Z Politics

Turning a red state blue

I am from Colorado. I love Colorado. Yet despite Roy Romer, Patricia Schroeder and Gary Hart Colorado has been a red state for almost  my entire life. 

Only in 1992 did Colorado turn from red to blue for Bill Clinton. In 1996 Bob Dole, who was from neighboring Kansas, turned Colorado back to red. In 2000 I was in college at The University of Colorado at Boulder. A friend of mine said I should vote for Ralph Nader because Al Gore had no chance of winning Colorado. I didn’t believe him so I voted for Al Gore anyway. I believed that if everybody who didn’t think Al Gore had a chance of winning Colorado voted for him he could win Colorado’s eight electoral votes. I was wrong. George W. Bush won Colorado comfortably.

In 2004 I was living in Los Angeles and canvassing for the Democratic National Committee. I swore to my co-workers that John Kerry could win Colorado. I was wrong again. But John Kerry did narrow the gap. Despite George W. bush keeping Colorado red in 2004 the state has been turning purple and even blue over the last six years. Before the election in 2004 the republicans controlled the state legislature, the governor was a republican, both senators were republicans and five of the seven congressional seats were held by republicans.

But today the democrats control the state legislature, the governorship, one senate seat and four out of the seven congressional seats. And after this November there is a possibility the other senate seat and an additional house seat will be held by a democrat. Not to mention the fat that Colorado hosts the Democratic National Convention this August and that Barack Obama has made Colorado the biggest target in his western state strategy.

What accounts for this political turn around? A big part of the credit has to be given to the Colorado Democratic Party. In 2004 when the republicans wiped the floor with the democrats Colorado was the one bright spot for the party. By getting the right candidates and focusing on issues like education and he environment the Colorado Democratic party has helped turn the state around.

But another factor is the fact that Colorado’s Latino population has increased greatly in the last ten years. This swing population has voted mainly with the democrats. A couple of years ago I was visiting a friend din Fort Collins (which is located in Northern Colorado close to the Wyoming border). I looked at the white people in their trucks whose lives involve the weekly bowling league and thought that even though I grew up among people like them I was no longer like them. I thought that it is the Latin population, of which my dad’s side of the family is part of, is what will save Colorado politically.

Another factor (if not the biggest one)is the influx of people from more liberal states (most notably California). They have brought their blue state values to a red state and helped move it forward.

But Colorado’s political progress has not come without a price. The new population has lead to urban sprawl and massive building in mountains. My great grandmother and mother, both life long democrats, bitch about George W. Bush and root for Barack Obama. Yet, they rail against the growth in Colorado. I think they don’t’ realize that the political progress in the state they have called home their entire lives is due to the very growth they don’t like.

You can’t have one without the other. If I had to choose between the read and undeveloped Colorado I grew up in or the blue developing Colorado I visit now. I have to go with the later. Progress comes at a price but it is ultimately worth hit.

So once again I will tell you people that Colorado can go blue this November. And even if I am wrong again there is no denying that the state has become more open and accepting of all people. And that in the end is the best thing about turning this red state blue.