Thursday, September 12, 2013
Colorado Voters Deal Blow to Gun Control with Stunning Recall of 2 Democrats
A Rocky Mountain earthquake in the form of Tuesday’s successful recall drives targeting two prominent Democrats who advocate gun control has shifted the state and national political landscape going into the 2014 elections.
The shocking defeat Tuesday night of two state lawmakers in Colorado’s first-ever legislative recall election despite a 7-1 spending advantage by gun control proponents represented a double blow for Democrats. It could hobble the party’s political dominance in the state and reshape the political debate over gun laws nationally in the 2014 midterm elections.
Senate President John Morse and state Sen. Angela Giron lost their seats despite massive outside help from gun control forces, led by New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg. Gun rights advocates seized on another win after the U.S. Senate rejected a package of gun control measures pushed by President Obama in the months after the December shootings at an elementary school in Newtown, Conn.
“This clearly affects the national gun debate in that this alternate strategy of Mayor Bloomberg to take this fight to the states instead of Washington has obviously taken a hit,” said Denver pollster Floyd Ciruli.
“The recall is now a new tool for passionate believers in the Second Amendment.”
Nowhere was that more evident than in the Giron recall in heavily Democratic Pueblo. Ms. Giron lost by a whopping 56 percent to 44 percent.
“I was dumbfounded by the results of the recall out of Senate District 3,” said Republican strategist Dick Wadhams, who was not involved the recall. “I underestimated the power of conservative Democrats to basically turn on a Democratic incumbent.”
Well, I suppose the people have spoken. I was always a bit surprised at Colorado taking such a prominent position in the gun control movement. I had always seen it as sort-of a western Mississippi. I guess I was right.
I do question that "7-1 spending advantage by gun control proponents," as well as the idea that “This clearly affects the national gun debate." This is the Washington Times talking after all.
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"We did a poll last weekend in Colorado Senate District 3 and found that voters intended to recall Angela Giron by a 12 point margin, 54/42. In a district that Barack Obama won by almost 20 points I figured there was no way that could be right and made a rare decision not to release the poll. It turns out we should have had more faith in our numbers becaue she was indeed recalled by 12 points."
ReplyDeletehttp://www.publicpolicypolling.com/main/2013/09/reflecting-on-the-colorado-recalls.html
I found this statement from a liberal polling group to be interesting. Everyone was so confident that they didnt believe their own data.
They also made this comment that could be a concern for Democrats in the state;
"John Hickenlooper won the district overwhelmingly in 2010 but is only tied at 42 with Tom Tancredo in a hypothetical match up there, so it's something Democrats will have to figure out how to deal with before next year."
"I do question that "7-1 spending advantage by gun control proponents,"
ReplyDeleteProponents of the recall have raised about $540,000, while opponents have collected nearly $3 million. Much of the cash has come from out of state — a sign of the national significance these recalls have.
http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_24046748/outside-money-shows-national-interest-colorado-recall-elections
Rumor has it now that Colorado is lining up for five more recall challenges. There are also recalls lining up in seven more states. The reason that the nation was watching Colorado on this was because it was kinda of a test bed for success. Now the cat is out of the bag and may be hard to catch. In the end it was the democrats that tossed those two out. They out numbered the republicans at the recall elections.
ReplyDeleteI hope Bloomberg realizes that his money wont buy everything, or he may go broke trying.
I love all of your spin on this. It's not THAT bad. Well, these were the most vulnerable. Colorado isn't really committed to gun control anyway, and it was a fluke we won in the first place. Etc.
ReplyDeleteAnd, of course, my favorite: Colorado is a sort of western Mississippi--Mikeb code for everyone there is mentally deficient, lesser evolved sub-humans.
Of course, your posts from the past 8 months still stand as a testament to your confidence you would win in Colorado, your compliments of their wisdom and courage, your statements that the people would rise up and vote for the Democrats because the people supported these laws by huge margins!
The message is loud and clear. You have a handful of slave states. We have the rest of the country.
ReplyDelete