Over the past few years, the Democratic Party and their allied left-leaning groups (the “Left Coalition”) have successfully reshaped Colorado’s political landscape. Democrats now control Colorado’s General Assembly and Governor’s Office. In addition, they control the U.S. Congress and the Federal Executive Branch. Their organizations are influencing our nation and Colorado (e.g., ACORN, MoveOn.org, labor unions, ProgressNow and the Colorado Democracy Alliance). Building on their successes, the Left Coalition has already pledged $110 million nationally to expand their power in 2010.
The Left Coalition has banded together by pledging to support Democratic candidates regardless of individual issues. However, what has not been discussed in depth is that the Left Coalition has also spent considerable resources to dramatically alter Colorado’s voter registration numbers.
Democrats have regained power in Colorado over the past two elections cycles for a number of reasons. Foremost among these reasons is the Left Coalition’s savvy and strategic voter registration efforts that have considerably altered party affiliation registration numbers since 2004. The Left Coalition’s overall success is laudable and the results are undeniable.
Over the past 5 years, the Left Coalition has successfully increased Democratic voter registration in Colorado by more than 191,836. According to the Denver Post, as of April 2009, registered Democrats surpassed Republicans by nearly 2,314 for the first time since 1992. As of July 2009, registered Democrats exceed registered Republicans by 7,609. In sum, the Left Coalition turned an 185,644 voter registration disadvantage to a 7,609 voter registration advantage.
Yet, these gains were not the result of Republicans or Unaffiliateds changing parties. Specifically, in 2004, there were 1,049,607 Republicans and today there are 1,048,190. Unaffiliateds actually increased from 923,532 in 2004 to 1,063,724 today. Democrats achieved their results by targeting unregistered populations in key demographics and geographical areas.
In Colorado’s largest counties, Democrats have made significant gains since 2004. For example, in Arapahoe County, Republicans used to enjoy a 29,950 registration advantage. Today, Democrats have benefited from the Left Coalition’s focused efforts and now post a 7,895 registration advantage over Republicans.
In Larimer County, Republicans held a 26,031 registration advantage. This advantage has been cut nearly in half to a 13,426 registration advantage. Furthermore, Republicans have not been able to slow the tide in Jefferson County either. Republicans once enjoyed a 35,022 voter advantage in 2004, but Democrats have slashed this down to a 7,702 Republican advantage.
While Republicans have been losing ground in former strongholds like Arapahoe, Larimer and Jefferson Counties, Democrats have been sprinting away from Republicans in three traditionally Democratic counties. In Denver County, Democrats have increased their advantage from 77,512 in 2004 to 131,711 in 2009 (i.e., a 54,199 registration increase). And, in Boulder County, Democrats stretched their advantage from 19,927 in 2004 to 47,067 in 2009 (i.e., a 27,140 registration increase). Finally, in Adams County, Democrats have ramped up their 11,730 registration advantage to 26,157 today (i.e., a 14,787 registration increase).
Before passing judgment that these counties are lost causes for Republicans, Republicans should remember that a Republican vote in Boulder County counts same in a statewide election as a Republican vote elsewhere. Consequently, the Democrats’ gains of an additional 96,126 registrations in three of their strongholds will need to be offset by registering new voters or by the conversion of Unaffiliated or Democratic registrations. A good place to start is by targeting unregistered Republicans in Adams, Boulder and Denver counties as well other counties throughout Colorado.
On a positive note, there are large counties where Republicans continue to enjoy significant registration advantages. In Mesa County, Republicans grew their 16,280 registration advantage to 20,242 today (i.e., 3,962 voter registration increase). Even though El Paso County Republican’s advantage decreased by 8,191 from 2004 totals, Republicans continue to benefit from a 73,488 voter registration advantage. In Weld County, Republicans also lost some of their advantage (i.e., 803 registrations), but Republicans still hold a 16,676 voter registration advantage.
Republicans, Libertarians and conservatives throughout Colorado must acknowledge the importance of basic fundamentals such as voter registration and identification. Unless Republicans, Libertarians and conservatives begin to devote the resources (i.e., time and money) necessary to rebuild or establish the requisite grassroots infrastructure, the Left Coalition will keep making gains and dominating elections.
Over the past few years, the Left Coalition has dedicated the necessary resources to change the political landscape in Colorado. The results of their efforts are well documented. Notably, Democrats control the General Assembly, five of the seven U.S. Congressional seats in Colorado, both U.S. Senate seats, and the Governor’s Office. Plus, their successes have spilled over to local races.
If Republicans, Libertarians and conservatives want to change the liberal and Democratic control of our State’s elected offices, they must take a page from the Left Coalition’s playbook by banding together and setting aside individual causes in order to win elections. A good place to start is by coming together to dedicate the resources necessary to counteract the dramatic gains made by Democrats in voter registration. Democrats will continue to make gains unless decisive and immediate steps are taken in this fundamental area by Colorado’s Republicans, Libertarians and conservatives.
(This article originally appeared at www.alineofsight.com.)
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Comments
I voted Republican my entire life. I even voten for that limp phallic unit named John McCain. I changed party affiliation to Libertarian at the April 15th tea party. I will be voting for Mike Coffman since he is one of about two or three Republicans in the entire party who actually walks the Republican talk.
When the Republican party (not the higher ups mind you, but rank and file republicans) nominated a horse with four broken legs as their presidential candidate....well it becasme clear the party is worthless. I didn't vote libertarian for president and wish I had. I will for sure next time.
So in sum, I hope the left is extremely successful in out doing Republicans. the only hope for this nation is that the Republican party die...and do it quickly. That way, a third party that is actually conservative in the tradition of your founding fathers can arise. Then we may have a hope. As long as the Repubican party exists, our nation is doomed to become just another leftist hole.
Naw...it couldn't be the failure of the republicans to govern or lead that's causing the problem. It couldn't be the horrendous policies of the republican party. It couldn't be that the republican party is now seen as a regional party of bigots. Nope, that can't be it.
Voter registration is a labor intensive endeavor. Conservatives aren't ones to work at anything harder than flapping their jaws.
The Democrats simply took a page from the republican playbook. They got organized, got our there and registered people to vote.
The republicans helped the process along by showing how rabid bat crazy, reckless, irresponsible, incompetent and hypocritical they really are.
They actually scared people into registering and voting for Democrats all across the United State.
Hey Sean: America a leftist hole? Like France, or Belgium or Scandinavia? Oh please let's be more like France. At least people would have jobs, good healthcare and better food.
You can hire ACORN for voter registration drives in GOP districts. I'm serious.
I'm with Jill. Bush-Chenny was the worst administration ever. Worse than Jimmy Carter, and far right of Republicans Dwight Eisenhower and Ronald Reagan.
If Republicans can sever the cozy relationship they have with big business and the ultra rich, I'll take another look. Until then, forget it.
A conservative party in the tradition of the founding fathers is an oxy moron. The founding fathers were radicals, they were so radical that they chose a of form of goverment that the conservative orthodoxy and religous institutions blamed for the dark ages, they were so radical that they looked to people for what they had accomplished and not what their fathers had accomplished to find leadership. The founders were the LEFT in their age.
I just dislike seeing that "conservative like our founders stuff" over and over.
God it is just pathetic how the Republican party...under the feckless leadership of George Bush...managed to go from having virtual control of the entire government to becoming little more than a marginalized pariah in the eyes of the American people...and all of that in just about six years or something like that.
I am sick and tired also of hearing people blame "the media" or this or that institution. The party has no-one of blame but itself.
Jesus! Worthless, worthless, worthless. I'll tell you what. I am glad I am becoming a math teacher. Now that is a depression proof skill. They will always need those for a very long time. This society will only get worse and worse as long as there is a Republican party.
What I mean is that it will never actually be a party that adheres to its principles and will never attract people. So they will vote to the left...for a party that actually practices what it preaches.
The Republican party must die.
As a fairly new Colorado democrat myself, I can say with great conviction that it was the actions of republicans (at the federal level) that inspired me to register to vote as a democrat. I had been a rather truant and non-partisan voter until about 2003.
Replublicans really did mess up THAT badly and if you're looking to cast blame, the republican party really needs to look within. The political values of the state have not changed. People flocked to the democratic party to stop republicans.
I agree with liberal patriot. The founding fathers sure weren't neo-cons. 1000 letters to make a point though ain't too much though to fully articulate a point.
Those guys hated political parties and called them factions. They said organizing into factions would spell the death of this society. Oh well. I just think libertarianism reflects those guys pretty well.
Whether that is correct or not; I definitively know the signers of the Declaration of Independence would rather have chewed on rancid, ebola infected monkey flesh than have anything to do with the GOP.
The GOP must die.
Kevin, you could use a few less writing crutches...i.e., "i.e.".
Republicans have become the thugs of the theocrats, the ultra-rich, and big business. The fact that Colorado, home of Focus on the Family, no less, has gone rich shades of blue drives home two points.
First, the beasts Republicans still ride into battle frighten people. Bigotry and know-nothing-ism in the name of being "folksy" do not inspire people to vote for someone when the voter seeks a brighter future. These only appeal to those still looking to what they see as a brighter past - and that's why so many Republican registrants are older folks.
Second, hypocrisy doesn't work. At some point, people wake up and smell it on you, and voters may have finally figured out what false populists and rotten moralists Republicans have become. Voters have figured out that Republicans' interest in family values, fiscal conservatism, and helping real folks dies when the spotlight does. Worse, they now know "family values" =
...Oh and Kevin - I will never band with Republicans on anything...period. It is a party that is almost as oriented towards totalitarianism as the left is...and even more in some ways.
Unless Republicans want to work with me to kill the sun-bleached flesh of a long dead beached whale....called the Republican party...then my sole political mission in life has become to crush that miserable thing called the Republican party so that this society can maybe...just maybe not descend into a mediocre nothing.
Ahhhhh - the death rattle of the Republican Party - now THAT is music to my ears....
You've Been Penetrated!
What influence has changes in demographics, such as a growing Latino population or shifts in age had on these numbers?
I'm in El Paso County, and we're working as hard as ever to shrink that gap even more.
Well Penetrator - If you are a man of the left, then you have every reason rejoice. The overwhelming majority of Republicans labour under the delusion that it is better to vote for a party that is worthless, because they feel that a third party will never win...but that is a self fulfilling prophecy isn't it.
And so Republicans will all go home and ask mommy to scoop them up another helping of dumb tonight...and will believe that the leftward turn of this nation is someone's elses fault...and not their own for still supporting that lumbering elephant (albeit an elephant that is sickly and pale, and yet somehow has enough juice to make life miserable for everyone else in the jungle).
So if you have libertarian leanings, then you are screwed. If you are a man of the left, then I would daily be breaking open bottle after bottle of the finest champagne in celebration of my eternal victory over conservatism.
"setting aside individual causes" or abandoning your principals for the sake of being a team player, is not the solution. It's the problem.
Maybe Colorado citizens are getting tired of seeing the state raped by mining, oil and development interests, helped along by backroom deals with any elected republican who has a chance to screw the public.
Just sick the way the current government owns 56% or more of homes in the USA from Fanny Mae!! What kind of freedom does one have when that bail out is gone?? Rent from Obama?? Do we all move into the Westwing of the White House?? Move over mother in law, many are coming, share the wealth!
Hey Jackson, you are screwed!! Its Obama that is screwing our Republic...where is it in the constitution to own banks, manufacturing such as automoblies? Now baby boomers will be on the list to loose medical procedures because of this so called national health program, why? Because they will be too old for organ transplants, hip replacements, heart issues, etc. You can go to the head of the line for the Cancer that feeds on you and wait the 8 or so years till its your turn for treatment. If this program is so great why not start with all Federal job employees including members of Congress and the President should be the first person to set an example including his family with this great health program. Nothing will be available for his childrens grandmother...she is too old and lived her life! She is an exclusion and an example.
Interesting numbers but turnable for the Republican party as long as they work at getting the independent voters out to vote, nominate candidates that fit the middle rightness of the country, stay the key issues and deliver. The vitral seeping out here is why people dislike politics. Stay the higher road and the Republicans will win. It is a party of values.
Jeff - The Republican party is a party of values like I want to spend a night naked, alone, and sedated with a hungry Jeffrey Dahmer.
During my entire voting life, the Republican party has never once tried to put into practice its supposed ideals of smaller government etc. Is the federal government three or five times larger than when president Bush took office?
That flacid lactating mammary gland RAN on a platform of bigger government...such as more federal intrusion into local and state matters of education for example.
It ain't just the top either. Its the rank and file. THEY are the ones who nominated McCain. THEY are the ones who want the feds to control...just so long as what the feds are controlling jives with what they want controlled. Republicans only dislike federal control when it is their own ox that is being gored.
As long as there is a Republican party, the United States is doomed because there is no true party of liberty to combat the left.
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