Red Meat for the Tancredistas

Congressman Tom Tancredo of Littleton plans to introduce a rule change that would ban US House members from joining caucuses on the basis of race or ethnicity. The rule would ban the Congressional Black, Hispanic and Asian Pacific caucuses. Tancredo says he knows his proposal will spark outrage, but it isn't about race. Just like he knows his obsessive immigrant bashing will spark outrage, but isn't about race. Obviously it is about race; the one thing Tancredo's new crusade has in common with his focus on immigration is that it appeals to a sense of white victimization.

One might be forgiven for thinking, "Well, Tancredo must represent a district that has politics like Mississippi in the '50s; this is what he does to get elected." I grew up as a brown kid in Littleton, and while there is certainly a population that would care deeply about the issues Tancredo is pushing, race issues are not at the forefront. I went to a high school that was 90% white and although the south suburbs are getting more diverse, that area (where several family members of mine still live) really doesn't seem to have a groundswell of anti-minority feeling. And none of Tancredo's Republican predecessors in the 6th District pushed race issues like he does.

The 6th District has never elected a Democrat; once Tancredo won his primary race several elections back he became free to promote whatever agenda he wanted. He doesn't so much represent his district as he represents a national constituency of Republicans who want to see members of their party promoting white victimization politics. It actually makes more sense for the GOP to run such a candidate in a majority white district that is safely Republican than it does to run such a candidate somewhere where the immigration issue (for example) is really a hot button because immigrants are actually moving there. When they did that before, Bob Dornan ended up losing his seat to Loretta Sanchez because the Latino voters in that southern California district got energized by Dornan's inflammatory positions, registered, voted, and booted him out.

That won't happen to Tancredo; if he is vulnerable, it will be for non-racial reasons -- he violated a term limits pledge and may face a primary challenge. This is a glimpse into the future of Colorado (and Texas) politics, where the state is carefully gerrymandered so that all seats are pretty safe. In that world, legislators are free to represent the interests of their party and the people who donate to their campaigns, not necessarily the people who happen to inhabit their district.

Comments

[Ralph]

From Kos and Yellin Report:

Colorado

In addition, Congressman Tom Tancredo is getting a challenge from Joanna Conti, a businesswoman and a non-profit C.E.O. She is a strong candidate, and it must be remembered that in 2000 Tancredo got 53 percent against his Democratic opponent. He faced only minor opposition in 2002, but Conti is no pushover. I think this race may prove to be worth watching.

[Ralph]

Good site for updates on colorado politics.
http://www.politics1.com/co.htm

Interesting stuff:
Anthony Martinez running in HD3, as well as Ken Salazar's brother, John.

Banker John Works running in District 7.

[Luis]

I saw Conti met the Immigrant Freedom Ride when it was in town to denounce Tancredo. (I was too tied up at the time to blog it unfortunately.) She sounds like a good candidate but my advice to her would be to attack Tancredo by saying he is out of touch with what his district cares about instead of making it a debate about his immigration stance, because then she too will seem like she is focused on an issue that doesn't matter much to the voters of the 6th CD.

I like John Salazar over Anthony Martinez in the 3rd because Anthony has been trying too hard and now has a reputation as a loser. He needs to start over and start smaller, like state house or senate.

The weird thing about all of this is, exactly what "3rd," "6th" and "7th" Districts are we talking about?

[Ralph]

Aye, there's the rub.

Still, I don't know what the numbers are, but I have to think that Beauprez is beatable in 7 and that the 3rd is at least in play.

I don't know John Salazar, but I would think that he could turn that district around, especially if the Green Party lays low.

At any rate, it is good to have SOMETHING to flap gums about.

[Laura in DC]

This is ridiculous. What's next, outlawing the NAACP?