Hickenlooper is Getting Stronger

Opinion leaders are beginning to repeat the view that Governor John Hickenlooper is likely to win re-election. Expectations among opinion leaders cause general public opinion to be attracted to the position, and even Republican business leaders who felt Hickenlooper’s performance in 2013 was poor, are beginning to rationalize what appears to them as inevitable. The comments one hears about his re-election: “it’s okay,” or some variation on the theme “he’s not that bad,” “it could be worse,” he turned it around” or “I always liked him.”

Hickenlooper has had a run of good news: 

• Tom Tancredo making the primary ballot means commentary will continue to focus on the anti-immigration Tea Party divide in the Republican Party.
• The latest round of state polls has the Governor six to ten points ahead of the various potential members of the Republican field, including the frontrunner Secretary of State Scott Gessler and new candidate, Bob Beauprez.
• It’s possible the Governor will escape the legislative session with minimal controversy.
• There’s been a spate of good economic news, giving the state the enviable position of being ahead of most states on job growth.
• Democrats in D.C, especially the President, haven’t done anything during the last month to hurt the brand, which tends to trickle down on local candidates.
• Finally, the fracking debate that could be divisive for rank and file Democrats has caused the party’s leadership to rally to the cause of gas and oil development (albeit highly regulated), which attaches them to the Governor.

Things, of course, can change. Governor Brown in California is in better re-election position than Hickenlooper, but the Governor and his team must be in a good mood today.