Dan Maes rallies Denver Post behind his effort to win Tea Party activists’ support

The Denver Post says Colorado’s Tea Party activists are rallying behind Dan Maes’ efforts to beat Scott McInnis in the contest for the Republicans’ nomination for governor next year. 

The paper quotes one or two Tea Party activists, including one from Pinyon Canyon land, Pueblo. McInnis isn’t so popular down there because he backs the Army over ranchers who don’t want the Army to use eminent domain to seize their land.

So Dan Maes puts out a short press release, a WestWord blogger picks it up and this is what you get. Good PR move by Dan.

He’s manufacturing a Tea Party revolt with 

the help of a few people who don’t trust politicians. He tells the Post that he’s received about 100 e-mails from Tea Party backers and their allies. I sure would like to see them. How many people sent the 100 e-mails?

How far will that take him?

Although he’s traveled the state many times since last spring, he has told me that he still doesn’t have many counties organized, and he doesn’t have much time before next spring’s caucuses. The McInnis campaign has told me that it’s organized in most counties, especially the large ones. If you’re not organized by this time in the election cycle, you may have a problem come caucus time next spring.

Can he do it? Yes, if he’s able to gin up a real movement. That, I think, is a huge IF.

It takes money to organize a grass roots movement. It takes volunteers who know how to organize and energize a movement. It takes a candidate who can lead the movement. So the questions are:

1. Is the Platform for Prosperity (P4P) so offensive to the GOP base that Maes can make an issue of it? I doubt that there is much in the P4P that Maes can disagree with. Philosophically, he’s pretty much on the same page as McInnis.

2. Does the P4P already reflect and respond to the concerns of Tea Partiers? I think so.

3. Can McInnis generate enough enthusiasm for his candidacy to co-op the Maes candidacy? Maybe so. He has a lot of strong supporters in his old third Congressional District and a lot of Republicans see him as being better than Governor Bill Ritter.

4. Does Maes have the credibility of a Josh Penry or Tom Tancredo with Tea Partiers and like minded folks? I have my doubts.

5. Will the media hype the Tea Party movement because it’s a really good story that is fun to cover and promote? They’ll try. It is a good story, but they don’t have much space, and other stories will get in the way.

6. Will my fellow conservative bloggers decide that it would be fun to promote Maes over McInnis? I think they might. Some are more interested in ideology than in winning elections. Tea Partiers claim they don’t care about party politics, and some bloggers feel the same way.

7. If nominated, could a Tea Party-backed candidate beat incumbent Governor Bill Ritter, vulnerable as he is? I really doubt it.

8. Will Tea Partiers rally behind Maes even though they know independents and moderate Republicans probably wouldn’t vote for him against Ritter? I wouldn’t put it beyond them. Don’t think anyone can predict that, yet.

9. Is a rookie gubernatorial candidate backed by Tea Partiers Bill Ritter’s savings grace and dream come true? You bet.

I don’t back McInnis or Maes, but my opinions should be clear. I think a Tea Party candidate would be a disaster for the Colorado GOP. Democrats are having a field day demonizing the Tea Party movement, and they haven’t even gotten started. Tea Partiers are influencing Republican politicians around the country, and those politicians, including McInnis, are doing their best to be responsive with varying degrees of success.

If Colorado Republicans nominated a candidate seen as The Tea Party man or woman, I think, it would ensure that the Democrats would not only re-elect their governor and General Assembly, but also that they would re-Gerrymander the state with little or no effective GOP input. This would give them a solid hold on Colorado for at least a decade and probably longer.

Tea Partiers and conservative bloggers have some hard thinking to do. And McInnis has to figure out how to win their support without alienating independents and moderate Republicans and Democrats who are sick of Ritter, I think.

This is my 47th post about Dan Maes and 105th about McInnis. Search the site for “Maes” and for “McInnis”.

Links:

Efforts to clear GOP field angers some conservatives. By Jessica Fender.

Dan Maes is trying to play the Tea Party card against Scott McInnis; will it work? The Business Word, 12.07.2009 

Scott McInnis isn’t the real tea party candidate, says rival Dan Maes. By Michael Roberts, 10.07.09.

Platform for Prosperity (P4P). By McInniforColorado.com.

Interview: Dan Maes says he’s more fiscally and socially conservative than Scott McInnis. The Business Word, 11.10.2009.

Dan Maes explains where he stands on the issues. By DanMaes.com.

Colorado’s budget: Dan Maes’ take 

For anyone who wants to check out Dan Maes in person, his calendar is here. 

Scott McInnis’ calendar is here.

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