John Hickenlooper changes the race for Colorado Governor
January 12, 2010 by Jim Pfaff · 2 Comments
Podcast: Play in new window
John Hickenlooper, Denver Mayor, brings a much different dynamic to the Colorado Governor race in 2010. Opponent Scott McInnis had a much easier route to Denver when Bill Ritter was his opponent. Riddled with negatives in the business and labor communities (who else could have accomplished that!?), Ritter was fading fast. And ultimately personal troubles, which have not been discussed fully since his announced departure from the race, would have been devastating.
Click the link above to listen to my podcast commentary on the issue.
John Hickenlooper, starts with an advantage. He is Mayor of the largest city in the state regularly appearing in media in the largest media market in the state covering between one half and two thirds of the voters in the state. Scott McInnis, though a former congressman, is not as well known.
Advantage McInnis; Hickenlooper will have a hard time distancing himself from another politician not very well liked in Colorado. President Barack Obama.
It will be an interesting race to be sure.
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I'm no fan of Hick's policies, but I think he's much more likeable than McInnis. Scott is not a real likeable guy, and he did terribly on Caplis and Silverman's radio show last May. They threw him softball questions, and he went ballistic.
McInnis' views are the same as George W. Bush – even as unpopular as Obama is, I think Hick's likeability factor will overcome Democratic baggage from Washington. McInnis may be the only Republican who will lose a statewide race in 2010.