One of the patterns I’ve noticed in Colorado politics is that Democratic incumbents who are challenged tend to hide rather than campaign. Examples:
Rep Diana DeGette (CO-1) won’t debate Melat Kiros and she won’t attend the Democratic candidate forum in Denver.
Sen John Hickenlooper won’t debate Senadora Julie Gonzales, attend forums, or even try to get on the ballot at the party caucus (he used petition gatherers instead).
Secretary of State Jena Griswold, who’s term limited and is now running for Attorney General, didn’t attend the debate with the three others running in the primary. (Not 100% on pattern, but close.)
This behavior really pisses me off. You see it in other primaries in other states, and it’s one sign of the ill health of the party. The typical political consultant advice is to ignore your opponent if you’re the “frontrunner,” but that’s outdated advice in an era where Democrats need strong, authentic office holders. I also think it’s an easy excuse that masks a mixture of arrogance and incompetence. The arrogance is obvious. The incompetence is their inability to speak extemporaneously and defend their record.
I’m not saying that you should debate a nut who somehow got enough signatures to get on the ballot, nor am I saying that a Democrat must debate a no-hoper Republican candidate in the general. But give me — the voter trying to decide if you’re still up to the job — the respect and common courtesy of taking your serious primary challengers seriously.
How can we trust politicians who can’t defend themselves to defend us? How can we expect politicians who can’t open their mouths in their campaigns to attack Republicans? The simple answer is that we can’t. This behavior is disqualifying, and I’m not voting for any of those three in the primary.
