State GOP committee moves caucuses up to garner attention - Colorado Springs Gazette
At a packed house in the Crowne Plaza Hotel Saturday morning, Colorado Republicans decided to make themselves more attractive. To presidential candidates, that is.
The Colorado Springs hotel hosted state meeting of the GOP's 2011 Central Committee, which includes elected officials and county party leaders who discuss and vote on state party bylaws each year.
This year, the committee's 200 attendees decided to move its caucus forward to Feb. 7, the day after the nation's first — and symbolically vital — caucus in Iowa.
"Anyone with any political sophistication knows that Colorado will play a significant role in next year's election," said Attorney General John Suthers, who presented the motion to change the caucus date. "We would have a lot of candidates coming our way."
Suthers, a former El Paso County district attorney, said moving the caucus forward would have a "tremendous upside" because that would give Colorado — and its nine electoral votes — more political sway on the national scene, especially given its perceived status as a crucial swing state, he said.
Other proponents of the change said they want to help lead the charge against President Barack Obama, who they all agreed needs to be shown the door. El Paso County Treasurer Bob Balink said that with enough elbow grease and enthusiasm they could convert the one-third of Colorado's population that is politically unaffiliated.
"I'm committed to turning our state from plum-colored back to the brightest fire-engine red you can imagine," Balink said to roars of applause.
"Now is the time for us to step up and show the country that Colorado is relevant and President Obama is not," Balink declared, eliciting even more cheers.
Not everyone was behind the switch, however. Opponents said holding the caucus earlier in the year would give less well-known candidates little time to organize and raise money, and therefore have less of a chance against incumbents or wealthier candidates.
Others called the move meaningless because caucus votes are non-binding.
State Rep. Chris Holbert, R-Parker, called the caucus "trivial," and said scheduling it in February would be a pointless "24-hour attention-getter."
Instead, he said they should concentrate on unifying Republicans and organizing for next year's election.
The proposal was popular, however. So many supporters held up their hands that state party Chair Ryan Call didn't bother tallying them.
After the three-hour meeting (which included myriad other bylaw tweaks and votes), Call praised the switch and said it will definitely raise Colorado's national stature.
"This will attract resources, attention and a lot more enthusiasm for the race," said Call.
The day was full of speeches from Republican leaders, including Colorado Springs' own congressman, Doug Lamborn. The three-term Republican blasted Obama for his role in the budget debates and for not successfully dealing with the sagging economy.
"Barack Obama is the worst president in my lifetime," Lamborn said. "I remember Jimmy Carter, and I didn't think we could get worse than that. Well, we did."
He attacked both Obama and congressional Democrats for their stances on solutions to the budget deficit, and painted them as anti-military tax-happy bureaucrats.
"Raising taxes and cutting defense. That's their knee-jerk reaction," said Lamborn.
But the one who nailed the Republican attitude heading into the 2012 election was state Sen. Bill Cadman, R-Colorado Springs.
"If this isn't a time when the wind is at our backs, it will never be."
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Contact the writer 476-4825.
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