Hickenlooper’s Challenge

John Hickenlooper speaks in Des Moines, Iowa,
Oct. 19, 2018 | Hart Van Denburg/CPR News

As John Hickenlooper begins his presidential race, he’s perceived as a moderate Democrat dealing with a party that has become much more liberal. His replacement in Colorado would have been an inconceivable candidate just eight years ago when Hickenlooper first ran for governor. The change in Colorado politics and its Democratic Party is being reflected nationally.

In a new national Gallup poll, more than half of self-declared Democrats now call themselves liberals, up 16 points in the last ten years and double the number early in Bill Clinton’s presidency. Not surprising, the activist wing of the party is quickly moving left in its proposals for health care for all, beyond the ACA, a green New Deal and aggressive protections for immigrants.

All of this makes Hickenlooper appear out of sync with the party of 2019. But, he may be better positioned than it seems, and the party’s activist wing may be ahead of what many Democrats want. When Democrats were asked by Gallup in December if they prefer the party to be more moderate or liberal, 54 percent said moderate and only 41 percent said more liberal. Hickenlooper will offer an image and rhetoric that clearly is more toward the center-left and not the left edge.

Of course, the country is not as liberal as the Democratic Party. Most people claim in the same Gallup poll to be moderate (35%) or conservative (35%) and only a quarter (26%) of the population identify themselves as liberal.

If the party wants to be competitive, it should stay off the edge.