I don't share Ralph's sense of dismay over the apparent victory by Pat Waak over Chris Gates for Colorado Democratic Party chair last weekend. I don't think Gates was really responsible for the party's big wins last November -- chalk that up to a combination of Ken Salazar's coattails and the efforts of Jared Polis, Pat Stryker, Tim Gill and Rutt Bridges to help finance the effort to take back the state legislature, plus of course the arrogance of the Republicans who acted like they didn't live in a swing state. So it's hard to see this too much like firing the coach who just had a great season. Besides, the Nuggets fired Jeff Bzdelik after a winning season and that seems to have worked out pretty well for them.
I'm not worried about Gates' loss for the same reason I didn't think it would have been so horrible if Howard Dean didn't win the national party chair election. It's not as if Dean (or Simon Rosenberg) was going to turn Republican or stop working to build the party if he didn't win the chair race, and I doubt we'll see any drop off in commitment to the Democratic Party from Gates losing, either. And if Waak winning makes some Democrats who currently feel excluded have a sense of ownership of the party, it could turn into a net plus by helping unify the party.
I'm even less concerned about Bob Beauprez entering the race for governor. First, his announcement immediately puts the 7th CD into the leans-D column for 2006. And I don't think Beauprez is the best candidate the Republicans could field in the governor's race. Rather, he gives Dems yet another chance to split rural voters from the GOP. Everyone just needs to be reminded repeatedly that Beauprez is a Front Range Real Estate Developer Who Wants To Build Dams To Help His Front Range Real Estate Developer Friends. By Taking Water From The Western Slope, Arkansas Valley And San Luis Valley To The Front Range.
You have to at least pretend to be an environmentalist to win statewide in Colorado, and I don't see Beauprez as very convincing in that regard.
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