Bruni Sees Colorado as a Bigger Swing State Than Ohio and More Experimental Than California – Old News

Frank Bruni in the New York Times describes Colorado as more of a swing state than Ohio in spite of a couple of big Barack Obama wins and politically easier to promote lifestyle changes, like drugs, than California. That’s mostly correct and mostly old news.

KOA Radio, one of the state’s under-appreciated news outlets, produced on August 19 a piece on Bruni’s views. A few thoughts:

Competition and Experimentation

1. Colorado is closely balanced in its partisanship and ideology. While it likes moderation, it swings right and left with persuasive candidates and shifting issues. In 2010, Colorado was a Tea Party state, now it’s less so.
2. Colorado is very independent. It’s likely to give a new idea a forum and sometimes a platform. Ross Perot was welcomed in the 1990s as was tax limitations and anti-gay initiatives, but in the 2000s, gay rights recovered and medical and recreational marijuana were popular.
3. Colorado’s western outlook is often anti-establishment. Libertarianism is a popular theme, if only a minor party. The state likes term limits (second to adopt), tax limits (nation’s most severe) and lobbyist spending limits (most picayune).
4. The state has a few powerful media outlets and a very engaged civic community. When things appear completely out-of-kilter, they tend to react. Anti-growth and anti-energy development initiatives have been resisted as have anti-government financing initiatives, all of which have passionate, if narrow, constituencies and a very friendly initiative process.

In light of this swing state phenomenon, Colorado could decide the U.S. Senate control with Gardner vs. Udall race. But, the state could provide the seawall to any anti-Washington wave coming out of D.C. as it did in 2010.

What a great state if you like to watch American politics!