Thursday December 02, 2004
As I type this, Hugh is interviewing Colorado Gov. Bill Owens. I’ll paraphrase the conversation.
Hugh: What about the state political disaster for Republicans?
Owens: “Even though we won the popular vote, we lost the majority…” A lot of kudos to the Dems for successfully targeting key races and taking advantage of campaign finance laws. Plus the Dems’ wealthy contributors.
Comment & question: The “popular vote” angle is clearly the best spin he can give the statehouse disaster. And okay, the Dems had their “Axis of Ego” – Stryker, Polis, Bridges, Gill – so where were the wealthy Republicans?
Hugh: Your successor as governor?
Owens: Lt. Gov. Jane Norton gets a lot of discussion, her credentials listed; Treasurer Mike Coffman as another possible Republican candidate. Rep. Mark Udall mentioned for Dems. “He’s very, very liberal.”
Not that it will matter for much come 2006, but the governor sounds like he wants Jane Norton to fill his shoes. But Coffman has broader support and has to be considered the front-runner for the nomination – unless Owens skips town and makes Norton an incumbent.
Owens also did his usual Republican cheerleading for Bush’s new Cabinet appointments. Yet the Colorado Governor’s political future is murkier than ever.