Can somebody please explain Colorado politics to me.

[joeprogressive]

I just returned from Fort Collins and it seemed like a liberal oasis. I didn't meet anyone that appeared or acted conservative. Maybe it was because I was in town at a sustainable living festival and not in the cookie cutter south portion of town. The county went for Bush and only 46% voted dem. The only thing I can think of is the repubs in the suburbs around Ft. Collins simply outnumber the dems. However, Larimer County just appeared like a smaller version of Boulder County, which is overwhelmingly Dem.

It seems like Colorado is very environmentally minded; much like the bay area. This state would seem ripe for some gains in 2006 and a flip in 2006 for presidential voting. What are the prospects for this and a Paccione win in the 4th?

[CanonRay]

1. It's schizophrenic...

It can be very liberal or very conservative. ALL the towns east and southeast of Ft. Collins are rabidly Republican. Our current hope is that the eastern plains are changing...Ritter has a 22 point lead over the Repug on the eastern plains, but only 17 percent statewide, despite the party affiliation. The top of the GOP ticket is very weak. That's one reason Paccione has caught Musgrave. You were in a Berkely like pocket. We need to get the CSU students out in force.

We'll probably pick up one CD for sure (7th) which would give us four, and have a good shot in one other and and outside chance in a third. Wouldn't that be something. Go to www.coloradopols.com for good info.

[Cha]

2. Thanks for that analysis of Colorado.

I was born and raised there but it was waaay before I was into politics. I even went to high school on the "eastern plains" and yeah I can see why it would have been republican but now all they are are republiCONs. I think my republican grandmother would have hated the way bush is so nasty and mean and wouldn't tell the truth to save his soul. She had a way of seeing right through people who were bullshitters.

[joeprogressive]

5. Yes, as said earlier, excellent analysis

I think there is an additional factor in play that I have seen in Texas. People live there that are 3/4 progressive but have money. They want to enjoy the progressive lifestyle but they also want their tax cut. In the end they end up voting against their best interests b/c the dems do such a better job with the economy which in turn yields way more in 401k profits than their tax cut ever would give them.

I think I will try to see what I can do from afar to get CSU students involved. If I am going to live there one day, I want to be represented by a Dem. Any ideas?

[Greyhound]

6. They are also known as "raygun democrats", and the suburbs

are packed full of them.

Historically, the whole state has been very reich-wing except for the City/County of Denver and the Boulder area. (5th generation Coloradoan)

[GOPS Worst Fear]

3. Sorry I can't explain My State politcs either(Arizona)

They are insane. The land of Goldwater has gone bezerk with the neocons.

[lonehalf]

4. I've been a dues paying member of the Democratic Party....

...in Georgia for all of my adult life.

And I can't understand Georgia politics, much less any other state.

We have a Democrat Secretary of state. She made a Deal with Diebold that let the Republicans steal the 2004 election.

That's according to our party.

Here's a link: http://www.engadget.com/2006/09/24/rolling-stone-interviews-a-diebold-whistleblower/

She also championed the voting machines to the Georgia Legislators. And yet our party blames the Republicans for the voting machines.

When I worked the polls in the last primary I was called a liar (multiple times)when I pointed this out to the people who complained about the machines and in some cases the entire process.

I keep telling the leaders of our party in Georgia (actually my county) that they only hurt themselves by abandoning Georgia to the Republicans.

Which they have done. It's my opinion that the Republicans haven't stolen anything in Georgia - It's been handed to them on a silver platter.


By the way - the latest polls show us probably retaining the two Georgia House districts that had earlier had been seen as a Possible Republican win. But, it's still early.

[stranger81]

7. Fort Collins isn't the liberal oasis it seems

when you're in the University district or downtown. Many of my relatives live there, and all attend a fundamentalist "health & wealth" gospel megachurch in Ft. Collins with about 2000+ members (that's a lot for Ft. Collins, when you subtract out the transient student population). Colorado Springs, of course, is as red as it gets (Focus on the Family is there, lots of military, etc). East of Colorado Springs, west of Denver, and the southern part of the state is largely libertarian with a few green-types mixed in here and there. Denver is mixed, but largely red (esp. in the suburbs, where defense contractors are thick and heavy).

Like the first poster said -- schizophrenic.