Over at The Denver Post, reporters are salivating at the sheer magnitude of the Colorado GOP’s fall from glory in a span of just four years. From our totally objective, fair, impartial perspective, we must concede that it has been fascinating to watch—in that same gruesome way that you slow down to watch the remnants of a car wreck on the side of the road.
The crash began in 2004, when Democrats took over both houses of the state legislature for the first time in four decades. Two years later, Democrat Bill Ritter took over the governor’s mansion and one U.S. Senate seat with Ken Salazar topping beer baron Pete Coors in that year’s top contest.
And this year, the state-level transformation from blue to red was complete with Democrats taking five of seven Congressional seats.
The election night mourning at the GOP-headquartered Marriott South was quickly followed by Wednesday morning finger pointing. The number one target: GOP Chair Dick Wadhams.
Unnamed sources went on the attack in Sunday’s Post, with one saying, "Our county parties are no stronger, our voter registration numbers have decreased. We had our most anemic performance in absentee and early voting vis-a-vis the Democrats that we've had in 10 years."
While it’s true that on the Wadhams watch, the GOP faltered, the fact remains he took a job that no one wanted. Never one to shy away from controversy, Wadhams was as feisty as ever in his Post response: "The people who are criticizing me don't even have the guts to speak publicly. They are cowards. I didn't see them step up and take on a $580,000 debt, recruit legislative candidates and attend 200 events throughout the state reconnecting with activists and county commissioners."
He’s got a point. Political parties can’t settle debt at discounted rates because it’s considered a political contribution under campaign finance laws. Wadhams not only had the challenge of paying back every pretty penny but also raising money in a year when the so-called business community was siding with unions and the GOP’s farm team was suffering from the strain of two back-to-back losing election cycles. He also had to soothe the egos of activists still angered by then-Gov. Bill Owens' support of 2005's Referendum C.
He did what he could with what he had.
Maybe his critics are right about two things. First, Wadhams can, at times, be too sarcastic. And second, it may have been a bad call for him to hold onto the reins at the start party while also heading up the campaign of GOP U.S. Senate candidate Bob Schaffer. While he hired an executive director to run the show, the fact of the matter is that his attention, priorities, and interests remained splintered.
In other words, if Wadhams is guilty of anything, it is of trying to be too many things to too many people. But in an era when too few are willing to step up to the plate to rebuild the GOP, we have nothing but admiration for willingness to do whatever he could to help.
And that we’ll say on the record.
The question now: who wants the job of party chair? While unnamed sources remain mum, Wadhams has indicated an interest in remaining at headquarters.
Another important question: Is now the time to rise from the ashes or could the GOP fall any further?
Republicans did in fact do something right this campaign season—they won back a few key state House seats and even managed to knock off state Rep. Bernie Buescher, D-Grand Junction, who was the presumed frontrunner to take over as Speaker of the House after Dem Golden Boy Andrew Romanoff was term-limited this year.
Let the Democrats have their moment in the sun. We predict we'll see a tough-to-satisfy electorate. And for those on the right who really care about change, it's time they all throw their hats into the ring.