Face the State

With the national political rumor mill is abuzz about the prospect that MSNBC Hardball host Chris Matthews is exploring his own bid for U.S. Senate, we got to thinking here at Face The State about who we’d consider as top political prospects here in Colorado.

Certainly, there is a pattern of reporters and columnists taking posts in Colorado government. In just the last few years, Diane Carman and Evan Dreyer both left The Denver Post for cushy government jobs.

Looking toward the future, here are our top picks for who we’d like to see jump ship from journalism over to the dark side of politics.

KHOW talk show host Dan Caplis has made no secret of his interest in launching his own political career, with insiders suggesting he is now considering a bid for governor in 2010. On election night last month, he provided pazazz to an otherwise somber GOP “victory” party. He’s a frequent donor to Colorado candidates. A proud conservative in an increasingly liberal Colorado, Caplis will have his work cut out for him. With good looks and a tireless platform worth hundreds of thousands in earned media, however, don’t count him out.

9KUSA political reporter Adam Schrager — You may be thinking what we are: Schrager’s too nice to even consider soiling his moniker with a political bid. But should he decide to run for office, he would certainly provide voters what they allege to crave—honesty, integrity, and a soft-spoken demeanor.

Denver Post editorial page writer David Harsanyi - While Harsanyi is too libertarian—and too honest—to prevail in the vast majority of Colorado congressional districts, he’d run one hell of a campaign. His book, “Nanny State: How food fascists, teetotaling Do-Gooders, Priggish Moralists, and other Boneheaded Bureaucrats are turning America into a nation of children,” could certainly educate more than a few voters about the need to stop allowing the government babysit us, our families, our mortgages, our schools, our restaurants...you get the idea.

106.7 KBPI show host Uncle Nasty. We can just hear it now. “Mr. Nasty has the floor.” While you may be quick to dismiss Nasty, consider this—his interviews regularly—and articulately—focus on current political issues, ranging from drug legalization to property rights. He’s often the only source of political news for Colorado’s 18-24 stoner set during the p.m. drive time slot on Denver’s hard rock 106.7 FM. The station also encourages patriotism among its listeners—evidenced by its current promo, where it is giving away star-spangeled bikinis. Nasty’s online bio is quite a hoot, and includes fun tidbits like, “the age of 12, he smoked pot and realized that girls were cool...What a year!...In 1987 - earned an associates [sic] degree in Mass Communication. From 1987 to present - Spreading the word of the free people.”

KBDI 12 Host Aaron Harber — If there is one thing we know, it’s that Harber wants to make the jump to politics. He most recently put his name in the hat as one of 20 applicants to replace outgoing Colorado Secretary of State Mike Coffman, but this was not Harber’s first attempt at the office. He previously ran unsuccessfully in 1990 as a Democrat. While Harber has drawn the ire of some conservatives — even being unsuccessfully sued by Rush Limbaugh for using Limbaugh’s “Rush” as part of his show title, “Against The Rush,” he maintains a reputation of being fair.