I’m watching the current brouhaha in Colorado with considerable interest. Briefly, the Democratic Party took control of the State over the past couple of election cycles – House, Senate and Governor. They used their control to ram through all sorts of measures that were not only opposed by Republicans, but even by their own constitutents – gun control legislation being the most controversial. Despite public sentiment being overwhelmingly against this legislation, the Democrats pushed it through. As a result, recall elections are being organized against several elected Democrats, possibly including the governor. There’s a good chance some of these recalls may succeed, thereby forcing elections.
I think this is one of the reasons why the Democratic Party in Colorado is now pushing for electoral reform. They argue that it’s merely updating the democratic process, but Republicans and some other Coloradans see it as a license for fraud. From what I’ve read about the proposed changes, I have to agree that the legislation doesn’t ‘pass the smell test‘. I think the hard Left or Progressive wing of the Democratic Party in Colorado is trying to ensure that it can keep control of the state by hook or by crook, skewing the vote by any means necessary – up to and including deliberate fraud. I can’t see any other reason for some of the provisions they’re trying to pass. Also, it occurs to me that the reason they’re trying to pass it so quickly, with so little debate, is to have the new arrangements in place before the recall elections are held, so that they can use them to protect their people.
I fear the people of Colorado have brought this upon themselves by allowing well-funded special interests to take over state politics. The only answer I can suggest is to make sure that they recall as many of the guilty parties as possible, then have their replacements change the law back to what it was. If they don’t, whether Democrat or Republican, they’ll be permanently screwed.
(And no, I’m not singling out Colorado because Democrats alone are responsible for such outrages. Republicans have done equally reprehensible things, using – and twisting – the law to ensure their own grasp on power. This was demonstrated most recently in the redistricting that occurred in many states newly dominated by Republican politicians. That was just as self-serving, and just as anti-democratic, as the Colorado legislation. Both parties are equally guilty of putting partisan political interests ahead of those of the people they are supposed to serve.)
Peter
As reprehensible as gerrymandering is, this is much, much worse.
This is the ongoing work of "The Gang of Four", wealthy liberals (who inherited their money).
http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/015/316nfdzw.asp?page=1
In the lead is Jared Polis, 2nd District US Congressman.
http://polis.house.gov/
Not a proud moment for us Blue Dog Democrats; we've been made impotent.
Doesn't help that the GOP keeps putting up candidates that should be in front of a jury, not the voters.
Someone should remind the Democraps in Colorado that if you deny folks the use of the ballot box, the folks may then resort to use of the cartridge box. And just because Colorado just passed anti-gun laws doesn't mean the folks aren't well armed!
Rusty
Most of the gun laws they passed here are expected to be widely ignored. The Republicans in the legislature will be introducing repeal bills next session to try to keep the issues before the voters, but legislative process allows for stuff like this to be quietly shuffled off to the "kill committee" and disposed of with no fanfare.
They also passed a bundle of tax and regulation bills that should hit everyone's power bills next year.
The voting bill is widely seen as election insurance against P.O.'d voters. It's the same law passed in Washington, and it works well there.
Pols getting recalled are getting money from groups funded by Bloomberg which masks his presence nicely.
It is for sure an uphill fight.