It became all the more clear to me during my first time as a delegate for the Colorado State Assembly in support of Andrew Romanoff.
Here in Colorado, we Democrats have a unique opportunity as we elect a Senator for the next term. It's not a question of voting for the Democrat that's simply there because –– shudder –– the republican alternative is SO bad. We actually have a choice between two Democrats that both have their own significant version of power. Michael Bennet, the senator appointed to the job by Governor Bill Ritter, endorsed by President Barack Obama, and with a campaign war chest in the millions.
And then there's Andrew Romanoff. This guy was the star of the Colorado legislature for 8 years. He lead the Colorado House to it's first Democratic majority in 40 years, but he also was known for working across the aisle, passing Referendum C, and also getting the largest amount of funding for the repair of Colorado's crumbling schools enacted.
But those are just the credentials you see on his website, and there are more. But the most important thing that told me the guy GETS it, is that he is not taking corporate money for this campaign. I'll say that again: He is not taking corporate money for his campaign. Is his war chest in the millions? Hell, no. Are his volunteers, the ones you see sitting at tables at events or working the crowd, paid volunteers? Nope. Will you see a barrage of TV ads with Romanoff's mug at every commercial break? Probably not, it costs too much. But if he gets elected, he'll be doing his job because he'll remember why we sent him there. Not trying to adhere to a corporate promise.
Personally, whenever I run into someone who doesn't know a thing about Romanoff, I just say, go find him. Listen to him. And if you have a question, any question, ask him, he'll be honest.
You'll find him because he's everywhere, a tireless campaigner and he's accessible. The story I like to tell is that he drove through a snowstorm to honor a committment to speak to a group in our town. I'm not sure he sleeps and doesn't appear to eat much, so I'm guessing this race is his life. I know his Dad was a Republican and his Mom was a liberal social worker. And yeah, you can meet her too, she's usually at his events. When he was young, she would come home and tell her son stories about the mentally ill with no place to live, living in the streets and in their cars.
And whenever there is a documentary about civil rights and the KKK on TV, do you notice how Morris Dees from Southern Poverty Law Center is always speaking as an authority on the subject? Well, Andrew worked for him in his twenties.
When you listen to Andrew, I defy anyone to not be inspired. Because even though he's intelligent and knows how to solve problems, I have the distinct feeling that his heart is at the heart of all this. You can't buy that, a political consultant can't teach you to have it, it's there or it isn't. Sure, he's focused on winning this race now, but if he didn't win, I am convinced he would find another way to serve, to do the right thing, to help those who aren't quite yet at the point of helping themselves.
So a cynic might say he'll never win because "it's all about the money." Well, no one will get elected –– even a heavily corporate-funded candidate –– if people don't VOTE for them.
Remember the vote? That sacred thing that African Americans didn't even have for far too long? That women died for to get? That simple, all too often taken for granted thing here in America? Sure, in the political community of volunteers, bloggers and activists, it is assumed that we ALL vote. But sometimes, and it's too often, Democrats stay home. They have the misguided notion that their lack of vote will send a "message" about just how disgusted and fed up they are. Or maybe they "had other plans". I know some of my friends didn't show up on Saturday. Friends that caucused and were delegates for county assembly, and were slotted to be delegates alongside me. And they didn't show up.
But we are all disgusted, fed up, tired of believing in the person you help to elect become just another cog in the Washington machine that goes nowhere.
David Thielen wrote on Huffington Post today that he showed up as a Bennet delegate –– but he didn't even vote. Wow. He explained that he'd changed his mind about Bennet, but that because he'd pledged he would be a delegate for Bennet he would not vote at all.
So he obviously had his doubts before he went to Assembly on Saturday. Did he talk to Romanoff? Or better yet, did he talk to some Romanoff supporters at Assembly, explain his dilemma? I understand a person simply changing their mind a helluva lot more than throwing away a vote.
Because this is the only system we've got. The beautiful simplicity with which our Democracy started becomes stronger ONLY as more people are involved. I talked to several Bennet supporters that day, all good and positive and good natured. But I said, so, if your guy wins the primary, I promise I will vote for him. But if my guy wins, what will you do?
In every case they said, Well, no question, I will vote for Romanoff.
So that's what we have to do. Vote for our Democratic Senator from Colorado, whoever he might be. We cannot afford to lose this seat to a republican. Historical Democrats in Colorado worked too long and too hard to wrestle the red stranglehold from the state we love. Let's keep it.
Don't stay home on August 10 and then on November 2, Colorado Democrats. Don't let your mail in ballot linger on the kitchen table. Vote. VOTE!