention. Campaigns will have to keep an organizational presence in Colorado through May 17 if they want to compete for delegates. It truly is the best of both worlds.
Finally, I want to make a note of something that frustrated me when I read the coverage of our decision. Initially, we worked with the Legislature to just have them move the date themselves to February 5. However, many were concerned that we include both party organizations in this decision. We were told that the State GOP Chair, Dick Wadhams, opposed the move. That’s why a compromise was passed that would allow both parties to make their own decisions. Why is this important? Because here’s what Dick Wadhams said about the GOP’s decision process on this same issue just yesterday:
State Republicans will vote on whether to move their caucuses to Feb. 5 via mail-in ballots distributed to the party’s central committee as early as this week, said state party chairman Dick Wadhams.
Although some Republicans oppose the move, Wadhams said, his conversations with committee members so far have leaned toward the earlier date.
“I think this is an opportunity to renew interest in the precinct caucus, if people knew they could essentially cast a vote for who should be the Republican nominee for president,” Wadhams said. “It would increase some traffic here by Republican candidates, but I personally favor moving it to the 5th because it will give us some leverage in the process.”
Wow. Nothing has changed in the Colorado Republican Party. The ghosts of “Both Ways Bob” and Mitt Romney continue to be prominent — Dick Wadhams opposed the change before he supported it. Par for the course.
Finally, after the meetings, there was both ThinkPrecinct Training and County Party Treasurer training before many folks headed over to the Pueblo Greenway and Nature Center for a wonderful picnic sponsored by Pueblo County Dems. It was a very relaxing way to end the day of activities, and not nearly as hot there as it had been in previous years.
