I can see how the frack issue is developing. Let's put some history into the issue.
The Union Pacific railroad, among others, was granted land and mineral rights by the US government throughout the 1860s and 1870s in return for investing in and building railroads that were a key factor in developing the entire American West.
Th railroads eventually sold off the surface rights, but retained the minerals, not really knowing that they might be worth something down the road (more than 130 years later, BTW).
So - welcome to the 1990s. Fracking, and deep shale development, suddenly make all of those unproductive assets on the books of the UP worth a fortune. Remember that they had carried those worthless assets for a century. Who does that?
Now - developers built and sold entire subdivisions on old UP land with caveats in the agreements that homeowners would NOT have mineral rights. But hey, what homeowner even knows what a mineral right is?
You could blame the developers - but they knew, and clearly put mineral rights exclusions in their contracts.
The home owners? Well, they have a beef, but it's weak, and the painfully liberal Colorado Supreme Court kicks them out every time - no exceptions.
So, homeowners, if you do not want drilling and fracking under your homes and communities, pay the companies and shareholders that your taking property away from in this effort.
2
I applaud Hick's contributions to reviving the craft beer industry, and his positive non-attack campaign ads; but as Mayor and Governor he never met a tax he didn't like.
Furthermore he is too wishy-washy to be president. Convicted killer Nathan Dunlap was scheduled to die under his watch; but he punted that task to his successor. If Hick can't or won't let a lawful sentence be carried out on a criminal; what makes him think he has the guts to send the military into hot spots if required?
Stick to beer, John; it's what you do best.
1
As a rock-ribbed Republican senior working white male I would enthusiastically support Governor Hickenlooper for President of the United States because he would support the legalization of marijuana then we would all get along.
3
Dems may not like his previous stance on climate,but as of today I think he has the best chance of beating the Scoflaw-in- chief. He could get down and dirty with lots of mudslinging at Trump, but it won't work . Trump's base are totally indoctrinated regardless of facts, his lies and anything else that can be thrown at him. Go Hick!
1
If voters come to see a candidate as serious about trying to bringing a cease fire to the civil war, that candidate won't be soon discarded. Most fellow Democrats are of the mind that if Grandma gets ripped off by a con man Grandma is to blame. Trump is a con man, an unfortunate, behaviorally and personality disordered deviant. But his supporters happen to be, by and large, hard working sane Americans. His true belivers haven't wavered in their support. Among them are 85% of evangelical Christians who have abandoned Jesus to follow Trump and have done irreparable harm to their religion as a result. The complex reasons for this go deep in our nature, culture and history but DEMs have not seen it in their interest to try to understand how we got here. Easier to believe, given the fine examples of Chaney and McConnell, that they are all evil. Poor Grandma.
1
It doesn't matter how nice Hickenlooper is or how good his ideas are. To the Republican base anyone who would run for office as a Democrat is a Communist who must be destroyed. Bewailing division is not the way to win a civil war.
2
Ten years ago I might have believed that a nice guy could bring people together. But then I saw republicans respond with 8 years of non-stop hatred to Barack Obama, certainly the nicest and smartest president in my lifetime, which goes back to Truman. I like Hickenlooper and he could certainly strike an excellent tone in the country, but we already know how republican will react. There will be wild conspiracy theories about white slavery rings run out of his brew pubs. Stories of how he’s a baby killer and so on. The right in this country is a lost cause. We need to join with independents and move on without them. Maybe in a generation, the right will moderate and become able to engage in reasoned debate once again.
3
The biggest decision I make in 2020 will likely not be about which of the far left candidates I vote for, but whether I vote for any at all.
I would prefer that we put forward a moral Democratic candidate who can move the entire country progressively forward by leaps and bounds; someone who is capable of pushing through even the most extreme changes required for a Green New Deal, for a single payer healthcare system, for free education for all, for free childcare, for guaranteed parental leave, and (perhaps most of all) for true election reform.
But we've seen the moral turpitude and willful ignorance it took for a candidate and his supporters to trample all over the rights of millions to accomplish their own objectives after the win. And we've seen what happens to this country when one side of the electorate force feeds the other. I don't care to be on the giving end that business.
Much to consider in 2020.
The opening vignette (hiking) didn't impress me with his common sense.
1
Hickenlooper would crush Trump in the general election. He would make a great president for all. He could do great things.
The question is whether Democrats would vote him in the primaries, given that he's a white, straight male.
1
Some won’t but many will. The far left wing want an unelectable candidate. The rest of us want a real leader, even if he is - gasp - an old white guy.
2
It's my understanding he is even more friendly with executives from the oil industry. They talk about fracking when they get together. Has he spoken with you about oil and fracking? America elected Reagan. Things have been going downhill ever since.
1
What I want most in 2020 is a new president whose values reflect generosity, sanity, reasonableness, logic and fairness. I want a president who actually reads his briefs and finds them important, who upholds and hopefully uplifts his staff and other government employees while holding them to a strict ethical standard.
I want a president who recognizes that how we treat immigrants is not working and that we need comprehensive immigration reform and immigrants from all walks of life so that we continue to be a melting pot--a great experiment that has led to the US being world-renowned before Trump enacted cruel and deadly immigration policies.
In short, I want a president of whom I can be justly proud!
9
Now is not the time for a pro-fracking Democrat:
https://www.telluridenews.com/arts_and_entertainment/article_60928ecd-adc8-5b11-a048-41cece78c58f.html
From this paper:
"But in contrast to many other Democrats, he has supported the controversial process of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, and his policies as governor were generally friendly to the oil and gas industries. For instance, he opposed a ballot initiative in Colorado that would have limited where oil wells could be built. (Voters rejected the measure in November.)"
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/04/us/politics/2020-john-hickenlooper-on-the-issues.html
I think his positions should at least have been mentioned in this article. If he had been one of the representatives the press likes to attack, his controversial position on fracking would be mentioned every single time his name comes up.
6
@Hdb
Fracking/climate change.
Legal pot.
Immigration.
Income inequality.
Economic and tax policy.
Abortion.
Health Care.
(Need I go on?)
How many litmus tests are we going to have and what does a candidate look like who has to jump through all of them exactly the way a certain demographic wants? Who decides which ones on the list above are most important?
Candidates will have positions on all these, of course, but will I not vote for someone unless they match me exactly?
What ultimately I care about is the quality of their thinking, such that they might evolve, or at least consider options on issues over time.
6
I hope you're right about Hickenlooper being able to heal our divide if he's elected. But imagine what Trump will say if he is defeated. It won't be gracious. He'll deny he actually lost. (Remember: Trump never loses.) Imagine how Fox will get their big bellows out to give oxygen to his base's feelings that the Deep State stole the election. Even if an American Dalai Lama emerged, he couldn't close that wound.
2
What are his proposed policies for addressing climate change?
8
I would definitely vote for him.
3
With Hickenlooper, the Democratic party risks losing important and potent support of young voters that see a leader's climate change positions as their reason to get involved and to vote. Why do many in the environmental advocacy arena in Colorado call him "frackenlooper"? Hickenlooper promoted oil and gas interests by never initiating important health, welfare and balance on the industry's growth. This will come back to haunt him, and the Democratic party, as it seeks to energize young voters.
23
@Maureen: As opposed to all the great environmental work being done by Trump and the Republicans. The Governor won in Colorado even with those positions. Let's elect a winner first and then try to persuade him to do the right thing on those issues in which he's been deficient.
12
@Maureen
Thank you. Say no more.
Hickenlooper was personally opposed to marijuana legalization efforts in Colorado... he said "the last thing we need is a bunch of people sitting around eating Cheetos..."
But then we voted for legalization... and he said "it's the will of the people..."
Then he went out and implemented the standard for regulation... from thin air.
He will give the people what they want even if he is personally against it. He has my primary vote... unless Al Franken comes back... I'd be happy of the rest of the country could move in the same direction my state has moved the last decade. I think a lot of people would.
58
@J But you must admit - it's been a big boost for Cheetos, (and goldfish).
Girl Scouts too, - they sell their cookies outside of the dispensaries now.
4
I met Gov. Hickenlooper in the mid-2000s in his Denver Mayor's office. I was there with a several colleagues lobbying him on an affordable housing matter and mentioned that a bill sponsored by then-U.S. Sen. Jim Bunning would have negative ramifications.
He turned to a young aide and asked if he knew about Bunning's background before he was elected to the Senate. (The aide was clueless.) Hickenlooper explained to the assistant that Bunning was a Hall of Fame baseball pitcher to which I added, "and he was my idol growing up."
That brought out the famous Hickenlooper smile. He and I spent the next 20 minutes talking about where we were when Bunning threw his Father's Day perfect game and how he jumped out of his boyhood home's bedroom window when the Phillies lost the 1964 pennant to the St. Louis Cardinals.
I saw the non-politician ... the fellow you'd love to have a beer with and chat about baseball, politics and everything else happening in the world. I became an unabashed fan of John Hickenlooper that day. There were no airs about him. I wish him all the best on his next political voyage.
7
Another potential candidate who fits the mold that Frank Bruni describes is Mitch Landrieu. I personally would love to see Landrieu in the race, but he seems to be backing away from running.
2
David Brooks said this earlier (I copied it down as it made an impact):
"Unfortunately, people in the exhausted majority have no narrative. They have no coherent philosophic worldview to organize their thinking and compel action. When they get one I suspect it will look totally unlike the two dominant narratives today. These narratives are threat narratives. But the people who make positive change usually focus on gifts, not deficits. They tell stories about the assets we have and how we can use them together. I don't know what the next political paradigm will look like, but I bet it will be based on abundance, not deficits; gifts, not fear; hope, not hatred."
Here Bruni says this:
"Hickenlooper sees a sunny approach — one that emphasizes aspirations over grievances — as the necessary balm for a grossly divided country and the most potent antidote to Trump."
The only question, for me, is can Hickenlooper break through, or are Democrats too invested in their own version of threat narratives?
4
Well said
1
On the other hand wearing the wearing the wrong shoes is an indication of something.
Yeah, he had spare pair of shoes...
2
@UTBG preparation is everything.
Weren't you the same guy that LOVED George W Bush for the same reason? Likability? News flash, Frank. Politicians are good at being 'likable." It's what they do. The last thing America needs is another rich white guy telling us that the country should stop being mean to rich white guys.
6
It would seem to be a rule that NYT columnists must, somehow, jimmie AOC into their copy--is there now an algorithm tracking the references, even one as goofy as one that lauds her for her smile that "leavens the stridency and purity tests." Awww, c'mon Frank: you can do better than that.
4
Lived in Denver metro from 1983-2015. I never forgave Hick for drinking a glass of fracking fluid to prove how safe it is. An older friend also told of pesticide salesman doing the same thing. The friend died of cancer from pesticide exposure. That kind of grandstanding for the oil business is ridiculous. I hope he survives.
On the other hand I saw him in Tattered Cover book store, before he was governor, just looking at books. Counts a lot with me.
5
For anyone that has listened to Senator Harris for an hour. as I did in her recent Town Hall, you will have seen the type of candidate that you all seem to be seeking. with some of the same traits as this, yet another older, white man.
Harris is good humored. smart as a whip, quick to defend her record as well as the "typical "liberal" stands she takes. She gets her point across well.
She is also a racially mixed woman, young and appealing to so many different constituencies. She has extensive managerial experience, and I would think the moderates would admire her law and order background as Attorney General of California.
She is not shrill or angry appearing, she is attractive - and best of all - she is not a white male!
5
I agree that Hickenlooper has a “let’s get back to sanity” appeal.
Note to file though, Frank, similar to how “articulate” as a descriptor for a black person is presumptively offensive, so is “strident” as a descriptor for a woman. Strident means harsh or loud in tone. Not really accurate for a person who publicly communicates with quippy tweets.
4
All I can think of is the bonanza of offensive nicknames Trump will come up with. And given the current stats, maybe it's not necessary to win over anyone who still thinks Trump is ok.
1
It's also important to me that Hickenlooper's last name has four syllables. The only previous President with four was Eisenhower.
Among other things, this lessens the possibility of his making it into a profitable brand name for hotels and golf courses.
2
Who on earth IS John Hickenlooper?
Now is not the time for half these candidates to run. We can't afford to lose.
3
Did I somehow miss the part about what he believes in (other than positive campaign ads and avoiding divisive issues)?
A perfect moderate, I suppose, can't be pinned down on issues. But that hasn't worked in any election I know of (it didn't work for Hillary, who did whatever she could to avoid enunciating an agenda), and I doubt it will work now.
Moderates understand that whenever you take a stand, it gives opposition something to criticize you for. What they don't apparently understand is that opposition will criticize you anyway. The people want to know what you stand for. And we want to know that you're passionate about it.
There's nothing in the middle of the road but yellow lines and dead turtles.
And don't think we missed the gratuitous poke at AOC. I guess to you she's just a cute chick who can get whatever she wants with a smile.
3
"I think they’re even a small part of the Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez phenomenon — the part that leavens the stridency and purity tests. She has a wide, dazzling smile. In a video that went viral, she dances."
That's a very sexist way to put it.
2
Wouldn't we rather have a president who is wise enough to wear the proper footware for a 10 mile hike?
2
Hickenlooper would win the White House in a landslide over Trump just on personality alone. Calm. rational leadership. The bigger problem is he won't win the Dem nomination because he doesn't fit their current narrative.
45
So those of us who have been loyal Dems need to work to change the current narrative! I agree with Midwest Josh that Hickenlooper would win in a direct contest against Trump. Dems - Are you ready for more than a year of hard work to get H nominated? And you are correct, Heartland, that we need those disaffected Trump voters!
8
Progressives inside and outside the Democratic Party have successfully brought economic populism into America’s living rooms prompting millions of mainstream voters to question the efficacy and fairness of American shareholder capitalism for the first time. Roughly four decades of decadent, anti-egalitarian supply-side economics, with its tilt toward the tiny number of wealthy Americans and its middle finger for the massive number of working Americans in the middle and lower classes, has burdened mainstream America with an imbalanced economy it can no longer ignore. Now is not the time for a moderate placeholder candidate, as if America were a healthy nation merely in need of a leader who does not curse. It is the time for Americans to elect to the American Presidency the progressive champion most responsible for our economic awakening and most likely to act on it: Bernie Sanders.
2
2020 will be a rapid fire elimination process. It shouldn't be thus, but with so many candidates and a deeply flawed method of choosing nominees, we are in for a big mess. The key question early on will revolve around who can be viable as a candidate, sorting out the two or three who really have a chance.
The mood of our country is ugly and it is unlikely to clear up as the Trump investigations reveal more and more effluent leaking from the ship of state (and old business deals). We all need a good bath and a break from the constant insults of living with a president who has no idea what he's doing but is bound and determined to do it.
If Barrack Obama could overcome his name, can a man named Hickenlooper have a chance? This might seem silly but most presidents have had short, anglo Saxon names. Johnson. Carter. Bush. Bush. Clinton, the list goes way back. Two syllables or less. (Presidents are chosen, to some degree, at the moment they are born.)
As a man of mild temperament, at least by reputation, Hickenlooper will have to something drastic to jump out in front of the crowd. His executive experience should count for a lot, but we choose people based much more on emotions than logic. In other words, good luck. Let's hope he breaks out and at least has a chance.
2
I believe Hickenlooper can defeat Trump just by being himself. Trump's 30% of the electorate won't increase. His followers are more cultish than anything else and won't change. The Democrats need to expand their base and wipe out the GOP across the country. Trump will try his throw it against the wall, chaos, theory of politicking and might win if the Dems don't get their act together.
4
I think we Democrats need candidates tha we cannot easily stereotype as left or center-left. Hickenlooper and Tester strike that tone. So does, to a very significant extent, Sherrod Brown. In order to appeal to the widest swath of candidates, what is needed is someone who can campaign and win in 50 states. In a certain way, any great president transcends party.
2
@Srose - Yes, indeed. All we need is more white, Christian men who are over 60! Wow why didn't we think of that?? That will certainly appeal to the other half of the country that are women, as well as to the majority of the Democratic voters who are black, Asian, Latino or other minority.
I thought you all wanted to win?? Getting out the base is how you will do THAT.....not another old white guy.
Thank you, Mr. Bruni, for getting us better acquainted with Mr. Hickenlooper. However, one line gave me pause: "And it’s unclear whether he can project the authority and sense of purpose on the national stage." I'll categorize you as an optimist for the thinking the authority and sense of purpose still matter in a president after 2016.
1
I rarely comment - but as a CO resident, I think very highly of Hickenlooper and absolutely will support his candidacy. It’s possible to be nice and still get things done. It’s possible to build a strong economy while moving toward renewables and away from coal. It’s possible to actively listen to, engage with, and find areas of agreement with those outside your own party. I know these are possible because that is exactly what I saw him do here.
I also see him as someone who can win many independent and moderate voters, which is the best path I can envision to win in 2020 given the electoral college and the small number of swing states that may determine the outcome. Stated differently, most of the democratic candidates can get more votes than Trump overall, just as Hillary did. But they may not get those votes where they count.
Anyway, have a wonderful day and if you made it this far, thanks for taking the time to read my input.
7
Wow. An article and a slew of letters with no discussion of his actual policies. Is this how we want to pick our president, based on personality, on how he makes us feel? This was Trump's strategy. This is Reagan's "morning in America" or Obama's "Yes we can." It's as deep as a dating site profile.
I plan to choose based on policies. I know I am not alone, as shown by the millions donated to Bernie Sanders and the people flocking to hear him speak. I understand that manner matters to some people more than policies, but I'm surprised that the NYT would be encouraging this.
This kind of article is not what we need.
7
John Hickenlooper has tapped into the obvious, and realized that the Democratic field of candidates is already far too saturated, and divided amongst itself, for his own candidacy to do anything but increase his name recognition.
Maybe he can even write a book about it.
2
@ubique Why not? It's Mike Huckabee's ricebowl.
Whoever the next Dem candidate is, their big advantage will be not being Hillary Clinton. Trump won largely because, for whatever reason, thousands (millions?) of people would have voted for anyone but Trump - except Hillary. And still she won the popular vote by plenty. Throw in Russian electoral vandalism, vote suppression and a quirk of the system and here we are.
8
I'd guess few Times readers would disagree with me that climate change is by far the single greatest threat facing the US and the rest of the world and it's literally an existential one.
My (rhetorical) question: do really want our next president to be an individual who, charming geek or otherwise, is demonsratrably in the pocket of the oil and gas industry?
13
Because the Republicans won 57%, 59% and 58% of the white voting majority for McCain/Palin in 2008, Romney/Ryan in 2012 and Trump/Pence in 2016 there is no space nor time for a white Democratic Party male to make a meaningful difference in 2020 against Trump.
Because the most loyal and long suffering Democratic Party base aka black African Americans will not turn out and vote for the lesser of two evil white girls or guys ever again.
Unless and until there a black African American woman at or near the top Trump will triumph again in 2020.
1
@Blackmamba,
Hmmm...maybe.
Then again that old mensch in the rumpled suit won over more young POC in the last primary than Trump 'n HRC.
Combined~!
Sen. Sanders latest Harvard-Harris polling numbers have him at 73% favorably amongst AA, and 68% fav. amongst Hispanics. 80% amongst Dems.
His name is now known. His policy's and history are better heard 'n understood.
https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/329404-poll-bernie-sanders-countrys-most-popular-active-politician
It would be a shame to not turn out for politician that could/wants to, change their/our world.
How about we vote for the best PERSON, no matter gender, age, color or sex.
VOTE BLUE, no matter who...
2
"nice guy" who doesn't believe in democracy. Hickenlooper forced fracking down the throats of several cities that wanted to limit fracking activity...minor setbacks from homes and schools...by suing the cities.
When citizens initiated a ballot vote, Hickenlooper indicated he would overturn public will with the legislature if necessary. Colorado is experiencing air quality problems above the safety level for fossil fuel factories and who knows what has happened to the precious water table in an area of the country where water is rare and where colorado river water feeds the whole west. The man is an abomination to democracy and an oil and gas hack.
9
@corrina Well said. A pharmacist in Colorado had her children's blood tested and the tests showed Benzene and other fracking chemicals.
6
The Colorado Supreme Court has upheld the same approach as Hick, and both the Democrats and Republicans. Mineral rights are property, and if you're taking someone's property, you need to pay for it.
So, pay them.
Just because you couldn't understand that you don't own the mineral rights when you bought your home doesn't mean you suddenly can please ignorance.
1
We need him to rum for the Senate instead: it is vital thatthe country gets a Democratic majority in both legislative branches.
6
We do not need Hickenlooper for President no matter how nice he is to his ex wife, which seems irrelevant. He has ruined the State of Colorado with fracking right up to school yards and housing developments and using all the clean water in smaller towns for fracking instead of drinking. Colorado is now a polluted mess.
6
Pretty much when Hickenlooper said his first priority would be to meet with Mitch McConnell I was done. The Senate Majority Leader has done as much to wreck this country as any man in the world. He doesn't care about healthcare or infrastructure. He only cares about power. He denied the constitution by denying Obama his Supreme Court pick. He should be arrested and charged with treason.
If Hickenlooper is that naive that he believes that McConnell wants to work with him then he's too naive to be president.
9
There is no secret weapon Hickenlooper is dangerously out of touch. His thought as to what he would do is 'go talk to Mitch McConnell in his office.' This will do precisely nothing. The US is not Colorado where maybe he can meet with other folks at a brewery.
3
Please, this is a People Magazine piece. We are in a life and death situation here on earth. (Jeff Bezos knows it; that's why he's planning on a fleet of spaceships to take his, and other plutocratic offspring somewhere else.) We need radically different policies. Trump isn't the disease; he is a symptom. The disease is winner take all capitalism. Please, NYTimes, get serious this time.
4
@Rick
Do you mean Elon Musk, or is Jeff Bezos also planning a Mars colony for his family?
They will have a longer lifespan if they save this planet instead.
1
A smile versus a scowl?
A real businessman versus a reality-TV businessman?
A Publican versus a Republican?
Who knows? Hickenlooper is not my first choice for President in the current line-up, but I would be fine filling in the oval next to his name come November 2020.
2
Another attempt by the NYT to foist yet another center-right, corporatist DINO on the voters. We are living through a four year nightmare thanks to the DNC and its stenographers in the media insisting on a center-right corporatist in 2016.
Turn it into an eight year nightmare by nominating a male version of Hillary Clinton? No thanks.
3
I don't know if John Hickenlooper has a secret weapon, but happy warriors (e.g. AOC dance video) are much needed in the political realm right now!
I'm a Colorado native. I watched this silly goofball as Denver mayor and then as Governor. Good grief. This guy is a dolt that didn't do anything other than rely on his pack of power hungry staffers to pay off political favors to each other. Colorado has done well despite him - not because of him.
The economy here is vibrant with no thanks to him. He is just a politician trying a new, corny angle to higher office.
2
Reagan--an antidote to Carter's malaise. Clinton, an antidote to Bush's seeming lack of contact w/ real Americans. Obama, a thoughtful, considerate antidote to Bush 43's goofiness. Trump, an antidote to sanity. We frequently swing from exhaustion with one presidential style to a different one. If that's the case, Hickenlooper would be a wonderful antidote to Trump. A Westerner...not an an east coast elite. Not a bomb-thrower. Toward the left end of the spectrum, but not crazy, like Bernie and the emergent democratic socialists currently in vogue. And a decent guy.
Don't know yet if he can show the graviatas needed, but for now, count me in Hickenlooper's camp.
3
This is the epitome of access journalism.
1
Can we trust the judgment of someone who wears the wrong type of shoes for an arduous hike?!
And, dumbly keeps going, problems and all?!
Sounds like someone who perseveres or is a fool! (Or, both!)
Why no mention of Governor Jay Inslee of Washington who appears to combine upbeat personality, working across the aisle, and a progressive agenda?!
Also, what is a Times columnist doing getting so cozy with a politician?! I like Mr. Bruni's writing, but this column reeks of a conflict of interest! He's endorsing a friend for president...
1
Hick can do calculus, reads alot, and knows how to tell a joke - much like Abe Lincoln.
Colorado, where recreational pot became legal ahead of all 50 states, oil and gas drilling continues with major bipartisan support, nearly all coal plants and mines have been shut down, emissions standards and electric vehicle initiatives match California's, and where NORAD and the AF Academy hang their hats - is unfortunately going to be back in the limelight.
The Republican party ran the grandson of a KKK leader, Walker Stapleton, for governor last year (he lost). Journalist Alan Berg was machine-gunned in Denver in an assassination in the 1980s by White Supremacists (he died). Radical racist hate groups are scattered throughout the mountains between the ski resorts.
Colorado economic growth has favored a narrow demographic and geographic band along the Eastern Slope and the Front Range. The Eastern plains and the Southern edge of Colorado are poor, and not experiencing the same boom times as Denver.
I am a Republican and Conservative, but attending party meetings is like attending a prayer meeting in the antebellum South - Colorado Republicans are totally in the thrall of Focus on the Family and other Evangelical Neo-Confederates. I vote Democratic.
So we should dispense with the Colorado happy talk and cut to the chase. You may find that Hick will do the same.
78
@UTBG Hickenlooper is a centrist and consensus-builder. He can be maddening because of his seeming reluctance to take a stand. I don't know if it's the polls or he really likes to think things through and mull over the different sides to an issue. Nevertheless, he was an effective governor and got things done for Colorado. Would be a good antidote to divisive era that the USA is in now.
14
@UTBG As another conservative Colorado Republican, I completely agree with you. You even recall the murder of Alan Berg in 1984 by white supremacists! What a shameful and terrifying crime. John Hickenlooper often infuriated me as governor, but he did a better job than any of his competitors would have. You and Frank both omit that the reason he can do calculus, real mathematical calculus, is that he was a petroleum geologist before the bust in the early 90s when he started a brewpub in the slums of downtown Denver to make ends meet. He made realistic, middle of the road decisions about oil and gas drilling as governor trying to protect the rights of people on both sides of the issues. His worse mistake, in my estimation, was pushing gun control measures that were more appropriate for metro Denver than for the state as a whole. My limited personal exposure to him revealed him to be considerably more irritable than Frank indicated. But overall, as a John Kaisich supporter in the last presidential debacle, I think Hickenlooper would do a better job than those with no executive experience like all the senators lining up to say, "Look at me, me, me." How about a Kaisich/Hickenlooper ticket. It would never happen, but I could get behind that.
11
@Condelucanor I am not a conservative but I strongly advocate that ANY sane Republican vote for whichever Dem gets on the 2020 ticket; Why? The current Republican Party has been veering off the rails these past years and with Trump it's gone over a cliff. Some course correction back to the middle needs to happen - this next election.
9
Let me be superficial for a second, because sometimes superficial is the truth. The common voter didn't understand or care for Hillary's talking in paragraphs. The common voter definitely understands beer. Beer is going to be the superficial reason why John Hickenlooper gets a look from the voters.
2
@chandlerny Reagan was so wrong about most things, but he was right when he said, "If you have to explain, you lose." It's the Democrats' Achilles Heel, for they actually want to govern well.
2
The Republican Party in Washington is waging asymmetric warfare. They cry that government is dysfunctional, that government is the problem. And then they go about proving that -- they obstruct everything when Democrats are in power, which proves them right and helps them to gain power (see 2016).
Then they do horrible things when they are in power, like eliminate as many regulatory protections as possible, trash our international relationships, mortgage our future economy to give fat payouts to billionaires, demagogue on immigration and women's reproduction, and suppress voting rights for people who might vote against them.
And it is all working out perfectly for them.
So how does Hickenlooper think he's just going to get a beer (or earthworms and small fish?) with Mitch McConnell and sort it all out?
Republicans don't want government to do ANYTHING that helps people -- it damages their brand.
FOX News--once it views Hickenlooper as a threat--will end this discussion about "nice guys." I wish it wasn't true. Bernie--who I like--has the same problem. So far FOX News (to whom the entire Republican party is completely subservient) views Bernie as a useful tool. They will view Hickenlooper the same way. Until one of them wins. Then---everything Bruni just said will be out the window.
1
I’ve lived in Colorado for the last 25 years. I’m fiscally conservative, socially moderate, and environmentally liberal. From Day 1, it was obvious that Hickenlouper is an entirely different type of politician. As a Democrat, I will definitely support him. More importantly, my Republican father would ALSO support him.
6
Hichenlooper is an odd last name but that's about the only "negative" i see in him.
John Hickenlooper has experience in various fields. He has been successful in whatever he tried(Including running a business) so he knows that expenses must be paid and not become more "deficits"
A soft speaker who gets things done,quietly.
After these past two years, we need John Hickenlooper as our president.He's my pick over all other of the Democrat candidates for president.
1
With a wealth of qualified candidates, we will have tough primary choices on the democratic side. If someone can muster the courage to challenge DJT in the primary, that may lead to some better alternatives if we end up with a choice on the left that is to polarizing to win in the general. I like Hickenlooper too, but also like Jay Ensley. That could be a powerful ticket with real experience at the federal, state, and local level. Either one at the top would be ok, and I think it would really change the dynamic to have two from the Western USA in charge.
1
@Tom And a wealth of unqualified and highly ambitious ones also. Are the Dems actually ready for a candidate that people with balanced minds can vote for?
I was a resident of Denver during the Hickenlooper years as mayor and governor. He came to both jobs as a learner and quickly became an effective Chief Executive. I am pretty sure he would duplicates this performance as Chief Executive of the United States.
He, like President Obama is a no drama guy in public but like all Chief Executives can deliver a good blistering when it is deserved. He has also established himself as a champion of the oil and gas industry. The economic result on the state has been positive but the environmental effect negative. How he would perform as president in this regard is, of course, unknown.
I am not aware of any skeletons in Governor Hickenlooper's closets - unlike President Trump. However, be prepared for a republican attack on any democrat that defeats President Trump.
2
Speaking as a longtime Front Range guy, Hickenlooper is much beloved here. He's not perfect, but he's pretty darn close. And John Doe, Exene Cervenka, Billy Zoom, and DJ Bonebrake will play at his inaugural, by golly. (Hick and John go way way back; Hick often shows up for X shows in the Denver area, which is mighty cool to witness.)
Hickenlooper seems like a good candidate, but I'm also very interested in another "nice guy" candidate (with a much shorter name!) Jay Inslee from Washington - a successful governor and a call for the environment.
3
Will Democrats do the smart thing for 2020 and nominate a likeable, pragmatic-but-still-progressive white guy who's from the middle of the country? Someone who the swing voters in states like Wisconsin, Ohio, Michigan, and Pennsylvania who were somehow persuaded that Donald Trump of all people was on their side could see themselves switching parties for? Someone who doesn't hand the Republican attack-ad producers a pre-written script full of scary references to socialism, unisex public bathrooms, abortion on demand, confiscatory taxes, and government-run health care? No, they won't. The appeal of a Warren, Harris, or Booker will prove irresistible for starry-eyed primary voters. The Trump campaign will happily, and for many voters, convincingly accuse them of all of the above. And the worst president in American history will probably be elected to a second term.
4
Hickenlooper seem like a nice guy and would be great at gently explaining why you just need to be patient and that your request that he makes your like easier is unrealistic. Ponies, he may say. How is he going to pay for your healthcare as you face mounting medical insurance premiums and sky high deductibles and where 40% of those that declare bankruptcy due to cancer still have health insurance? He'll be that affable, sunny uncle who will tell you, sure, every other industrialized democracy has a Medicare for All system that is less expensive with better outcomes, but he needs to build consensus with the Republicans. If they are unwilling to go along with it, then he's sorry. What an inspiring message to run on. Personally, I don't want a sunny Ronald Reagan type spewing platitudes and compromising with the Republicans. I want an FDR.
2
Some thoughts from a long-time Colorado Front Range resident: Colorado has just under 1 million Republicans, just over 1 million Democrats, and 1 1/4 million independents and 3rd party registered voters. We are not purple, but purple-ish - you don't win statewide election without appealing to the center.
Background: Oli industry geologist, Business Owner and Brewer, Mayor of Denver, Governor of Colorado. A very strong background in business, administration and government.
As for Hickenlooper's record, it's a centrist mix: Democrat who is ok with fracking but opposed legalizing marijuana. Overall, his voting record is pretty centrist. I wonder how this will play in a polarized electorate.
1
So many candidates.
Not one of them is perfect. This guy took money from fossil fuel companies. That woman was not particularly hard on crime. One guy has a habit of sticking his foot in his mouth (though he's not a candidate yet). One woman thinks she's Native American. One of them used to be a dedicated anti-LGBTQ-er. Some are centrists. Some are liberal. Some are - gasp - democratic socialists.
So, are we agreed that not one of them is perfect?
Great.
On the plus side. They are extremely smart. They are driven. They are dedicated public servants. They have a firm grasp on policy issues - and on reality. They care about this country and they care about their constituents, whether in a congressional district or statewide or national (again, he's not in the race yet). The best of the lot will rise to the top, and I would hope that all Democrats will heartily endorse and vote for the ultimate candidate.
7
Hickenlooper maybe a nice guy, but he lacks charisma and gravitas. Democrats need someone that comes across strong and can capture the hearts and minds of voters. Democrats need someone that will be able to push back at Trump's nonsense. This is a new age where we have a crude president who's mantra is take no prisoners, just punch back with stupid nick names, lies and innuendo. Hopefully, that candidate will emerge over the next few month. The 2020 presidential election is going to be very rough and tumble and the Democrats needs a rough and tumble fighter, not casper milk toast.
3
Another famous Hick, Abe Lincoln, got many similar comments.
1
Republicans refused to work with Obama on anything, even on Republican ideas like Obamacare. When he abandoned even suggesting single payer as a health care possibility, they still called him a socialist and called Obamacare a government takeover of health care. Hickenlooper needs to have a track record and a strategy for dealing with this, because it is probably what the Dark Money will throw at him.
Trump was and still is exciting because he powerfully projects going against the establishment that has managed, under both parties, to not deal with some of the core problems it promised to handle. Hickenlooper will sound to many like more of the same empty promises on the core problems. Bernie does not sound like that. Some people are turned off by Bernie and want a moderate consensus-builder, while others are turned off by moderate consensus-building (which ends in gridlock or steps too small to be effective) and want something that is basically new.
Hickenlooper represents exactly what we need at this point in our history--a constructive problem solver.
3
I suppose no one should expect to get everything they want in politics, either as the politician or the constituent. Compromise defines our democracy like no other.
But ever since Reagan told the American people that their/our government could not be trusted to carry out its assigned duties, the Republican strategy of "starving the best" took hold. The legions of anti-tax lobbyists such as Grover Norquist highjacked the party and the nation.
Divisiveness became a whole lot worse seeded first by Alan Greenspan's determination to deregulate every industry he could think of to "release the creativity of the free market." Then, along came Newt Gingrich, seemingly driven by some inner voice telling him, "What's the point of having power if you can't abuse it," [suggested by NYC shock jock, Don Imus, after the Dec. 1995 shutdown]. Gingrich drove animosity to levels not seen in 50 years. And it has not slowed down.
And so, as a resident of Colorado since 2008, (and from 1972-78 before that), I love this state. And, Hickenlooper has done a fine job, though he has made his mistakes as every politician has. (In Durango, in the Four Corners regions of the state, our beef with the governor, as with those who came before him, we are unable to get Colorado news out of Denver TV stations. Instead, our TV umbilical is firmly attached to Albuquerque's networks. Go figure.)
I don't know if Hickenlooper is strong enough for the national stage but I will give him strong consideration.
1
"Nobody likes a candidate whose name they can't spell." (Fiorello)
Democrats need nice at top of ticket, attack dog as veep.
3
Hickenlooper, like John Kasick, is sensible, collegial and seeks workable solutions. However, they both lack the glitz that is necessary for success on election night. Voters seem to prefer form over substance, e.g. reality TV hosts and bartenders.
3
I am new to living in Colorado and therefore to Hickenlooper. But if Frank Bruni sees Hickenlooper as a good candidate, I feel comfortable at least seriously considering that opinion.
And his name recognition will come; who could forget that name?
1
Hickenlooper's record on fracking and the oil and gas industry bothers me. How about another governor who is positive, affable, can work across the aisle and also has a long record on issues of fighting climate change before it became fashionable: Jay Inslee of Washington state ? Inslee has Congressional experience as a representative from WA where he took hard votes on banning assault weapons, which cost him his seat. He had the guts to do it. He has executive experience as a two term governor of a dynamic state with a thriving economy. His down to earth positive style is one that could play well in swing states and the Midwest, and he can present ways to fight climate change that create jobs and economic opportunity. He deserves careful consideration as he has most of Hickenlooper's positive qualities and more, while avoiding his negatives.
2
@Michele Ya, a governor who actually helps his state have a strong economy, what a monster.
2
OK, he's a nice guy. But we all know he has no chance. Zero. As with about 10 others "running for President" who have no chance, he's cluttering up the Democratic primaries to audition for VP or a Cabinet post, build name ID to run for something else, or just out of sheer vanity. In the process, they are turning the most serious election in my lifetime into a zoo. At least Mike Bloomberg -- who has more reason than many others to think he can run because most people know him and he can spend $1 billion -- is mature enough to recognize he can't win and turn to helping other Democrats.
1
In today's Democratic Party, I'm afraid that if Hickenlooper starts to look like a plausible nominee, he will be denounced, and shouted down, for being white and male.
3
I'm disappointed that Hickenlooper is choosing the egotistical path of running for President instead of doing the best thing for the country which would be running for the Senate.
3
@ikebonus: Agreed. We really do need to get rid of Bennet and Hick would be a nice replacement.
You mean Cory Gardiner, not Michael Bennett, don't you?
Yes, he does; have a secret weapon.
His ever changing pot legalization policy, probably pro when he's lit and con when he's not, should define him. If that's possible.
Joe. Bernie. Howard. How many more OWG have to declare, before they get the hint, OWG need not apply.
@Mike The recipe for a Trump landslide in the Electoral College, even if he does shoot someone on Fifth Avenue, is Bernie, Warren, Gillibrand, and/or anyone the likes of them or AOC. You can't ignore the demographic called "the majority."
4
He seems to be as prepared for hiking as he would be to be president - as in not at all.
1
Sigh...not another peanut farmer, please.
I don't like all of Hickenlooper's positions--particularly in the area of gas and oil production which has turned a formerly agricultural county east of here into miles and miles of industrial ugliness combined with equally ugly subdivisions (and among them a house that blew up and killed two men because of underground gas lines that had not had odor added to them). But he's an honest man who treats others honorably. Unlike our craven senator Gardner, who licks Trump's spittle in private and pretends that he's not a far right misogynist in public, in Hickenlooper you get what you see and that's very refreshing.
2
Hick's secret weapon will likely be every bit as potent as Martin O'Malley's: Less than 1% of the vote in the Iowa caucuses.
There's no way the far left-wing Democratic base will go for an old white guy who isn't a self-described socialist. And right now the far left-wing is controlling the Party. If the economy holds, up, my guess is that the Dem's will nominate a far-leftist, resulting in something like this:
McGovern: 17
Nixon: 520
2
As more or less a libertarian who (very) reluctantly voted for Trump, I would really consider voting for Hickenlooper, or a similar moderate. But we all know the emerging progressive wing of the Democratic Party won't give me that choice. Hickenlooper is far too moderate (sane) for them to nominate him. Ironically, Hickenlooper would beat Trump pretty easily imo, but he won't get the chance.
1
I can share a story about our former governor, Hickenlooper, to shed some light about him. One time, he ran into a story about the effort of Ralph Carr, our governor during the 2nd World War, in resisting sending Japanese Americans to the internment camps. Ralph Carr, a republican, once famously said that "If you harm them, you must first harm me." Hickenlooper was so moved and fascinated by the story, and he went to a library and spent half of a day there to research Ralph Carr and that segment of Colorado history. This should tell you a lot about this guy -- generous and curious with a gental heart (also like to research and read!). What's a contrast with Trump! By the way, Trump. as recently as during the 2016 republican primaries, still refused to denounce the Japanese American internment policy, and of course, he never goes to library nor read.
6
Hickenlooper stands no chance. Let's be frank: for Democrats to win they must nominate a woman to get out the vote. And women will come out to vote in the primaries and it's not gonna be for some old white guy, not Hickenlooper or even Bernie. The question is whether exurban white America in WI, MI, PA, OH, FL will vote for a woman. Never underestimate racism or sexism in America, not when people are in the privacy of the voting booth.
2
Chickensouper! As a Denverite, I believe he has the temperament, the grit, and the intelligence (ha!) to be President. Of course, it doesn't really matter, the government is irreparably broken.
1
One thing about Hickenlooper, even Fox and Limbaugh are going to have a tough time demonizing him. I see him as someone who would be considered a reasonable alternative by many folks who voted for Trump last time. If he's the nominee I think the Dems will win.
2
A good article informative about the substance of the man. Similar in tone to Beto O'Rourke. What amazed me about Beto's effort to unseat an entrenched Ted Cruz was no polling. On hot issues he answered from his head and heart. He is not asking how do I pander to voters? He assumes he can lead by being himself. Hickenlooper exhibits a similar quiet confidence. Good luck to both.
1
Given how the American people elect politicians these days, I think the best thing going for Mr. Hickenlooper is that has has a name that is fun to say! Maybe he should create a realty TV show the really pull ahead in the polls.
3
Hick is just OK. Like his former breweries and restaurants, nothing special.
It would be great if the Dems had a POTUS candidate that wasn't an ambitious idiot specializing in pander.
3
Here we go again. A "nice guy" "affable" "one we'd like to have a beer with." When are we going to stop expecting our leaders to entertain us, and start asking whether they can do the job?
I don't know whether Hickenlooper can do the job or not. This article was woefully absent on his policy positions. But I know I don't care if he's pleasant: I won't be hanging out with him. Is that affability going to get the job done? What happens when he has to do battle with a recalcitrant Congress?
I'm not saying I endorse her (it's too early) but I do know Elizabeth Warren would get the job done. And I don't care if she's part Native American or is awkwardly grabbing for a beer.
6
I am so looking forward to learning and listening about the superior individuals who are running for office, they are named we might not know but we will know their policies.
We are going to have so many knowledgeable people giving us insights and facts and policies that worked for their states,
What an opportunity to learn that we haven’t had since Trump entered office. We have listened to the half and distorted truths. Seen our flag being disrespected and listened to profanity from the current occupant in the White House,
How novel to get back on the path of thinking vs the art of the con,
It’s going to be outstanding for us to learn and the world to see we are coming back.
4
Stop the nonsense that Hillary lost. She did not. The election was stolen, period. In 20 years we will know the truth. Today, we need to be aware that 25% 0f voters are registered Republicans. 35% are Democrats. FACT! Hillary won the popular vote and voting irregularities in several states question the authenticity of the results.
Those who I know who voted for Trump in Pa. would not vote for him today. Stop the negative thinking and get out the vote . Challenge irregularities immediately. Do the groundwork and push back on the media circus of seeing him able to last to 2020 and/or win. We have a list of candidates that have potential along with this one and one will rise to the top . And then it will be the fight for our Democracy. We have been in a Civil War without guns folks. so, let us do it . lets win back our democracy!!!!!!
9
There’s a third type that combines the sunny and combative, the “happy warrior” like Al Smith—or FDR, for that matter. But perhaps in our neo-puritan times the species is extinct.
1
Is it his wig? It's his wig, right?
He'll have to tack left on the environment if there's any hope for him. He didn't earn the nickname "Frackenlooper" for nothing. But if Biden doesn't get in the race then I think he has an outside chance. And why not? A pragmatic president with gubernatorial experiencr will be well positioned to get some relatively progressive legislation passed. Better so than the Leftists (who I prefer on policy), especially if they're unwilling to embrace ending the fillibuster.
2
Governors Hickenlooper andf Inslee stand in stark contrast to the nasty sewer that is the Trump "administration."
Are Americans ready for "nice" public servants, or do they want fascist/gangster liars posing as "people of faith"?
2
Fantastic, Frank! You sold me on Hickenlooper as just the right combination of traits and accomplishments for the job!
Negotiating or pacifying or reaching across the aisle to bad faith Republican criminals and liars who have neither conscience or shame and who consider compromise surrender is all but useless. Haven't we learned anything from Obama? Or from Clinton? The Republican Party is a criminal conspiracy masquerading as a political party and should be prosecuted under the RICO Act, not accommodated, engaged with, coddled or appeased. No more bipartisan kumbaya nonsense, it gets us nowhere. No more Mr.Nice Guy. We are not interested in saving, reforming, or reinventing the Republican party - we are interested in ending it, permanently, as a political force in America. Hickenlooper many be a swell guy, affable, unflappable, even effective, all of these are admirable qualities. But he's not what Democrats need. It's war, and we need a nominee who will fight Republicans like the liars, criminals and traitors they are; not engage them in futile "dialogue" or bipartisanship that earns only their barely veiled contempt.
6
@Ignatz Farquad -- YES to all of this. And I want to add that after the aggressive misogyny of Trump and the Republican party as a whole, I for one need this warrior to be a woman. A nasty, charismatic, smart, fierce woman.
4
Wow. An entire column on Hickenlooper, and not one word about his positions or what he stands for. Great job, Bruni.
4
Yes, and before his restaurant he was a geologist and then proceeded to sell the state to oil and gas when he was mayor and then governor. Their money? That’s his true secret weapon.
1
What an interesting run up to Nov 2020 it will be. With Hilary and Bloomberg out, all that is left to shape up the Dem field are Biden and Brown. With or without them the field has amazing diversity. What a difference from 2016 with the pre-ordainment of Hilary.
3
Hickenlooper is a likeable guy with a great sense of humor. I was first introduced to him when I started receiving emails from him campaigning to keep the name Mile High Stadium on the Broncos new stadium and not sell the naming rights.
When he ran for Mayor one of his issues was parking meters. He had the goofiest ad with a change belt strapped on feeding meters.
When he ran for Governor he refused to run a negative campaign...though it helped the Republicans ran horrible candidates.
He is not just a guy you would like to have a beer with, he would be the bartender serving the beer and making jokes at his expense.
I didn't agree with everything he did. His position on fracking for example. But he was a good governor considering the confines of our Tabor Amendment and the fact we had a split government.
2
No matter how sunny the disposition of the next President he or she will become a very angry and frustrated person unless the Democrats are able to gain control of both houses of Congress. If Mitch McConnell is still in charge nothing good will happen.
4
I don't know. Taking a long hike in the wrong shoes sounds like bad planning.
But that is exactly what we will be dealing with come the 2020 elections. Planning appropriately for the long hike to the White House.
I am not from Denver or Colorado. But I am from a place where change must take place in the election. And unless Trump gets challenged in the primaries, the burden of this change will be left to a Democrat.
I will be paying attention to Hickenlooper as he is a more centrist Democrat. In my heart, while I will most likely vote for any Democrat, I believe that a centrist has the best chance of drawing the attention of swing-voters, the mystery magic that will vote against Trump. I am not ready to bet the farm (another 4 years) on a ticket that swing-voters can't vote for.
Just like Republicans up for re-election worry about a primary challenge, I too worry that Democrats will elevate a candidate that the swing-voters can't vote for. If Hickenlooper appeals to that group more than any other Democrat, then yes, give him the baton.
But the day is early, the time is much, and the burden is great. Let's wait and see.
2
It's time we place the political ideology of Clinton and Obama where it belongs - Center Right. Somehow politics in the USA are shifted to the far right with respect to the rest of the world.
While the rest of the world enjoys cradle to grave care for every citizen we work two and three jobs to maintain a similar lifestyle. I live in a constant state of fear that I am one chronic illness away from financial disaster and family ruin knowing that everything my wife and I have worked for could be lost through no fault of my own. My Italian cousins protested in the streets because public university tuition was being raised to $2000 a year while my son owes $60,000 for his education at a public university.
If the AOC and Sanders are socialists then the Right by comparison are Fascists. While socialism has endured in the US through Social Security, Medicare/Medicaid, and public schools raising the standard of living for millions of Americans the GOP keeps that standard in check by promoting unneeded tax breaks for the wealthy, fighting against reasonable gun safety laws, and imposing religious beliefs through anti-abortion and anti-LGBTQ legislation.
Americans desperate for change, already on fire, helped elect Trump. Now that fire has spread ready to burn down the institutions that helped create it.
Do we douse the fire with an appeal to the status quo or do we fan the flames of substantive change and improve the lives of all Americans?
I'll bring the marshmallows
6
The senate is more important than the presidency. Hickenlooper, O'Rourke and Abrams would best serve this nation by running for the Senate -
7
Hickenlooper seems to be the only Democrat in the current candidate field who can siphon away moderate Republicans.
I know, some NY Times commenter here will claim there are no moderate Republicans...
And that's exactly why Hickenlooper is the only one who can beat Trump.
3
To me, the most striking metaphor was that after decades in Colorado the man still didnt know enough to wear the right boots. Is he equipped to be President?
4
What the Trump presidency has exposed to the public on a daily basis is the dark side of humanity---segments of our population who feel they now have the permission to be openly racists or sexists, or fascists, or just plain mean spirited. There is no morning in America at a Trump rally--- just caricature of those characters in a Mad Max movies chasing what is left of morning in America. I know there is the temptation on the part of Democratic candidates to bring out those same tribal feelings from their constituencies. But this would be a mistake---I believe our public is tired of Trump's middle school roadshow--not only do they want morning in America, but they want American democracy to work again.
4
Although I voted for Hickenlooper twice, I am disappointed with him. The Republicans kept running doofuses for governor so Hick was the choice. But....Hickenlooper is wishy washy on so many issues. He fails to take firm stands on controversial topics and tends to avoid substantive discussions involving detail. The Hick is more of a Fred Astaire type - - dancing around all the time. Not a good choice up against a moral degenerate like Trump.
3
The biggest weapon HIck has in his arsenal is that he would take votes away from Trump. He’s very likable unlike Trump, but he also has that “businessman” handle that registers with Trump’s cult. On top of that he’s very experienced in governing. His biggest hurdle is getting the Democratic nomination. After that it’s a one-sided victory against Trump.
1
If Hickenlooper’s strategy for a successful presidency depends on finding common ground with (moderate) Republicans, then he’s deluded and doomed to failure. They live in their own bubble where government is inherently evil, compromise is weakness and rich, white men know what is best for everyone.
5
@Brian Noonan
Well put.
(And happy upcoming st. patrick's day.)
I’m a native of Colorado.
John Hickenlooper is the best thing since sliced bread.
I’d have him even if Trump was Vice President!. But the ticket that wins is Hickenlooper/Warren, either order.
1
Hickenlooper is a very different breed of politician, one who defies easy categorization as liberal, conservative, or even moderate. What he is, is expansive.
He is a Democrat, but as governor he (and quite a few Democratic legislators) opposed Initiative 97 because of the economic impact on the state. Many say this makes him oil & gas's pet, but his argument was well-reasoned. He also opposed the legalization of marijuana, because he was uncomfortable with the lack of controls, but when the measure passed he didn't throw a Trump-like petulant fit, he went to work trying to make it work for the state. This is the rare politician who doesn't go looking for a fight, he goes looking for a compromise. A lot of people have forgotten that politics is the art of the compromise, so it's easy to demonize him for every time he went in a direction that didn't get a certain interest group everything they wanted.
But look at the state of Colorado. Perfect? Absolutely not. But no matter where you live, tell me you wouldn't trade the economy and quality of life in Colorado for yours. Tell me you wouldn't rather have a president who works toward compromise, who doesn't crow when he wins or throw a tantrum when he loses.
The single goal remains defeating Trump in 2020. Look at Hickenlooper's record, read his positions. This is a very, very promising candidate.
2
OK, next profile Pete Buttigieg. I have heard three interviews with him and he comes across as sincere, positive, confident, articulate, intelligent and knowledgeable. He’s also young and pleasant-looking with a great smile. It’s hard to not be impressed.
1
@Sandy Hate to say it, but too young. And gay. And therefore not electable. Yet.
Hickenlooper, nice guy, "pacifying instead of inflaming." Pacified the oil and gas industry by letting them frack under homes and schools.
All the hiking for the cameras, and stories about how well he gets along with his ex-wife, and entertaining guests when he had a fever... I couldn't care less. Let's hear about his voting record, not his personality. He listens to people? Which ones?
105
@Peter His record is wonderful although a person living in CT might not really have any idea of that. Exposure to extreme progressivism indeed distorts perceptions...
15
@Joe
"Exposure to extreme progressivism indeed distorts perceptions..."
What does that mean? Peter demands what we all should and you go right-wing on him?
12
@Joe
Check his voting record on fracking. I did.
12
The steadfast refusal of you dummies to ever actually understand what happened to you in 2016 and why ensures it will keep happening. No matter how many times we tell you dopes its not about trump or his tone, you keep hammering away at things no one cares about. Trump clearly loves and cares about america and you all very clearly dont. thats your issue. but you keep whistling past the graveyard.
1
Try to retrieve a podcast or other record of Hickenlooper's appearance on "Wait Wait Don't Tell Me" a while back. Without trying to, he came across as smart, funny, unpretentious, and knowledgeable about much of the world (remember when we had presidents about whom we had no doubts that they actually learned something from their formal education as well as their life experience?). After all this time with President Loopy, I think a President Hickenlooper promises a life-saving, world-saving change. Let America Breathe Again.
3
All I see from the hiking incident is unpreparedness and stupidity.
2
@Richard
To be honest, that was the first thing I thought of too.
Here's a guy from Colorado who apparently doesn't know or has a staff that don't know or didn't give him a heads up about the proper footwear to use when traipsing around the Rockies.
That could be a warning bell ringing in the distance.
But I am still keeping an open mind. Too early to tell one way or the other. All presidents and politicians disappoint. It's just a matter of time and degree.
3
I'm from Denver, and I'd vote for him in a shot.
Beer pubs and legalized pot? The guy's a shoe-in. He's got the entire electorate covered.
4
Hey, whoa, wait, what? AOC dances!? Who knew? As everybody DOES know, dancing leads to politics and that can't be good!
1
People aren’t going to vote for someone whose name they can’t pronounce. Too many syllables!
1
Will John Hickenlooper be the eventual nominee? Who knows? But here is a little advice for whomever that person does turn out to be.
Democratic presidential candidates need to distinguish between what they need to do to *get* elected versus what they need to do once they *are* elected. These are two different things.
The eventual nominee will have to make it through the gauntlet of the general election. In order to do so, a moderate stance would be the best path. Here are some "moderate" issues:
o Nuclear War. No one wants to be incinerated in a nuclear holocaust. No one. Trump has been playing with fire with Russia, Iran, North Korea, and the Saudis. Think "Daisy" ads.
o Climate Change. One problem: a recent study indicates that people appear to become used to extreme weather events, induced by climate change, in as little as two years. Still, bringing back the Obama-era policy of natural gas as a bridge to green energy would not be radical while moving us in the right direction.
o Education. A push to buttress public education (after the DeVos era) would align with the thinking of most voters.
o Social Safety Net. Protecting Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and Obamacare would be part of a centered agenda.
o Taxation. Repeal the tax cuts for the wealthy!
o The Economy. Better wages, better jobs; robust job retraining for displaced workers.
*Once elected* the president can push more for other issues, such as #MeToo and racial equality.
Everything in time.
4
No, Hick has no secret weapon, no energy, no vision, no following and no money relative to Bernie's $20 million. His campaign is solely focused on burnishing his brand in hopes of a cabinet appointment. Sorry Hick. You're just not going to fit in a Sanders/Harris/O'Rourke/Warren/Booker/Klobuchar administration.
1
Frank, we are on the brink of a western collapse. Let's focus more on ridding a con man cancer and his GOP enablers.
3
"I'm against SuperPACs....but if you're a SuperPAC,,,,please send me lots and lots of cash."
Hickenlooper, like all the other dem candidates,,,,,is a poser. Not to be believed.
just another tool of the DNC Political Machine that controls the self-deluded types that call themselves "democrats".
1
And . . . he plays the banjo. Pick banjos; not fights. I've been interested in hearing from Hickenlooper since 1) hearing him on Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me and 2) visiting Denver for Climate Reality training. If you are looking for a dark horse in the race, he may be a good choice. He is my kind of Democrat.
1
We recently had a president who was affable, usually upbeat, and sought to bring us together rather than divide. Maybe it will happen again. Are we worthy of it? Time will tell. Right now, a lot of us are getting what we deserve for not caring enough for our democracy.
@Michael If you're speaking of Reagan, he was hardly a uniter, except to unite people in anger and bias. If you're speaking of Obama, he's a Rockefeller Republican in drag. I'm done with affable...
Whenever I read any of Frank Bruni's pieces about presidential candidates, I always think I'm in a bakery, looking at different layer cakes, all of which look enticing and intriguing with the look of brilliance and promise. But then I read some of the comments from people who come from the area where the candidate is from and garner a more realistic, first hand experience of what the candidate has and has not accomplished thus far.
Such is the case with Governor Hickenlooper (or as commenter Carol Friesen pointed out, "Governor John Chickenliver"). I think it's extremely important to keep a balance, an open mind, and to weigh the many aspects someone like Governor Hickenlooper has to offer. I like what I've read thus far from Mr. Bruni. I like the fact that he has manners, he is well educated and that he is "upbeat, affable and allergic to drama"
That being said, sometimes a president needs to be STRONG warrior rather than a livid or happy one. Courting people rather than confronting them when the need arises is not always the wisest action either.
I think it's too early to tell how this man will fare throughout the campaign trail. But the one thing he does bring to MY table is hope and a strong sense of possibility. That's more than what I have from a host of others who threw their hats into the ring.
I'm giving Governor Hickenlooper the benefit of the doubt in thinking his hiking boots were made for walking, and they will walk all over Trump.
1
" . . . a style with substantial measures of goofiness and geekiness but barely a pinch of truculence. "
Goofiness? Oh, great . . . just what we need, another Gary Johnson.
1
I luved in Colorado and worked in Government in Denver for many years before retiring. I saw Hickenlooper get elected Mayor & then Governor. He transformed Denver from average to the best economy out of all the States to #1 currently. He is extremely smart. i watched him grow from a political Novice to a political genius. What he did for the City of Denver, DIA airport and the infrastructure of Colorado was truly remarkable. He can be tough as nails if that is what is best for Colorado and he knows how to get the job done. He is also all inclusive for all races and all people & Denver is known that Hickenlooper has transformed Denver into a Major city where all religions and all races feel welcome. In his many restaurants He was known for hiring no matter your sexual orientation,race, or religion. He would be one of the best Presidents I think this Country has ever had and has the character and disposition to win back respect & trust from our Allies & at the same time make brillant business decisions. He owned alot of businesses he built from scratch & never filed Bankruptcy like Trump. I hope America seriously puts him up against Trump. People will be very impressed when they hear Hickenlooper speak & realize what we have been missing for a true leader to lead America and make us proud again.
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@Dianne Allen
Plus his name will never put off the rural folks.
How can anyone HATE someone named Hickenlooper?
Seriously though, if he's as good as you say then Bring Him On!
14
@Dianne Allen
Thank you for your remarks. Well said.
6
@Dianne Allen Even though I'm more or less a libertarian, I would consider voting for Hickenlooper. He did good things here in CO. That being said, I won't get the chance because the emerging progressive wing of the Democratic Party will never let such a sane and palatable option win the nomination.
6
As a Coloradan, i am proud of what my governor has been able to accomplish, and accomplish is the main word. He understands business and people's need's and find ways of bringing people together. So much more, and he is pleasantly goofy in an authentic way. If he wins the primary, hands down, he's my guy.
We tried all that hopey-dopey stuff with Barack Obama. But it doesn't work when the other side is dealing in bad faith. We needed a junk yard dog back then, and we need one much more now.
1
"...he happened to spike a fever shortly before we eight guests arrived. He nonetheless hung in there, bantering with us for hours as if nothing was wrong."
(He wasn't concerned about being contagious?)
1
I have a better chance at being POTUS than this guy.
The leftist Dems will never nominate a non-leftist pro-America person to a national ticket. They Dems are way too far off the rails they are now the party of anti-Americanism, statism and socialism.
Trump will win the same way Reagan did in 1984
2
John Hickenlooper is a Ronald Reagan Democrat who still is a Democrat.
While he has Reagan's charm and sense of humor, he doesn't have Reagan's political depth or experience as a governor of California. He doesn't write books. He hires ghost writers. He doesn't think. He moderates and, like Reagan, he sells.
He winks at corruption in the Denver Police Dept. He's a Democrat, but not a Socialist.
Hick would be a political consultant's dream. And he would flunk fund raising. But the Socialist Party would take care of that problem, just like it's destroying Trump so Hick wouldn't have to.
Indeed, while Trump is demonizing Socialists and the Socialist Party, he's not paying much attention to Hick. And he won't until it's too late.
As for earned, free TV and social media time, Hick would destroy Trump. Fox doesn't have nightly comedy shows. This is good for Trump.
But the major networks do, and Hick would dominate them. He's a funny guy. Young voters wouldn't be able to get enough of him. We're all sick of Trump.
As a new, charming character, Hick would be heard while Trump would be tuned out. We're sick of him.
If the Socialist Party nominates one of its socialist candidates, sane Americans will vote for Trump, not for Venezuela or European socialism and dictatorships.
As a blogger, I covered most of the Hick vs. Tom Tancredo in 2010. Tancredo won every debate, but, as usual, Hick was lucky. He might be lucky enough to run against Trump.
#NeverTrump #NeverSocialists.
1
We don't need a candidate who can fight Trump, but one who can figure out how to ignore him. Then watch him self-destruct from a distance. And the NYT should ban him from the front page and create a special Trump page, somewhere in the back, that I can discard like the sports pages.
3
I heard Hinkenlooper speak at my niece’s graduation from University of Denver in 2006 when he was mayor of Denver and my only thought at the time was, “Why isn’t someone like this the President of the United States?”
1
In Colorado Hickenlooper is affectionately known as "Hick". That may play well in red states.
1
I’d like to think somebody like Hickenlooper is a threat to Trump. But I am also trying to think of a recent example where a “nice guy” defeated an egomaniacal, unethical, autocratic jerk to become head of state. Almost every one of these despots I can think of either was killed or otherwise died without giving up power voluntarily.
Granted, we are a constitutional democracy and Trump, who is certainly “unique” in our presidential history, can be voted out. But this is also a guy and a Republican party that will stop at nothing to stay in power. Examples:
Debunked claims of massive voter “fraud” (before and even after Trump won)—check
Attempts to rig elections? See massive gerrymandering by GOP legislatures nationwide and recent North Carolina example with Harris—check
Attempts to keep away likely opposition voters, such as by purging voter roles, illegally demanding documents in violation of federal voting laws (especially for people with dark skin), shortening poll hours and reducing the number of polling places—check
Attempt to scare legal immigrants into not voting, by threats of deportation and even threats of physical violence by white supremacist supporters—check
I hope I am wrong, but I don’t see a “nice guy” beating the likes of Trump. He will do anything to stay in power, if for no other reason than because it is the best way for him to avoid being criminally prosecuted. A bully needs to have his nose broken. I’m not sure Hickenlooper can do that.
42
@Jack Sonville "Egomaniacal". Thought you would have included the Clintons and not just Trump.
1
@Jack Sonville I too wondered how the nice guy Mr Deeds Goes to Washington would play in DC and on the national stage.
The answer in part is that Trump, and many of the Democratic candidates are self-defeating. Trump in particular is making himself lose, not someone pushing from the outside.
Campaign Debate Line:
Trump: "Hick, now there's a name for you! What's a Hick from Colorado going to do for the United States?'.
Hick: " I don't need to debate you to win - we are looking at a president who has already lost. I'm just delivering the news in November 2020."
Trump: "Noise. Insults. Gibberish..."
Hick: "Thank you for proving my point."
Hick's a smart, practical guy, and not afraid to play by his own rules. He will constantly re-frame issues to move forward, and that technique will be on display in the coming months.
I could do without the current folksy persona he's using at the moment, but I guess it plays in Iowa.
Stay tuned.
3
@Bob
Sorry, Bob, but the Clinton reference is a common deflection tactic used these days by people who cannot defend Trump. There are simply no relevant comparisons of Trump as president to ANY president who has come before him.
16
A white man who likes another white man for president. Have we not had enough old white men for president?
America needs women leaders, and America needs more minority leaders. White men have had centuries in leadership (of the US) and all we got is this militaristic police state you all love so much.
Witless how AOC questioned Michael Cohen, versus all the other white men, both republican and democrat...it was shameful, and Americans are so ignorant they cannot see a smart woman, someone who gets that we need to work for all people, not just those whom you like.
@Mogwai Can't we get past the identity politics?
1
Let us be clear, we got Trump because BOTH parties disenfranchised millions of people, particularly after the recession while helping those at the top of the economy. After getting promises from Bush and Obama that were not fulfilled, and then the Democrats nominating a pawn of money, Clinton, those millions retook their power and elected a brash outsider who promised to lift them up even if he had to destroy the system to do it.
We are now in presidential season, all sorts of 'progressive' and very expensive ideas are being thrown around, with nary a peep on how to pay for them. To quote a former Democratic President's campaign "Its the economy, stupid." To expand that just a bit and put it in context "Its Trump's economy, stupid." The cognoscente may discount this, but, in spite of his personal foibles, he has made millions of people's lives better, and until the Democrats recognize that and have a plan to address this their chances of unseating Trump are slim.
So now the Democrats have a choice to make: Do you want to keep pushing wonderful sounding ideas with no way to pay for them, or do you want to get serious about defeating Trump? What is more important to you, because you cannot, in this environment, do both.
36
@Bruce1253
Im just curious about the millions of lives he's made better.
Thousands are without adequate healthcare ,tariffs have
have held farmers hostage, wages are stagnant,tax reforms have benefited the mainly the wealthy and corporations.
We are entering the initial stages of an economic slowdown and recession . We are the laughing stock of the international community. What am I missing?
34
@Bruce1253 How about pushing wonderful ideas AND ways to pay for them? I'm seeing plenty of ideas that involve higher taxes on the wealthy. Realistically, there must also be higher taxes on at least some of the middle class. The trick is communicating how the benefits of those higher taxes will be worth the cost. Medicare for all? Taxes on the wealthy will be part of it. But everyone (individuals and employers) will have to pay higher medicare taxes. However, since citizens and employers will no longer have to foot the bill for private insurance, eliminating those premiums and deductibles will offset, in some cases completely, the added taxes. And unhitching health insurance from employers will also unhitch employees from jobs they'd like to leave. They will no longer be tied to their current employers for fear of losing coverage. Which will also give them greater leverage to negotiate higher wages, which employers will be able (if not necessarily willing) to pay, since they will also be relieved of the burden of managing health plans. Not to mention all the people who want to start their own businesses, but can't afford to pay for insurance on the individual market.
11
@Bruce1253
For those who point out all the problems Trump has caused, I agree. I don't want him as President either, but I'm not the one you have to convince. Trump promised to make people's lives better, if we use the Dow Jones Average as a gauge of the the overall economy, it is up 44% since he took office. That is what is going to have to be addressed.
Concerning the 'wonderful ideas', I'd like to have them as well, as soon as you tell me how to pay for it. There are only a few pots of money in the federal budget big enough to cover those expenses - one is the defense budget, it would have to be cut at least in half. The other is the entitlement programs. Who wants to go to the voters and tell them you are going to slice them? Someone? Anyone??
So unless he is removed beforehand, in 2020 the Democrats can expect to go up against a President who has a solid record of achievement in the economy and is one of the dirtiest campaigners we have seen in decades. I am suggesting that we cannot do this unless we have a solid, well thought out platform that specifically lays out how we are going to improve the lives of the average American. Right now, its not there. If we go up against Trump with what we have so far, we will get killed.
6
I very much like Governor Hickenlooper and his emphasis on combating climate change and saving our planet. I like his efforts at bipartisanship. But that approach didn’t work for Obama as Republicans were committed to defeating everything that Obama proposed no matter how good it would have been for the country. I don’t think being nice to Republicans will get any Democrat very far. Hickenlooper may be too nice to stand up to Republicans who are intent on only serving the rich. I hope I am wrong. I look forward to seeing Hickenlooper’s candidacy progress.
1
Mr Hickenlooper has started and run successful businesses. He capably served as a mayor and then as a governor. Along the way he has obviously developed real leadership skills. This puts him way above the other hopefuls, most of them legislators with law degrees and no demonstrated leadership or management skills.
2
I patiently listen everyday to a coworker who rants after getting fired up by Fox News and Brietbart. He goes on nonstop about all the other candidates except for Hickenlooper who he admitted today was “ok”. I was floored. I realize for him to be mad at Hickenlooper would be like getting angry towards Mr. Rogers. Hickenlooper is a super weapon.
81
I have lived in Colorado since 1975 and experienced first hand the state’s so-called shift to purple. It was a conservative state in 1975 and still evidences a stark divide at times between urban and rural perspectives. Interestingly there has been only one Republican governor in the 44 years I have lived here. We are fortunate to have elected legislators who want to govern, not divide. I have not always agreed with Hick’s positions (e.g.fracking set-backs) but then I have not expected to. I would love to see a progressive transformation in this country but cannot see that in our future until the divisiveness has greatly diminished. I want to see someone who can move us in a progressive direction AND get things actually done. Prefer someone I can respect to showmen/women. Hick may be that person.
1
So, with Hickenlooper in the running, will the question now become "Which candidate would you want to sit down and have a craft beer with?"?
As it stands now we have the least perfect president imaginable. Why for god's sake are we looking for a perfect candidate to run against him in 2020? I'd vote for Miss Piggy over what's in the White House today.
2
Hickenlooper seems like a nice guy. Good. Welcome to the club
Some people are trying to advise Democrats not to go too far, but stay cautious and pragmatic. He fits the role.
But the GOP doesn’t think it has to be cautious. They don’t care if they offend and outrage most of the population, and insult our democracy.
Only the Dems have to play it safe? Be 'pragmatic' ---stay within the policies the big powers that be will allow.
The GOP has often dominated our 3 branches of govt, and has had the biggest donors for all political offices.
Pragmatic? The GOP and their mega donors have been SETTING THE STANDARDS of what’s radical, or left wing, or centrist. Or doeable.
So our politics has to operate within the limits they set. And so does a lot of our media.
The result-- voters will be confused, their emotions manipulated.
The columnists and media are doing too much personality analysis. It's fun, but we need plain, simple policy comparisons to inform voters on how the proposed alternatives would work.
The examples and role models are out there---different states, different countries, our own past. Stop ignoring these as if they don't exist.
The media must fulfill its duty to inform voters on issues affecting their lives. What's a free press for?
Good luck John Hickenlooper. Gosh that's a long name---he explained it's from Dutch. It's almost as long as Alexandria Ocasio Cortes!
1
I’d vote for Hick, even though he is older than me and I don’t trust anyone older than me. He was a good mayor and a good governor.
His only downside, in my own opinion, is his relentless devotion to carbon. He stands up for oil and gas against property owners and towns and cities wanting safer fracking and drilling laws.
46
@Dave Brown
Many voters I know are single issue voters. My top concern and priority is the environment. If "Hick" is so pro carbon and sides heavily with the concerns of the oil and gas companies than the ordinary citizen, especially when it comes to fracking and drilling laws, then that would give me great pause in whether I would want another planet destroyer in charge.
Thank you for pointing out this intel. Apparently, more reading and research is in order.
11
That's is music to my ears....
As an ex Coloradan I have watched Mr. Hickenlooper grow as a man and politician. That he puts being a good man over being a politician is truly valuable. He is as solid as the mountains he hikes and would grow with his role as president as he fights for the needs of the country. perhaps I sound like part of his ad campaign, but we could do a lot worse than John Hickenlooper and little better.
3
Obama listened. He was respectful, thoughtful, and earnest. He reflected an optimism about America that I appreciated.
Yet he was ineffectual and weak. He was a centrist in a time when the middle class was screaming for help, and he never got the message. He offered ti cut Social Security and Medicare, not even as a bargaining chip, but because he thought it was he right thing to do.
Sorry Frank, but ideology will decide this election for me. If a candidate doesn’t have a credible track record on progressive economics, they won’t have my vote in the primary or in the general election.
Sadly, most of the Democrats running don’t have that credible track record. Which, to the not Russia obsessed, explains why Trump is president.
Voting for “affability” is a suckers’ game.
1
Today, I confirmed something I've not wanted to accept: Donald Trump can basically do whatever he wants. He will certainly win the 2020 election. How do I know this? It's simple really.
I'm on a temporary work assignment in central Michigan. This is ground zero as a place that put Trump in office and very little has changed here since the election in 2016. Obama is still regarded as Satan. Liberals are destroying American with socialism and identity politics. My colleagues believe that Trump can do absolutely nothing wrong. In their estimation, he has accomplished a lot of things in the last 2 years! He has lowered taxes. He has made the economy boom. He has lowered unemployment. He is stopping illegal immigration. One of my colleagues said today that he doesn't care if Trump is a jerk. All that matters is that he's making America great again! (I felt like I was listening to a religious fanatic.)
I think it's important to know just how powerful Trump's appeal is to a lot of Americans. Holding investigative hearings will only make him look better to his base. He can literally do no wrong. Things might change, but there isn't a Democratic candidate today who will capture the votes of those who already believe in Trump.
86
@mrfreeze6 I agree. Trump voters will not change. There is no point for Democrats to go after them. They are more than deplorable. Get someone who can win, whoever that may be. In my case, I will vote for anyone not named Trump in 2020.
20
@mrfreeze6 True, but in my opinion the contest will be decided by the entry of voters who decided to pass on voting last time. Many of them may be moderates who were unenthusiastic about each of the candidates in the previous election.
15
@mrfreeze6
The margin was close in 2016. His base won't change but I think a moderate Republican would be more difficult to defeat in 2020 than Trump. That's a reason not to impeach or go too far west of the Farallons.
The number of votes that went to Jill Stein and "Where's Aleppo" Gary Johnson alone made the difference. People who followed their heart or conscience instead of their brain gave it away and those who didn't vote essentially let others vote for them.
16
The former Governor of Colorado, which has a smaller population than that of Brooklyn and Queens NY combined, and the former Mayor of Denver, which has one half the population of The Bronx, is called Frackenlooper by people knowledgeable of the Climate Crisis and what is needed to address the coming catastrophe.
In 2013 he sued Longmont to prevent that municipality from banning fracking in its area, sued or threatened to sue Fort Collins for the same reason, and threatened to sue any municipality in Colorado that passed a ban on fracking.
He said that he drank the "food grade" fracking fluid made by Halliburton, and he said that shale gas and oil extraction/fracking had a fabulous track record and was proven safe.
Neither the United States, nor the World, needs Governor Frackenlooper.
3
We need more people in politics like Governor Hickenlooper.
The great excuse for ever more and deeper partisanship in this country is “You can’t work with them! They are completely unreasonable so don’t even try!”. Which, of course, is a self fulfilling prophecy and you, too, are the unreasonable.
If we elect more leveled headed and reasonable people, those who don’t put partisan rage and advantage first and are actually able to play well with others, we might be surprised with how well the government will function and what great things we again achieve as a country.
31
Good heavens, he sounds normal! He reads, writes and speaks well. He even sounds affable! Imagine the giant sigh of relief heard ‘round the world!
3
I live in a Colorado and watched Hick rise to mayor then governor. I love him he reaches across boundaries to get consensus. I am also a geologist and when Hick owned the brewpubs he hosted our monthly associations meetings there. He is still a member of Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists and has given talks on his early days as a geologist. He is the real deal.
1
It is a political tragedy that the presidential race begins at the moment when the Democratic party needs to be focused and united.
Instead of truly coming together with purpose, the candidates will now spend more than a year trying to differentiate themselves from each other.
What a waste.
@T Smull agree with you 100%-- let's hope someone in the party reads these comments!
Colorado Democrats who are in the know generally dislike John Hickenlooper, because he did not provide leadership to solve the biggest problems in our state. Remaining above the fray is not necessarily a virtue. We have three conflicting constitutional amendments that prevent our state from investing in education and transportation, and he did nothing to help resolve this problem, except appoint a conservative to the Colorado Supreme Court, which prevented a constitutional reckoning in the Lobato case.
A few years ago I received a robo-call from our governor. I have a program that often mis-transcribes my voicemails into texts. When I opened the call from the governor, it read "Hi, this is Governor John Chickenliver." I get a hearty laugh from my Democrat friends whenever I tell the story.
I'm glad he has a nice relationship with journalists in New York who don't have to think about education funding in Colorado, but please don't let him be president.
33
@Carol Friesen Really? Because I'm a Democrat from Denver and I really like Hick. He's a solid man and a decent politician. No one is going to deliver everything. He had to contend with a Republican controlled Senate, as you might recall. He isn't a king and he doesn't control the amendment process.
6
@Carol Friesen Remaining above the fray is most definitely not a virtue. Politics is a nasty game. If you want to be in it, you gotta fight. This was Obama's weakness, and it will be Hickenlooper's if this article is on point.
5
@Carol Friesen
Your phrase "Democrat friends" indicates that you have no friends who value the Democratic Party.
5
Have been very impressed by Sherrod Brown of Ohio. Aside from his physical attributes (now necessary more than ever) he is a liberal and I believe just what our country needs.
6
As a New Mexican, we admired Hickenlooper (and his beer) from the south when we had the "La Tejana" terrible Republican Governor Martinez. To me, he seemed to break the 21st century mold of what a politician was supposed to be. As a lifelong Democrat (since 1970), I believe he will enchant many Americans. Whether that will be enough to win the nomination and then beat Trump, essentially his opposite, is yet to be seen. Still, it's interesting to contemplate, and he would be much easier for me to stomach than Sanders, Warren, or Harris. That's my take on it.
29
I love that someone has the luxury of analyzing in this way. If you're well set up with health insurance, don't have a kid to educate, are making the wage of a NYT columnists these words flow pretty easily. If not, nothing much matters except your need for all these things. Getting out in the real world isn't just taking a nice hike with the governor of Colorado.
1
In other words, for the 500th time, vote for the center-right candidate, because that's what Mr. Bruni likes best.
And when you lose to the other party, so what? You're still getting a right-wing candidate, not one of those nasty leftists.
And when you win, and the public grows quickly disaffected with more of the same, so what? Your out of power a term or two, and meanwhile, you're not governed by a nasty leftist.
Works great! If you love the center-right.
2
If “prickly” is the worse that can be said about Hickenlooper, then we just might have a winner. Bottom line, the Democratic Ticket must have a woman on it, either as the candidate or as the running mate.
If he can be all that, win, and take on climate change, I'm in.
Sherrod Brown and John Hickenlooper ticket ? Ohio is a big bunch of Electoral College votes and Brown could bring in Pa, Mich, Wi too ? Colorado is a purple state. Could help with Texas ( yes it has a blue undercurrent percolating ) although that is a long shot. Then, eight years later, 2028, whomever is VP runs for president with a women on his ticket. Just a thought.
1
Maybe Hickenlooper is the person. I like the style. Let's see what his substance he can offer.
1
Distrusting Frank Bruni's writing on national politics is hereby confirmed. There are fact errors (Hickenlooper enacted gun control? Not here in Colorado) and fact omissions (he thinks fracking is good for everyone's health, botched some public transportation initiatives).
Yeah, Hickenlooper was a great host for you, Frank. I get it. Did you ever ask how someone who's lived in Colorado as long as he has could not know what kind of hiking boots would blister?
Overall, he is a decent man. In the unlikely event he'd win the primaries, I'd vote for him, then figure out how I can live with 4 more years of Trump.
1
Frank anything about what he wants to do as president?
2
I am extremely left; however, I'll vote for anyone who opposes #45 and the GOP of the last three or four decades.
If we could eviscerate every (GOP) politician who puts religion before policy, church before the Constitution, we would have a better country. These fairytale pushers never practice what they preach.
Hickenlooper, Biden, Warren, Bernie, Kamala--whomever, IDC. We do not have time for AOC to become old enough to run.
5
"Hickenlooper usually takes the view that if he’s open to and trusting of journalists, he’ll be treated fairly more often than burned."
Well I'm sold! If a Democrat trusts the media, what possible reason could a Republican have to distrust the media. It's not like there's and obvious double standards of MSM promoting Democrats while trying to destroy Republicans.
I don't buy it. The gravest existential threat to our imperfect, fragile democracy lives in the U.S. Senate. In the last four years Mitch McConnell has transformed the Senate from a legislative body into a partisan judiciary packing (or, when there's a blue white house, obstructing) machine. Under the McConnell GOP rules of engagement, *no* policy agenda from *any* Democratic Party president has a prayer of becoming law, *no* Democratic federal judicial nominee, whether to the Supreme or even a regular unleaded Court, will be allowed a confirmation vote in the Senate.
If John Hickenlooper really wanted to heal the country he would be running, not for president, but to defeat Cory Booker in the 2020 Colorado Senate race. Instead he's acting like just another selfish, fascist plutocracy-enabling Democrat in a field that is already too full of them.
Wouldn't it be great if the every NYT columnist eschewed covering any and all presidential aspirants until say Jan 1, 2020? It might help people focus on the more important battle before us.
1
He has all the right personality traits, and experience in governance, and that is exactly why, he will not prevail in the Democratic primary where the extreme will prevail.
What we need is moderation. Nature tells us to like the Bell Curve- the Golden Mean. Right vs. Left will not serve the common good.
As I recall, it was reported elsewhere that, if elected, John Hickenlooper plans to sit down and talk with Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell, the same Mitch McConnell who, on Inauguration Day 2009 vowed to make Barack Obama a one-term president, and who tried to obstruct everything President Obama wanted to do. President Obama tried his best to get along with Republicans and they responded with a resounding NO. I don't know what Hickenlooper would say to McConnell, but if he thinks he can reason with him to govern in the national interest, he is naive.
Defeating Donald Trump is, of course the primary objective of any Democratic nominee, but he/she should also have strong coattails to bring along as many Democrats as possible, especially into the Senate. The successful nominee should also have a credible plan for dealing with intransigent, obstructionist Republicans. Just being a nice guy is not enough. Washington is a lot nastier than Denver.
6
In short, Bruni would enjoy having a beer with Hickenlooper in one of his brewpubs. But, at least, it’s a column that doesn’t reduce the candidate to the level of political stick figure neatly positioned in a predetermined political box. I’m amazed that people so readily accept the media’s latest category of convenience. It’s hard not to notice that all candidates now fall into one of three distinct boxes with “The Third Way” being the latest to appear. There is no political spectrum to be considered, no nuance, just three boxes.
Every presidential announcement is swiftly followed by media assessment and placement. It’s lazy journalism, but more importantly it’s journalism that leads to voters seeing themselves sorted and categorized as well.
There’s little prospect of escaping the nightmare of Trump Inc. if we can’t find a way to see each candidate occupying a unique place on a political spectrum - a place worthy of thoughtful consideration. Embracing simplistic media categories means we will all lose in the end.
3
The greatest bona fide for any Democratic candidate for the Presidency is the ability to win over independent and moderate Republican voters. The second biggest requirement is that the candidate have the ability to calm the public chaos wrought by the far right, Fox, Limbaugh, and, of course, Mr T. As a nation we need years of calm progress toward political stability. While I support and agree with the farther liberal voices, now is not the time to force feed ideology on an unwilling large segment of our populace. While I strongly endorse extreme Climate Change mitigation policies, Medicare for all, extremely high tax rates for the Uber-wealthy, I also know that I am in the minority on these issues. We have been poorly governed by a minority party for nearly a decade. It is time for the majority to rule and allow the minority to be respectfully heard. A strong centrist Democratic Candidate can and must win. Go too far to the liberal left and we’d be throwing raw meat at the Republican dogs. Mr. Hickenlooper may fit the need.
4
This is my second read on Hickenlooper. He moved into my top slot reading the first and this article reinforces that. While it is certainly way too early to settle on a candidate, this one seems to make the most sense.
1
I heard Hickenlooper speak at my niece’s graduation from the University of Colorado when he was the mayor of Denver a number of years ago and the only thought that popped into my head at the time was, “Why can’t somebody like this be president?”
53
I have lived in Colorado since February 2011 and Mr Bruni is spot on. Hickenlooper is an optimistic realist. He is well educated. He was capable of talking to nearly the entire spectrum of Coloradans. People who he talked to, even if they remained in disagreement, felt like he listened, understood. How many politicians in today's world can do that?
On the other side, when need be, he could play hardball. His political opponents found that he was tough intimidate or slander. During our last gubernatorial election, when Colorado Public Radio interviewed people across the state, the longing for Hickenlooper, among Democrats and Republicans, was evident.
I only hope he isn't swallowed in the morass of candidates all seeking attention. Thanks to Mr Bruni for bringing Hickenlooper to many who may not have heard of him
6
Glad to see someone say he knows how to play hardball. "Politics ain't beanbag." FDR and RFK (at least by '64) could be sunny and sympathetic to those who were hopeless and hurting, but they were savvy politicians who knew how to cut an opponent's political throat in such a way that the victim wouldn't even know it until he tried to turn his head.
1
Hickenlooper and Beto are great, and should be in office at the state level where they can help the national ticket, register voters, and carry out grass-roots progressive policies, all important things.
Bernie and Elizabeth Warren should stay in the Senate and continue their work there.
Let's hope for a presidential candidate who can project positive values and initiatives and also street fight with the Republicans -- there will be no avoiding that, unfortunately.
One thing that seems to be missing in the standard Hickenlooper biography is that before he was a brew-pub "meister", he was a working geologist. He holds an MS degree in the subject along with a BA in English. So with him, we would not only get an experienced executive in both the private and public sectors, but we would also get a scientist and someone who is articulate, can write, and who knows the value of litererature. As a NH voter, I will be taking a very hard look at him in the coming months.
21
@R Laurence Davis
Good comment!
If someone can speak and write above the second grade level, then he or she is already ahead of the game in my book, especially with the present bar set way below sea level.
8
Good profile of the candidate, Frank. I'm just tired of the non-stop campaigning in America. From an protracted and controversial presidential campaign to the 2018 mid-terms, followed now by the prep for the 2020 with candidates lining up like horses in the Kentucky Derby, we citizens don't get a break. Congress does nothing. The President* has been in campaign mode since his inauguration. Time for campaign time limits and better financial restraints. This is a democracy and people have yielded their power to a constant barrage of promises and attacks. Amid rising seas, crumbling infrastructure and vanishing savings we should demand action, not all this enmity-filled hot air.
11
@Al Singer good point. But what would Frank and his fellow writers write about if it were not for the non-stop political fighting between all the those dopy politicians? Oh, right. I almost forgot. NEWS!
@John amen....you don't here too many complaints about the process from cable news networks either.
I liked this article. I think I like John Hickenlooper. I think he's a breath of fresh air. At the very least, I am completely open to what he has to say and to offer.
I just hope he has better sense and sound grounding when it comes to politics than his sense (or lack thereof) in choosing the proper footwear when climbing foot-high passes in the Rockies.
What really got my attention was his closing comment:
“I’m not trying to prove why I’m right or the other side is wrong. I’m trying to really listen to people.”
May he ALWAYS really try to listen to folks and not just pretend to listen and nod and agree to merely placate his audience.
5
I love that he believes he can sit down with people like McConnell and just work things out. I really do. I hope we get to a place in our politics where that is possible again. However, I think suggesting that has not been tried (by Obama, Biden and others) for years and that there is not a Republican party dominated right now by winning at all costs is naive. I want to know how someone will get policies that matter to people through our system. I want someone who speaks to the reality of dealing with people who are obstructive because they want to win, who are willing to do all kinds of things including prevent a president from choosing the next Supreme Court justice. This...In a speech that August in Kentucky, McConnell would say: "One of my proudest moments was when I looked Barack Obama in the eye and I said, 'Mr. President, you will not fill the Supreme Court vacancy.' "
Maybe geniality helps a lot, but Colorado mayors and legislators are not the Republicans in our federal govt right now.
9
I'm hoping for the kind of exceptional human being who appears only a few times a century. They are rare, and seem to appear only after things have passed a tipping point. I hope that this time we can avert catastrophe.
I'm looking for someone not so much between right, and left, but, between unrealistic extremes that can only succeed, by leaving millions feeling defeated. Confidence that “our choir is bigger than theirs”, won't heal any wounds.
A visionary who resides in a different middle - call it the far-middle - a place of common goals, and shared humanity, is needed. Someone gifted at bringing people together in that place; someone who can speak truth undeniable, in an inspiring voice that is honestly, sincerity, character, experience, wisdom, courage, intelligence, humor, humility, and contagious sanity. A voice that quavers with sorrow, at our divisions, and pride at what we can be, if, only we would heal. It's a place, of compromises, but also new perspectives that lead to innovative solutions strived for by a nation weary of division.
It is not enough to defeat “them” and wrest back power, leaving millions to feel that that they are losing, because “they” are winning. Can someone show us that without “us”, we are all losing?
I'm dizzy from having my head in the clouds; but, I know that the DSA is a nation that cannot stand.
In shadows, both far away, and right here, there are those who know this. They engineered it; and they are salivating.
4
Finally; someone in the fray that has actual governing experience. Not just another lawyer/senator that just 'wants' to be POTUS. Two term mayor of a major city, two term governor of a progressive state speaks volumes about this guy's ability to work across the aisle and his understanding of the ugly "C" word: compromise. Add in the fact that he was/is a successful businessman, and we've got us a legitimate candidate!
11
As a former Colorado resident, I felt Hickenlooper was generally a great governor. Thanks to his leadership, the legalization of marijuana (which he initially opposed) went smoothly. Colorado was the first western state government to get out of debt in the recession. Schools and infrastructure improved, He was able to govern with a divided legislature. My only question...Can he stand uo to a bully?
6
We are former CO residents (1991-2013), and we voted for Hickenlooper. He is a good guy, but there is one thing I cannot forgive him for. A small city wanted to ban fracking under their houses and schools. Hickenlooper stood with the oil and gas corporations, and so the state sued that city. I know that as home owners we did not own the mineral rights under our houses, but still, common sense tells me that fracking under my house or my children's school is and accident waiting to happen. There had to have been another way.
19
Well, a Hickenlooper/Klobuchar ticket would certainly win the Name Game, and have a lot of Middle America bona fides.
But I personally think, given how turnout is the real decider, and how turnout is still to a great extent tribal, that the Democratic ticket should have one mid-America moderate and one more progressive viewpoint, in order to maximize appeal--and it wouldn't hurt if one of those was a person of color, which is why Harris and Booker and Castro and Abrams will be in play even if none of them do well in the early primaries (voting suppression tactics notwithstanding, a lot of Hillary's losses in MI, PA, WI, FL, NC had to do with African American voters, particularly male ones, not coming out for her in the numbers they did for Barack).
And whoever eventually makes it to ticket, Democratic organizers would be well advised to spend a lot of time and money on phone banks, carpools, registration drives, text chains, voter suppression challenges. If Democrats can turn out voters, they will win--the demographics are sliding slowly but inexorably away from angry old white rural male voters, but they still go to the polls at much higher rates, and that's what needs to be countered.
11
The press loves a horse race and will do anything it can to create drama. The question is not whether someone is a moderate or a liberal, but what is the content of their character. Lincoln was seemingly moderate in his outlook, yet fixed on a singular goal: maintaining the Union. Yet while he said he would retain slavery if it meant keeping the union intact, and his emancipation proclamation freed only the slaves in the Confederacy, he knew he had to walk a fine line until he could win on the battlefield and drive a stake through the heart of that vile institution with the 13th Amendment. Is Governor Hickenlooper possessed of that character? We will see. But if Lincoln could proclaim after that bitterest of American divides a policy of malice toward none and charity for all as the means to bind the nation's wounds, we can only hope our next President will find the words and the way to bring us together again. Because we have proven time and again, a united America can end a ruinous depression, beat back despotism and world domination by evil, and land a man on the moon and bring him safely back to earth. All it takes is once again seeing our common purpose and for this we need a leader with the courage and the vision to point the way.
4
Here is the problem. Hickenlooper represents Colorado. If everyone in America were more like the fine people of Colorado, we would not be in this mess to begin with. Unfortunately, that isn't the case.
19
Nice column. "Optimism, warmth and joy matter." Absolutely, and well worth emphasizing when assessing the current crop of hopefuls. At the same time he's not running for president of Luxembourg. This is going to be more of a challenge than most people seem to realize. But I'm beginning to think Hickenlooper does contribute something important (as you argue). He was born in the middle-class Philadelphia suburb of Narberth (not Narbeth, as Axios has it), and the casual friendliness of that unpretentious town seems to shine through in him,
6
I live in CO. My son knows and likes Hickenlooper and that's enough for me, even if he is not as dynamically progressive as I (and my son) would prefer.
But the ideological tussle is not the issue. A president cannot - does not - pass legislation or change the world alone. There is enough known about Hickenlooper to give me confidence that he cares about justice for all, equality and our planet.
A good leader can be uncompromising about central values and still be gracefully pragmatic about the best outcome in any particular moment. Raging about an ideal outcome and alienating half the country is not useful. When I think about the Green New Deal or Medicare for all, I feel encouraged at the possibilities. I believe that Hickenlooper would support moving toward those ideals. But in the meantime, I'll settle for reversing the current course.
If I were a candidate, I'd do precisely the opposite of what many have done - Clinton and Obama for example. Too many candidates campaign to the left and then govern toward the center. I think a better strategy is to campaign toward the center - conciliatory, healing, understanding - and then govern toward the left, pressing the the bold, progressive initiatives that may give "socialist" fodder to the Trump campaign.
Many things are pressing, but none rises to the level of restoring decency and reason to the presidency and Congress. Many candidates may do that, but Hickenlooper seems very well poised.
40
@Barking Doggerel
I agree with you in principle, but the trouble with campaigning toward the center is that it fails to excite the base. And the first rule of politics is you must get out your base. Not that we should nominate a fire-eating Democratic socialist but it needs to be someone who appeals enough to minorities and women that they will turn out in numbers.
@Andy Point well taken, Andy. But in this unique case the imperative of removing Trump may be sufficient to get out the base, whoever the candidate.
4
"Optimism, warmth and joy matter. They propelled Ronald Reagan to the presidency."
A different time. A different Republican Party. Ronald Reagan wouldn't stand a chance of getting the nomination today.
As for seeing the "sunny approach," I am hoping the Democrats have finally learned that you don't bring a knife to a gun fight.
The Republican Party has become skilled at fighting political guerrilla war. The only way to beat them is to fight on those terms.
We Democrats want a champion in the lists, a Black Knight who will vanquish Donald Trump and all that he stands for, an Ivanhoe willing to tilt and to win.
Nice is nice, but it won't get you into the Oval Office.
4
Hickenlooper has plenty of his own funding to launch through the early primaries in places like Iowa and New Hampshire, and that will help considerably in raising funds from moderate Republicans and Independents.
His platform in Colorado has passed both Democratic and Republican legislatures, and the mix of support for the Oil & Gas industry combined with rational limits on gun control and expansion of Medicaid have played well enough with the voters.
The candidates in both parties may be facing the next recession as a campaign issue by 2020, and business development capabilities are extremely lacking in the collective group of Senators with practically no experience in the private sector.
I think Hick can take a large part of the Midwest, and parts of the South and West at the primary level, states that Sanders, Warren, Harris and Booker cannot.
So - we'll see.
15
As a Coloradan, I have known about and appreciated Hickenlooper for many years. I have friends who work in his administration.
I agree with Bruni that one of Individual-1's myriad offputting aspects is his personality, and that Hickenlooper (in public) is his polar opposite.
That said, two points:
1) Why, oh why, with more than a year and a half separating us from the next presidential election, are journalists writing so much about candidates now?
2) If they insist on writing about candidates, how about journalist focus on their proposed policies and ideas, rather than personality?
Enough with the "horse race"-type coverage.
33
@CB Evans
I agree. Plain and simply put, I cannot vote purely on how they look or what the "feel" like to the journalist. I need to know how they feel about, and will deal with issues, like Mr. Putin, the Ukraine, Venezuela, China, climate change, subsidized daycare, expanding Medicare to 55 years old or lower, high speed rail, infrastructure.........It's nice to be nice but how do you handle a crisis. Are you a leader and also someone of good character.
3
Who is ready for prime time? This is something Democrats need seriously weigh as they contemplate who they'll be casting a vote for in the primary. Hickenlooper is ready.
I'd really like to see the calculus in electing a president change. Right now it seems to be 80% personality and 20% track record. (Trump anyone?) We need to flip it around. I want to be bored by competency with our next president.
24
Sorry about the superficial take, but if he brought the wrong shoes to a big hike, in addition to being determined and sunny, doesn't that also make him unprepared? I'm not sure that is what we need right now. I'm for bold, progressive leadership that is aligned with the majority of what my fellow citizens want: safety from gun violence, heading off environmental catastrophe, ending corruption etc. I'm not sure that showing up to an ambitious climb without the right shoes, and then not complaining, is evidence of that.
6
@Rob
Bold, progressive leadership? Colorado is the first state to legalize marijuana. The state is reaping economic and job growth success as a result. Progressive, state gun control and healthcare legislation, and continued academic and national status growth of state universities! Progressive environmental legislation! Not progressive enough for you? What has the state of New York done in comparison???
8
Good opinion piece. I have no knowledge of Hickenlooper, but now i plan to learn more about his potential. Thank you. As many have said, it's far too early to assess the growing field of Democratic candidates. i must admit that none of the declared candidates to date, except now Hickenlooper, do much for me.
9
I believe Americans to be more Hickenlooper and less Trump at heart. Perhaps it is because of the need to stick together in an unforgivingly large country in the relentless westward expansion of the 19th century. Perhaps it is the inclusion of so many immigrants seeking a better life into a more favorable environment.
I am reminded of Norman Rockwell's painting, The Kansas City Spirit, telling the story of rebuilding K.C. after an historic flood 70 years ago.
Whether it is a small problem of blisters or a big one like a major flood, we roll up our sleeves and get to it.
Now we have more work to do.
8
Thank you for posing your opinion piece as a question and for adding "maybe". Too many pundits are already declaring things like "Jay Inslee has no chance" as obvious fact. Yet ,so far, he's the one I'm most excited about for his grand green vision that he appears to have the best practical and longstanding experience in implementing, and which I view as by far the most important issue. But, once again, pundits label and discount his "single issue" approach as a fools errant that doesn't conform to their polls or focus group results. Shouldn't they have learned their lesson in 2016 after writing off Trump and his beautiful wall as a complete joke when the actual joke was on them?
4
I agree. Hickenlooper would be fantastic as a president and would go a long way toward healing our ailing society. He could help put the extreme voices in the back and lift those with actual evidence-based policy ideas.
19
At this point, I'd be delighted to say "President Hickenlooper." Considering all that we've been through (and are going through) a name like that would fairly trip off of my tongue with delight.
11
Hickenlooper is essentially a republican in democratic clothing. He was a do-little governor, very pro-oil and pro-corporations. He used his super-delegate vote for Hillary Clinton when our state had a majority for Sanders. He is part of the democratic machine, not a free thinker and he is not going to cause any meaningful change. He was against our Marijuana initiative, while at the same time he made his money by owning a bar in Denver. We can't waste the bitterness of the Trump years by electing a middle-of-the-road, do-nothing Democrat.
8
Hinkenlooper has the unknown factor on his side. Outside of Colorado and its neighboring states he doesn't have automatic name recognition.
Unfortunately I'm still not overwhelmed by the potential Democratic presidential candidates so far. This time I'll opt for the wait and see approach.
6
Is this country too afraid to nominate, let alone elect, someone who's so far ahead of his time that he seems old fashioned? I'm afraid so. Hickenlooper seems too good to be true while hiding in plain sight. Kinda reminds me of a shrewd and dedicated yet folksy peanut farmer from Georgia who left home and changed the world. Alas, that was then, this is now.
9
@Guido Malsh Hickenlooper—a bar owner, divorced, supporting big oil over homeowners—is NO James Earl Carter! Not even close...
We need a candidate who can win key Electoral College states, like Ohio. Hickenlooper can do that. I have already heard positive comments from both Democrats and moderate Republicans who like him, as well as my 27 year old. Perhaps he will be the perfect antidote to 4 years of hatred, nonsense, ignorance, and incomoetence spewing forth from the White House.
21
@J.
The reason that Democrats lost Ohio, Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania is a combination of voter suppression and outright fraud. Count the provisional ballots and the Democrats won all four and also maybe Florida.
7
@Daniel F. Solomon
So what's to prevent fraud and suppression the next time around?
Barack Obama was essentially a moderate in both policy and temperament despite the GOP's constant attempt to characterize him as a far left, out-of-control liberal. Currently, Republican politicians have become so identified with the fringe elements of their party that even someone like Hickenlooper would likely get demonized. Voters in the 2020 election will be looking for something better than Trumpism, Clintonism, or old centrist neoliberalism of the sort which failed to protect middle class interests even as the 1%'s wealth and power grew. If the problem is that the right won't cooperate, then the solution is for voters to give Democrats majorities in both house of congress and for those elected Democrats to expand the Supreme Court to at least 15 justices to erase McConnell's unpardonable block of Merrick Garland. Pragmatic Republicans may then cooperate inasmuch as they no longer will be rewarded for clinging to a newly powerless ideological fringe.
7
A vote for Hickenlooper, Biden and the other "centrist Democrats" is a vote for making Trump a two-term president.
As one poster correctly implied, a "centrist Democrat" is really a moderate Republican. Equally, any talk of appealing to the 40 percent of Americans who would still support Trump after he had been incarcerated is just another effort to make Trump a two-term president. It is all about the fear of the other.
2
@John S. I would suggest exactly the opposite. A vote for a vitriolic progressive will only exploit and exacerbate the fear of the other and harden the lines in a fractured Republic.
20
@Horsepower
Newsflash: The lines are hardened and the Republic is extremely divided.
People need to decide if they are on the side of the fascists/authoritarians (Trump and the Republicans) or progressives/democrats (little "d").
While the Presidency is of great importance, the failure of Congress to take their rightful place as a co-equal branch of government should be a top priority in 2020. Congress should be running the operation of the USA. The president, whomever that will be, should be someone who knows about the rest of the world. I am not certain about Hickenlooper's foreign policy expertise. He sounds like he would make a more valuable contribution to Congress.
5
@Arlene The president's role is or should be more like a CEO. They direct the activities of complicated operations and are experts in wooing others who may affect the success of company growth. Senators and Representatives may have CEO experience but most do not. They are very good at promoting themselves with the press and large contributors to their campaigns. While these legislators may have more understanding of foreign policy and how government works they may not have the necessary skills of compromise.
Successful governors have these skill sets with the added benefit of dealing in a political environment. Their experiences are more closely aligned to the office of president. In my opinion, governors are more adequately prepared for the US presidency than legislators.
There is a difference between who may defeat Trump and who can "heal" the nation. A Leftist may win by exciting the base but will be feared and distrusted by half the country from day one, while a moderate may not generate the enthusiasm needed to win. I also don't see how a white male like Hickenlooper fits at the top of a party driven by racial and ethnic grievance.
1
@Chris
The party is driven by a sense of fairness, not racial and ethnic grievance. Though one may not fully understand how oppression feels if not himself oppressed, he might certainly understand what steps to take to further not oppress. That you say that a white male cannot lead the Democratic party effectively is like Trump's insistence that a Hispanic judge cannot be fair to him. The base of Americans that want this country to act more American is wider than you believe.
18
@Chris: It seems to be the Republican Party that is driven by the racial and ethnic grievances you note. Trump and his MAGA crowd have inflamed such hatred and fear of loss of white privilege to a degree not seen in years; the number of hate crimes is skyrocketing and Trump doesn’t even bother with subtle dog whistles. On the other hand, the Democrats are driven by a belief that civil rights for all makes us stronger and better. Equality is not a pie to be carved up that denies white men the large pieces they have always enjoyed at everyone else’s expense.
10
Light Rail in Denver is a regional system separate from either the Mayor or the Governor- RTD (Regional Transportation District). It is run by an elected board. Hickenlooper cheered it on, like many others from the local six county region, as well as from the State. But it was not particularly his project.
3
@Edward Brennan
AND, if you live in the Boulder-Louisville-Longmont corridor, Governor Hickenlooper and RTD 'gave' us buses instead the Light Rail trains we voted for and paid hundreds of millions in taxes for since 2004. Projected completion - maybe 30 years from now.
I have a hard time determining what kind of Democratic candidate will generate the most non-Trump votes. Part of me believes that the most passionate, change-oriented candidate will best motivate younger and minority voters, who are critical to the Democrats' long-term electoral success. That type of candidate would likely energize me as well.
Then I think about the governing process and what type of candidate, once elected, can actually achieve the change we want, even incrementally. This perspective points me toward someone with broader appeal, less ideological purity, and maybe less hard-edged rhetoric.
We on the left need to think about winning a long game, not just achieving an emotionally satisfying victory over our repugnant president. In other words, it is not enough to win, we need to be able to govern after we win and for a long time. We need to build a new consensus for the post-Trump era.
I do believe there is value to the administrative experience that a former mayor, governor, and business owner brings to the table. Most senators have never run anything and are primarily just politicians rather than managers.
I don't know the answer, but I think Hickenlooper should be taken seriously and I hope he is still in the mix when the field works its way down from 100 to three or four.
19
@CD In Maine "Part of me believes that the most passionate, change-oriented candidate will best motivate younger and minority voters, who are critical to the Democrats' long-term electoral success."
Are you talking about the ones that are never seen at the polls?
At this rate, it's easier to name who isn't running on the Democrat side than who is.
I hope all the Dems who have announced truly believe they're the leaders they think they are, can back it up convincingly and cogently with voters and whether or not they're nominated they'll work hard to mobilize and not divide voters in the general election.
In reality a number aren't really running for President but are either auditioning for office or rehearsing for their next run.
Some will impress enough people to find themselves in the next Democrat cabinet. Others -- mainly governors and House Representatives -- are positioning themselves for a Senate run or the statehouse.
But one reason all share is they get to raise money, lots of it.
With lots of money, they can convert their campaign committees into PACs and while campaign funds can't be used for personal expenses, they can be used to pay family members, staffers, related campaign costs.
Sen. Bob Corker is retiring with over $6 million in unspent campaign funds. Sen. Hatch has $4 million. All told 42 retiring House and Senate members this past midterm took over $50 million in unspent campaign funds with them.
The FEC would like Congress to pass new restrictions on unspent donations because it's easy to work around existing rules and the FEC has always been lax about enforcement.
These candidates may not make it to the Oval Office but they'll laugh all the way to the bank and back.
12
@Yuri Asian It is not surprising that there are a lot of Democratic candidates. Anyone who ever thought of becoming president (e.g., every member of the US Senate) will have to think long and hard before passing up a run when there is no incumbent running for re-election and no heir apparent or front runner. If a Democrat is elected President in 2020, unless the VP candidate has no ambitions, the clear field is closed until at least 2032 and possibly longer.
"Optimism, warmth and joy matter. They propelled Ronald Reagan to the presidency." Many wish to remember it this way. I wish Hickenlooper well and if he too is optimistic, warm, and joyful, I say, more power to him, but this is not at all how I remember Reagan. As I remember things he was characterized by liberals and the press exactly as Trump is described. I worked at the UC Berkeley bookstore as a student, and I remember the entire store burst into shouts of joy and applause at the announcement of his having been shot. He was nearly always mocked as an ignoramus. He was routinely dismissed as a 2nd- or 3rd-rate actor, a reactionary, and a war-monger. I never heard anything positive about him until he was long gone. Not that many didn't love him. But not liberals. Against his hard-line policies, the left countered with unilateral disarmament. Leftists supported the Soviets against their own President, calling him a war-monger. He called for the Berlin wall to be taken down; they wanted to build it higher and stronger. I hope Hickenlooper flourishes, but I would say that what he might take from Mr. Reagan is not the features of Mr. Roberts, but those of Reagan's high principals and courage. His "High Noon" stubborn determination in the face of near universal hatred and mockery. This is what stood Reagan in good stead; he went out there fearlessly and faced down his opponents while many cowards wished him ill.
6
@David,
Yeah...sure...cut 'n run Lebanon ring a bell?!
You do know your cheerleading one of the most corrupt administrations our Gov. has had...Right?!
"By the end of his term, 138 Reagan administration officials had been convicted, had been indicted, or had been the subject of official investigations for official misconduct and/or criminal violations."
That was until our current occupant tries to beat Ronnie.
What is funny/sad is how alike Donnie 'n Ronnie appear:
Jim Cannon (aide to Howard Baker) reported that Reagan's underlings reported " stories about how inattentive and inept the President was.... They said he wouldn't come to work – all he wanted to do was to watch movies and television at the residence." ( Landslide: The Unmaking of the President: 1984-88)
Lee Hamilton (Rep. from Indiana) in an interview with Haynes Johnson, told him:
"Reagan's only contribution [to the subject of the MX missile] throughout the entire hour and a half was to interrupt somewhere at midpoint to tell us he'd watched a movie the night before, and he gave us the plot from WarGames, the movie. That was his only contribution." ( Sleepwalking Through History: America in the Reagan Years)
Pres. Mitterrand asked Prime Minister Trudeau about Reagan: "What planet is he living on?"
The list goes on...
To think Pres. Alzheimer was called The Great Communicator. Just as our current self declared genius declared "I know words. I have the best words".
But hey, thanks for the chuckle.
1
He's getting lots of good press lately, though to give you an idea about the character/principles or lack thereof of John Hickenlooper...
Pari-mutual greyhound racing took place in Colorado from 1949 to about 2007. Six years after racing was gone and highly unlikely to ever return, Hickenlooper signed a piece of legislation into law that prohibited greyhound racing in Colorado.
To some folks, this kind of legislation is the very definition of overreach--an unnecessary law.
When asked the law while on a local KOA Denver radio show, Hickenlooper said to the caller, "Why do the law? It makes no sense."
"Governor, why did you sign the bill into law?" the caller asked.
"Because some legislators take their legislation very, very seriously," Hickenlooper said.
A law that he says makes no sense and he signs it. There's some reasoning for you.
@Marc Fremont - Sounds like he saw no harm in the law and would be doing a favor to the legislator who wrote it, by signing it. That gives him a favor to call in, in the future. That's how things get done.
14
@Marc Fremont Maybe he wanted to make sure the possibility of greyhound racing returning to Colorado was good and dead. You, yourself wrote it was "highly unlikely." That is not a synonym for "never."
1
Nicely written portrait. I feel as if I've met him.
"It’s unclear, too, whether a Democrat with a record as moderate as his has a chance in the party’s primaries."
I can only hope that DEMs will choose the candidate with the broadest appeal nationwide, one especially able to capture the minds of swing voters in the key swing states HRC lost to Trump, PA, WI, MI and FL. Hickenlooper sounds like he has potential.
In 2020 this matters FAR more than ideological positions.
3
John Hickenlooper by the way, is a graduate trained Geology Scientist.
If anyone has respect for the Earth and preserving and protecting our environment, it will be him.
He not only will reverse all the damage Trump has done reversing Obamba regulations on pollution, but will save America on the Paris Climate agreement Trump withdrew us from.
19
@Dianne Allen
Read further. Hickenlooper has advanced the oil and gas industry at great expense to democratic processes and to the air and water of Colorado.
Cares about the environment....my foot.
1
I worked at the Colo. Convention Center in Denver for 11 years. Just after the Big Recession,( during his second term as Mayor, I think) Hickenloopper was speaking, and afterward, we werer standing around in a service hallway waiting for people to start leaving. He walked by us, and stopped and shook our hands and said that things were going to get better and hang in there and thank you. (The Convention Center is a City of Denver-owned facility). He didn't have to stop, and he didn't have to say something to us--but he did!! Obviously, I still remember the incident. He may be a natural politician who can do something, even across the aisle.
16
As a Republican I should be worried sick about a massive Democratic victory in 2020, including capture of the White House. However, Frank Bruni's thoughtful presentation of John Hickenlooper as a nice guy committed to get things done through conciliation and bridge-building reassures me we would face another Barack Obama, willing to overlook the corruption of Iraq, the collapse of financial markets, and the disasterous Bush tax cuts in the interest of comity and reducing political conflict. Obama, far more interested in romancing Republicans that mobilizing Democrats, rarely raised his voice while my party ate his lunch. A nice Democratic president would enable Republicans to repeat our success against Obama. While some Republican leaders fanned the assault on Obama for racial reasons the core motives were to paralize his policy potential and his capacity to fill judicial positions. The great success of the Trump administration is that President Trump has been able to use corrupt behavior and alignment with Russian interests to cloak gutting of protective regulations and seeding the judiciary with extremists named to protect the interests of Republican financiers. How is a nice guy like John Hickenlooper going to deal with rampant lawlessness and manipulation? I am delighted he has training in science but how will that help him with Christian zealots pursuing culture wars on reproductive rights, gays, and tolerance? Democrats need to gut the Republican Party, not temporize.
12
@usa999 Amen. We don't need another pleasant but timid temporizer like Obama, who in my opinion is a Rockefeller Republican in drag who pretty much fully maintained the Reagan Restoration. (Lookin' at you, Joe Biden...)
Somewhat along the lines of your comments, it must be noted that though Bruni opines that Reagan's "optimism, warmth and joy...propelled [him] to the presidency," but Bruni overlooks the fact that Reagan's racist and anti-government dogwhistling and promising the equivalent of the MAGA softsoap propelled him just as much to his dubious "success."
I'm nowhere near sold on Hickenlooper, though his seeming stability and sanity are attractive. (I felt the same way about Amy Klobuchar until she imploded recently.) I need to know more about his alleged over-coziness with energy interests and fracking, and he has zip foreign policy experience.
Steve Bullock hasn't declared; he likewise has no foreign policy experience.
For now I'm partial to Sherrod Brown, who has a moderate personality that wins elections in a red state but has a sober-minded progressive bent critically needed right now. He has some 'splainin' to do about his first wife's restraining order, though she has supported his political candidacies.
The rest don't impress.
2
I want a 2020 Democratic candidate who can make "the other side", which is over 40% of the country, feel like they are not going to be shoved aside for the next four years. I want them to feel heard. I want them to feel their concerns are recognized and that they are respected as human beings.
Russia has worked hard to divide America--divide and conquer. Don't let Putin win this next election like he did the last one, so that we end up with a still strongly divided country.
More than a left, center or right America, we need a united America. We are all in this together, folks. Despite our many and sometimes extreme differences, we are ALL Americans.
I'm glad Hickenlooper has joined the primary race. He really seems to have possibilities. He may have the grace and graciousness we are so sorely lacking right now.
30
He has executive experience.
He solves problems, he is not a philosopher. He has achieved goals while in office.
He does not divide; he seeks to unite.
He was trained as a scientist, not a lawyer.
He will not alienate the business community.
The limiting factor on how progressive the legislative agenda will be will be determined by the Senate, not the White House. He will sign what makes it to his desk.
I'd take him over any of the declared Senators, and I'd take him over Biden as well (younger, more experience governing). I think all of the Senators running are best off as Senators. I want a president who has chaired a cabinet meeting and run a government.
13
We have these coastal elite senators like Harris and Gillibrand who have risen up the ladder by cozying up to corporate America, and suddenly now they're masquerading as the second coming of Bernie Sanders. To me it's all just a Trojan horse, or a bait and switch. Promise the world, deliver nothing, preserve the status quo.
Meanwhile, John Hickenlooper has a solid record of one progressive accomplishment after another as the chief executive of a swing state. And suddenly now HE'S the one who's not progressive enough?! Give me a break.
I'll wait to reserve judgment until I get a better idea of Hickenlooper's policy positions. (For one thing, does he support fellow Times columnist Jamelle Bowie's case to do away once and for all with the historical anomaly that is the legislative filibuster? You can't be serious about accomplishing anything if 41 senators from less populated states can block any and all meaningful change because they don't want to give the other side a win.)
Assuming Hickenlooper's platform lives up to my hopes, I can imagine how his would be the Democratic presidency that delivers the biggest and boldest change for the better. You don't score points for virtuous legislative defeats, and any president who doesn't make uniting us part of his or her core message has a lower political ceiling, however quaint and naive some of that unity schtick might be.
11
Hickenlooper may be a great candidate, but he's not going to be able to "heal us" no matter what kind of person he is. There's no reason to believe that the Republicans wouldn't do to him similar things that they did to Obama as way to obstruct and grab control.
7
Also he is a scientist (geologist) which brings understanding too many other politicians unfortunately lack.
14
"He jumped into the race on Monday as a long shot with limited name recognition." With a name like Hickenlooper, "name recognition" is one thing that won't be a problem.
Speaking of which, this is disturbingly like that old advertisement for jams, jellies, and nut butters, from the company with a name that sounds a whole lot like an obscenity for a male body part. The idea was that with such a terrible name the company had to be a wholesome family product and fantastic, because any business with a name that bad should be out of business based on the name alone, and especially considering its products. It became a running joke. When it sponsored the Tonight Show, Johnny Carson introduced it by saying that with a name like that, "it had better be good!"
However, the products were actually pretty average, and the company wasn't especially decent. The secret was that it was founded by a guy born during the Civil War, and the company now owns many other major brands of jellies and jams, many major baking products, and a whole lot of dog food.
So, the jam company with the terrible name didn't win because it was better or more decent, and it wasn't hurt by its name or an arguably terrible ad campaign. It won because it was bigger and more powerful, it controlled most of the market ages ago, and then bought out its competition.
Hickenlooper may have a non-confrontational "sunny approach," but that won't cut it, especially against Trump.
And, with a name like Hickenlooper...Oy!
3
When I first heard Hickenlooper would run for President I started laughing out loud.
You’re kidding me. Hickenlooper is corporate to the core.
On the amount of charisma he projects, minus 2 or 3.
Ability to inspire people to work for meaningful change. Somewhere around 1 or 2.
He is an oil and gas loyalist who consistently sided with the fracking industry in my state of Colorado. How likely is he to solve the biggest issue of our lifetimes, the climate crisis.?
In 2020 charming, moderate, and soft spoken is not going to cut it. We will need bold, creative leadership to inspire people and collectively solve multiple complex issues.
John Hickenlooper is not that guy.
21
@r2d2
How can a trained geologist side with fracking? No irony meant...
Yes, Hickenlooper knew how to get things done while mayor of Denver and governor of Colorado and is known and liked in the West. With his business background, he is pragmatic and believes in reaching out to rural areas with job skills training and inclusion, was able to strike deals and encourage big companies to Colorado. He is a centrist who believes in universal healthcare, background checks for gun control, and working on a comprehensive plan for climate change.
31
AND he started out as a geologist! Yes, it was with the oil industry, but what you need to know about geologists is that 1) they are trained to understand science, time, and the big picture, and 2) regardless into which field of geology they go, the vast majority respect and revere the earth, its beauty and its inhabitants. There are exceptions to those rules, but Hickenlooper is not one.
It's time that a scientist was in charge. Geologists also appreciate beer (it's practically mythical), which is why his transition to brewing was natural.
Incidentally, I'm a geologist, too, and I worked in the oil industry, also in Denver, for a few years as he did. I now run a nonprofit that specializes in geology for the public good.
21
@Greg Wessel
Google Scholar Hickenlooper and you find his one citation "Geology of the Slough Creek tuff, northern Absaroka Volcanic Field, Park County, Montana". Its only been cited twice. The guy got a Master's degree in Geology and then quit the science side of things.
1
@Greg Wessel Wouldn't we be better off with a cell biologist or astrophysicist?
1
@Greg Wessel
Ryan Zinke is also a geologist.
For me, this article further supports the idea of a Hickenlooper-Kasich or Kasich-Hickenlooper unity ticket. Both are from purple states, and yet get stuff done. Both prioritize climate change. Both are "can do" uniters.
Think big, Democrats, Independents, and "Never Trump" Republicans. Unity is the antidote to the division on which our current dead-end system depends. Perhaps "WE the People" can do this?
10
@Elizabeth FYI, Kasich is to the right of most of the Republicans in the Senate.
4
@Rocky
Thanks for that opinion! On what issues, Rocky? It will help me to be more informed--thanks!
Frank Bruni's brief sort of endorsement of John Hickenlooper makes me believe that Hickenlooper could step up to the podium on Inauguration Day and in the words of Gerald Ford convince us that "our long national nightmare is over". That quality alone means I will give him a long look as the Demcratic candidates to Dump Trump emerge.
12
As the comments from my fellow Coloradans show, Hick is liked and respected from both the left and right. His sincerity and record makes him a candidate that can swing the voters who went for Trump. And while he is a dark horse for now, he’s very savvy with political ads. He won as a long shot for mayor based largely on his commercials. No matter his opinion, he respected the will of the people, maybe that does make him the anti-Trump.
21
A close friend of mine sponsored a fundraiser with John Hickenlooper when he ran for mayor in 2003. Hickenlooper was running in a primary against two strong contenders and his polling was at the time of the fundraiser a dismal 9%. Nonetheless, he prevailed as he has in every endeavor he has committed himself to. He is bright, quirky, self-effacing and transparent. He may be down in the polls, but don't count him out!
18
The Trump experience is what happens when the body politic fails the people it is supposed to be representing. When we as a society set up a system that in order for some to win, most others must fail. When they do fail, we as a society decide to protect the winners and abandon the losers. When it becomes us versus them, when fear of the 'other' is what motivates society, Trump is what you get.
If we are to learn any lesson from the Trump experience, it is that a system that produces both extreme wealth and abject suffering, is not working. In a nation as rich as ours there is no reason for people to be starving and homeless. We know how to fix these problems, we just don't care.
Societies have inertia just like any large body, if we want to change our society by making it more fair to all, then we must show that our way will be good for the people at the bottom, middle and top. We will not be able to go as fast as some would want, but if we can improve the lives of the majority of people, they will be willing to listen to further proposed changes. There will be times when we can move forward, others when we must abide where we are and allow society the time to absorb the changes that have already taken place, and there will be times when we must back up because we have either chosen wrong or moved too fast. It is important to remember, this is not a plan for this quarter, or this year, this is a generational shift we wish to make.
8
Jay Inslee also looks like a winner.
8
@Monty I hope Inslee's candidacy has a long run, but only so climate change gets top billing as much as possible. It is the critical issue of our time - no, make that the absolutely compelling emergency issue of our time - everything else pales beside it if one takes half a minute for perspective.
Other than his usefulness for that issue, Inslee is affable but hasn't impressed much as governor of our state. He's not a strong executive or a compelling leader, and we need those qualities in the Oval Office and in foreign relations. There's an awful lot on our plate right now and for the foreseeable future.
1
@Monty From what I can tell here, he's also a good man.
It won't work for a basic neurological reason; anger is the more primitive and motivating emotion. Anger of the sort that Trump instills in his base hijacks rationality and brings people to the polls. Niceness is a more advanced, less aggressively motivating emotion. People smile and stay home.
To win, Democrats must punch back first, and be nice only after they are elected.
7
@David Hartman
I don't think he is nice., whatever that word means.....I think he is authentic and there is a huge difference. Call me silly, but I believe that authenticity will win
9
@Debra
The argument against this (and I wish you were right) is that Republicans win year after year after year on anger-inducing issues. They instill resentment against the "elite" while being millionaires and selling what's left of their principles to the highest bidder. They are completely inauthentic, completely psychopathic and know how to play the game to win.
As a Never-Trump Republican from CO, I could easily get behind Hickenlooper. He's been a fine governor. But honestly, if the Dems put forward someone like Bernie or Harris or Warren, I would have to take another hard look at Trump....just sayin'.
I also like Castro.
10
@DocMark- I, too, like Castro!
@DocMark
Do you mean Joaquin or Fidel?
@DocMark #votebluenomatterwho
Don’t know anything about the man except what I’ve read recently in The Times. Yes, smiling through blisters and blood on the trail is a positive trait. Better, however, would have been to avoid the wounds altogether by wearing the proper gear for a hike in rugged terrain. You’d think a guy from Colorado might have a clue about that, right? Assuming he can afford wool socks and a pair of decent hiking boots, and aside from his cheerful demeanor, what does the anecdote actually tell us about the man?
11
@AnthonyBrown: Do you really care what kind of shoes he was wearing? You can get blisters even if you're wearing the most hi-tech hiking boots ever made. So. The anecdote doesn't tell us anything about the man.
Been there, done that with 35 years experience living in Colorado.
1
@AnthonyBrown
It says that he is not a whiner and can take his lumps. Right now America could really use an even tempered guy.
@AnthonyBrown
Anecdotes can only go so far but if you want to know something about the man consider what he is not (dishonest, lazy, manipulative, dumb, melodramatic, vindictive, disgusting, etc). What he isn’t is why you never heard of the guy.
I would say three things about him, traits that could really make us great: pragmatic, energetic, focused.
Mr. Bruni has it! I've long said that any candidate that is capable of saying, to Donald Trump, essentially, "Come on Donald, grow up" with a smile on his face is a candidate that can win for Democrats in 2020. (That is a nearly direct quote from Joe Biden.) If Mr. Hickenlooper has that personality, I'll vote for him because he can win.
Angry rebuttals to Trump's Clown act will simply stir up Trump AND his base to hit back 10 times harder. Instead, with a smile and gentle words treat him like the 2-year old child that he emulates having a temper tantrum. The very last thing you want to do for that child is to give him and his mindless supporters a stage for further acting up.
26
A nice profile, but sorely lacking in specifics about what, exactly, Hickenlooper would bring to the task of leading the United States back from the Trump caldera.
Despite all the negativity about Amy Klobuchar being mean to her staff, she checks many of the boxes I believe most Democrats -- and most Americans -- will want: experience in crafting and passing legislation, a commitment to fixing health care starting with getting a rein on costs, getting deeply involved in climate change polices, starting with the symbolic but important move to bring the U.S. back in to the Paris Climate Accord, vigorously opposing corporate mergers and acquisitions not in the interest of consumers, and many others.
Besides all that, we will need a person comfortable in his/her own skin, has steely resolve and a sense of humor. These will be needed to disarm Trump and turn him into the blubbery child he is.
The default position for the campaign is that Trump is a corrupt, venal grifter who needs to be tossed out of the White House head first. But the successful Dem candidate must go way beyond that obvious first step and explain a vision for the post-Trump world.
Nice guys and gals need not apply. This is going to be the cardinal challenge of the American experience.
9
@PaulB67 Yes, Klobuchar pretty checked off the policy boxes I care about most, fairly progressive without being shrill or stupid like so many of the others, and she was my favorite until a few weeks ago. I disagree about her comfort in her own skin - her demeaning reactivity and self-absorbed, poorly controlled rage are the antithesis of comfort in her own skin, and disqualify her imo. We don't need another raging bully in the Oval Office. I won't vote for her unless she's the nominee going up against Trump or Pence (and that would be a repeat of 2016, having to vote for a dumpster fire to try and avert a trainwreck).
So, Beto O'Rourke has clean teeth, John Hickenlooper has worn (and presumably clean) feet. What else is out there, waiting for our attention -- or waiting to compete with President Trump's ... (let's not mention it).
Courage and faith are wholly lacking in Trump. All the Democrats running have more courage than him.
Any one who's nice will find it tough to defeat Trump, the devil incarnate. But it can be done. Here's an example of gently fighting evil: Mr. Rogers showed the senselessness of segregation in public pools by showing kindness to the Black policeman on his show. They shared a cooling foot bath on a hot day.
Throughout the campaign, Democrats will sometimes treat Trump with unearned and undeserved kindness that can be redemptive to our country. Trump may even thank them for that.
Trump will not admit to his Democratic opponents or to the country the crimes he committed before running for President, the crimes he committed in his campaign, and the crimes he and his administration are committing now. Let all the Democrats in Congress and all the Democrats campaigning for President see to it that the crimes of Trump and his crime family are revealed to the world. Let Trump and his family be prosecuted and punished for their crimes. As the prosecutions progress, we can be be nice to these criminals, but let justice be meted out upon them all.
8
Why would anybody vote for him?
He’s actually doing something.
That doesn’t leave enough time to tell people what they should be afraid of, who to blame it on, and how you can display your hatred for them.
Those are the qualities that get people elected.
What happened to common sense?
9
There is really only one quality that matters in the Democratic nominee: Can the nominee beat Trump?
9
Am I wrong to want someone who has actually governed in the Oval Office? Am I wrong to want to restore decency to the office of the President? John Hickenlooper is the Democrat I have been waiting for.
24
@Barbara He's a fracker and has no foreign policy experience. Greatly concerning to me.
even though whoever the frontrunner on the Dem ticket will be, will have my vote. It seems that we have reached a (rare) moment in time though, where we can fix a buttload of nagging issues if the will is there. Without it, the (self) destructive status quo will keep throwing bombs at future generations and what I gathered from Hickenlooper's tenure is resistance to change, as in opposing Cannabis legalization efforts as well as being way too cozy with the carbon lobby. The middle has moved further and further to the right since RR took office. Clinton as well as Obama tried to work with the other party and both were quickly neutered. Someone tough as nails would be a better choice for pushing back against anything "too big to fail". Eliminating billionaires, by progressive taxation and breaking up cartels + ending corruption of moneyed interests is actually a good idea because FDR did just that and it levelled the playing field, at least to some degree.
7
What a welcome breath of fresh air this guy would be, and someone I could support; however, he has no chance of the nomination and I don't know if we will even have a 'free, fair election' in '20. Cohen says there will be no peaceful transfer of power. That does not bode well. I am very nervous about '20.
6
Beautiful writing Mr. Bruni. You artfully captured the essence of John Hickenlooper. I find my stomach aching much of the time due to my despair for my country and my planet. What I see in Governor Hickenlooper is decency, competency, and with his vision, a small whiff of hope.
9
Hickenlooper has been a well-liked governor for Colorado, but if he really cares about the future of this country moving in the right direction he stay home and should run for the Senate and defeat Republican Cory Gardner instead of adding his name to the long list of Democratic presidential hopefuls.
A President Hickenlooper or any other Democrat will not accomplish much unless the Democrats can take back the Senate. Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell will just prevent House passed bills from reaching the floor and securing enough votes to pass. Bills on Climate Change, infrastructure, immigration, taxes, guns will just not pass a Republican controlled Senate.
Colorado and the nation need a Senator Hickenlooper, along with Montana electing a Senator Steve Bullock (the current popular Governor also thinking about running for president), Georgia electing a Senator Stacy Abrams, and Texas electing a Senator Beto O'Rourke for the Democrats to win back the Senate.
105
@Robert Spurrier
You are absolutely correct.Unless the complexion of the Senate changes, there is zero chance for positive change no mater who sits in the Evil Office.The candidates and races you cite are the only possible path to that end in 2020. All of the above must put patriotism above ambition. The odds against reclaiming the Senate will become impossible to overcome if these four do not stay home and run for those Senate seats.
12
@Robert Spurrier
If Hickenlooper is the presidential candidate, whoever runs for the Senate in Colorado will win on his coattails.
4
@Robert Spurrier If you look on the electoral map at the blue Island of Colorado surrounded by red states, you begin to see the issues in different terms.
We live with this reality, and we have worked to build a state that is not California blue, and not Kansas or Texas red. I'm happy to keep Gardner as a Republican if he moves off of his support for Trump; if he doesn't, then he's gotta' go.
ALL of the other Democratic candidates have given up on the West, Midwest and the South as far as having any hope of changing them from red to blue. We don't need to get rid of every Republican to make that happen, and if that is the goal of the Democrats then they are in fact doomed.
1
It's not going to be personality that wins, it will be someone who an appeal to the majority. Maybe Hickenlooper can do that, but I'd like to know more about what his diagnosis for what ails America is, and what his prescription for it is.
A warning sign for him: while he won two terms as governor in Colorado, he did so mainly without much support from the Western Slope which is deeply Red. He's going to have a hard time convincing the Red areas of the U.S., so it will be critical for him to win over the growing Progressive voters. The question is: Is he progressive enough to do that?
It's going to be interesting to see how he fares as he steps out into the national stage.
6
Two Issues:
1) Fracking and fossil fuels, environment and climate change in general -
Is it his background as a geologist in the oil industry? Hickenlooper has shown disdain for concerns of pollution from fracking in particular - see his drinking of fracking fluid stunt.
2) Banning of assault weapons - this from a December, 2015 NPR interview:
"There are millions of assault weapons in the U.S. and to outlaw something like that would be very, very difficult.'
"If we see more acts of terrorism using assault weapons....where people become converted to extremist, radical ways and create terrorist events, I think people's attitudes might change on this (banning assault weapons)."
I would say this shows he would wait for a consensus to form from the ground up and then follow it. This seems to me to be the antithesis of leadership.
Has the governor changed his views in the last 3 or 4 years?
15
I like Hickenlooper for the same reason I like Sherrod Brown. Both seem to be decent, unflappable leaders who listen to their constituents and try to build consensus. Their calm demeanor could be a huge plus when contrasted with Trump's ranting, raving and insults.
In short, both have a "winning personality."
My concern is how successful they would be as president with a divided Congress. Congressional Republicans have shown no interest in compromise, to put it mildly. We might need more of a fighter than either of these nice guys.
7
HIckenlooper seems more in the Bill Clinton and Barack Obama mold than Bernie Sanders mold. The Democrats appear to trending left toward the progressives and that means economic class warfare against Wall Street and billionaires. The 99% against the 1% or however you want to put it. To get what they deserve the people have to take on the wealthy and powerful in an all out struggle. Hickenlooper seems to represent the opposite. It is hard to say which way is the best to beat Trump. The right wing is going to come full force with lies and stirring up hate and creating fear. That was their strategy in 2016 and it worked so why should they change. Fear is a lot more effective than policies when it comes to affecting voters minds. I believe psychologists have found that to be the case. And fear moves people to the right. I doubt if any Democrat now has the answer but for the sake of maintaining a liberal democracy in the US I hope the Democrat wins the primary can figure it out.
5
@Bob "...and that means economic class warfare against Wall Street and billionaires."
The fact is that the billionaires have been waging economic class warfare against the rest for years - decades of funding the campaigns of politicians that would legislate more and more tax breaks for them.
It's long passed time that the 99% start fighting back in earnest.
14
@BlaiseM
Of course in political terms it is not 1% vs 99%. The 1% that want tax breaks and reduced regulations are mostly part of the coalition that now forms the Republican Party. They are joined in the Republican Party by millions of white nationalists and evangelicals. This is a formidable party with a lot of money and a lot of people and a right wing media echo chamber. Can the Democrats get enough people on their side to overcome that?
4
@Bob: I am amazed how seldom "pursuit of happiness" comes up in US political discussions. I wonder how the phrase got into the Declaration of Independence.
4
Be nice if he had enough common sense to have decent shoes for a hike. Doesn’t inspire confidence.
4
@Victor Troll
Sounds like someone strongly recommended hiking boots, so he got some, but they weren’t a good fit, and/or weren’t broken in. Thank goodness he had the sense to bring shoes he knew worked well for him. The blisters may have been evidence of his willingness to endure some discomfort to please someone, or spare someone embarrassment or humiliation. Finally, acknowledging his limit, he didn’t engage in any coverup up of his “mistake,” and didn’t lay blame.
Also, it seems he would have gone on that hike even if it rained, or if his hair got messed up.
Well, I sure like the sound of a President Hickenlooper way, way more than a President (?) Trump...metaphorically speaking. Although, the governor's name would make for some fun word play at future social get-togethers. Frankly, Frank, - that was unintentional - I am impressed with the guy. He certainly has a note-worthy record when it comes to governing. And if I remember correctly, governing is what the Oval Office need be about, and once was pre-Trumpian times. Colorado during much of his terms has been a Purple state. It seems, however, the state under his leadership is transitioning to a sky Blue. Does he have fire and passion? That is for us to find out. Admittedly, I am looking for a woman or man with President Obama's charisma. But he does seem to have the other necessary qualifications besides experience...intelligence, decency, and ethics. And...I heard from my son-in-law who is a Coloradan, that he is a pretty nice guy who knows how to "beer talk." Wouldn't it be nice for him to provide pale ale to his future audiences? Now THAT would bring in the enthusiasm.
6
Hickenlooper's candidacy is a long-shot, but we need more politicians like him. He listens to all sides and works to bring them together. The resulting legislation isn't perfect, but it represents a healthy compromise. In economic growth, stronger gun laws, and stronger controls on oil and gas extraction, Colorado won under Hickenlooper.
25
Long time since I read "How to win friends and influence people".
Really. At this time when the voters are ultra sensitive to the type of policies and political stances the President takes, and are wary of taking a candidate at 'face value', and are really really focused on what it will take to take out Trump and who will be able to undo the damage done by Trump, Mr Bruni takes time off to write this 'article'.
By the way, any relation to Carla ?
1
I met John Hickenlooper in Denver at his brewpub (Wynkoop) in the late 90’s, before he even ran for mayor, to discuss bicycling advocacy. What a cool guy. Unlike Trump, he wasn’t handed a $400M silver spoon as a youth; everything he’s achieved he’s done on his own. As a Colorado native, I don’t agree with everything he’s done as mayor or governor, but I know he’ll always listen, and his attitude is one of compromise and consensus. What a rare combination these days. Reminds me of the founding fathers, actually. Healthy debate, then good governance. In that order. What a breath of fresh air after the suffocation of the past few years. I’d vote for him in a heart beat.
228
Obama ran on the strength of his "one America" speech, his intelligence, basic decency, unflappable cheerfulness (remember "HOPE"?) and his vaunted capacity to bring people together by listening to, and respecting, all comers.
And where did that get him? Did Mitch McConnell sit down with him and negotiate in good faith for the good of the country?
The Republicans are not going to give an inch to anybody with (D) after their name. Accept that and pick our candidates accordingly.
19
@herzliebster...
Hickenlooper has been an excellant administrator and manager here in Denver, Colorado.
The economy here has been one of the best in the country for the past 1O years.
The real question is... how will his personae do in front of the camera?
5
The next election will be decided by some combination of the following states: Florida, Ohio, Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania. Democrats who are seeking to oust the current occupant of the White House should not lose sight of this. It sounds simple enough but several of the current candidates will have great difficulty pulling this off.
12
@Maya EV Just an FYI - Hickenlooper is from PA - the Philly suburbs. Don't know if that buys him anything. The left in CO dislikes Hickenlooper. I assume the same will be true nationally. I'm with the others who wish he'd run for senate. His goofiness works in CO, but I doubt it will play nationally.
2
You can be a “nice guy” (or gal) and still be incredibly effective. I am impressed by Pete Buttigieg, and wish his candidacy would get more exposure. He has the knack for winning over those normally resistant to progressive policies and ideas by using doing something radical: he LISTENS to their arguments, ACKNOWLEDGES their concerns, and then persuasively and respectfully explains how the policies will actually help to address these concerns. He’s brilliant but approachable, and in interviews he gives thoughtful, detailed answers that actually address the interviewer’s question rather than relying on catch-phrases or vague non-answers that are meant to appeal to the masses. I worry that his decency, his depth and his competence actually detract from his ability to be receive the press coverage he needs in order to compete in an era of sound-bites, Twitter-Wars and sensationalism meant to cater to the desire for entertainment and novelty. In an age of instant gratification, reflexive politics, vilifying the other side and incredible anger, can a candidate with actual substance, talent and human decency get the time and coverage needed to compete? I certainly hope so, for the sake of this country...
27
@Peeka Boo I am also impressed by Buttigieg, but he has three serious things going against him.
First, his only experience governing is as a mayor of a small city. South Bend has a population of just over 100 thousand, not much more then the city I live in. And I wouldn’t vote for my mayor to be President.
Second, he is gay. I don’t have an issue with it; in fact, it’s a reason I would vote for him. But millions won’t for that reason alone. We couldn’t elect a woman, not sure we’re ready for a gay POTUS.
Third, his age. Brilliant, yes. But, much too young. I’d like to see him run for Governor of Indiana, get some experience, and then go for it in 2028.
9
I know all these things about Buttigieg, but how many similar points were made about Obama? Too young, too inexperienced (and no “executive” experience at all, as a Governor — or Mayor — has), “too black” (or “not black enough”), and of course the issues people had with his name and his “otherness.” He also had no military experience and was up against a decorated veteran who was an established politician with tons of experience. He was unelectable, there was no way the U.S. was ready for him or his progressive ideas. So I’m not quite willing to dismiss Buttigieg so quickly. Plus if he gets enough coverage to become a factor in the primaries, he might have a real chance and prove an amazing asset as the choice for VP. I’m betting that he could win a lot of folks over in the debates, but first he has to actually qualify, meaning he needs enough individual donors to his campaign before the DNC allows him on the debate stage. But he can’t get the donors if folks don’t know who he is...!
@Peeka Boo
Too young, put him in cold storage until 2028 at least --and hope he doesn't spoil: given too much early exposure, some of these politicians will rot faster than a strawberry in the rain.
1
He drank Fracking water as a stunt. I thought during his time as governor had some positive highlights, like his stewardship during the back-to-back calamities of the Flood of '13 and Ted Cruz shutting the Federal Gov down. But as a Governor of a state dealing with blazing forest fires one year and historic thousand year floods the next, along with massive beetle-killed infested forests, he should have been more mindful of the real time affects of climate change. Instead he drank Fracking water (one time) as a stunt to "prove" it was safe for long term use, for children and pregnant woman and for growing food. He was continuously on the side of gas and oil and against his constituents who don't want to breathe that kind of air or drink that kind of water. No amount of money is worth poor health. And no amount of grandstanding is going to wipe that awful environmental record clean.
32
@Rocky Mountain Librarian Exactly this. “Nice guy” or not, he is in bed with Big Oil. This is NOT who we need to help undo the damage Trump & Company have done.
1
In my opinion, in this age of Climate Crisis, we don't need someone in a leadership position who can as Bruni puts it "dance." We need someone with fire in their belly to address the existential crisis that is upon us. That's not Hickenlooper. He's from Colorado and has taken enough funding from the Oil and Gas Industry to be compromised. He doesn't have the will to do what is necessary to stem the Climate Crisis. In my opinion, he just doesn't. We've got 12 years to do it. We can't afford a centrist.
11
@Siobhan: Who among the candidates can talk serious physics with the heavies?
1
Having lived under Gov. "Frackenlooper" for his 8-yr reign, I can say first that I didn't vote *for* him, I voted *against* his opponents.
Second, at the end of those 8 years, I have no idea what his principles or ideas or goals are, except that he refused to ever answer any question that would put him on record as having any opinions, and that when it came to a choice between corporations and citizens he chose corporations every time. Certainly not what I'm looking for in a presidential candidate!
I can't imagine him ever having passion about any issue, fighting for any cause, motivating nonvoters or indifferent people to vote or be activated in any other way. Can we please just stop saying yes to milquetoast, corporatist, white men and support those with ideas that are appropriate for our times?
Hick is yet another "Democrat" who is actually a moderate Republican, only those no longer exist. Let all of them get together and recreate the New Republicans while the rest of us make a new party that is truly liberal and progressive and wants to end the oligarchy.
40
@Kris: There is nobody running so far who can give concise and precise answers to questions of policies and objectives of most facets of government.
@Kris Yes, no more Clintonian Rockefeller Republicans in drag like we had with the Clintons and Obama. We must reverse the Reagan Restoration, not maintain it. (Lookin' at you, Joe Biden, and it looks like Hickenlooper, too.)
1
@Steve Bolger
Perhaps, but I mean nothing, ever.
There seems to be a strong opinion voiced by comments here that "nice" equals "weak." Not so. We don't need another blustering, screaming fool in the White House. Neither do we need someone who descends to those tactics in order to unseat him.
I've been a lifelong Democrat but this guy looks very good to me. If he beats Trump for the nomination I will seriously consider voting for him. In my mind he looks better than Bernie or Biden. If Warren or Beta run then I'll stick with the Democrats.
6
@Christa
You seem to think Hickenlooper is challenging Trump for the Republican nomination.
Nope. He's thrown his hat into the crowded ring of Democrats.
1
“if he beats Trump for the nomination”.. You do realize that he is running as a Democrat or is this sarcasm
Totally competent and affable, likeable. Definiitely works both sides toward the center, but holds key Dem ideals. His cabinet would be filled with competence and there would be fewer flakes at lower levels.
7
@GCM What exactly are those "key Dem ideals" he holds, again?
All you need to know - he had blisters and blood.
If he were authentic, he would have challenged everyone to a race to the top.
I've lived in CO for 42 years. Hiked Longs Peak four times; twice under a full moon - didn't have blisters - or blood.
Hickenlooper would be a dog treat for Trump. And I like nice guys, and nice woman - the guy doesn't begin to have a spine.
11
Honestly, and very bluntly, Hickenlooper's surname works against him. Hey! He had me at the brewpub stage. But, pragmatically --and Democrats must be, if they are to be anything at this point, pragmatic-- Gov. Hickenlooper has little to no chance to win the nomination for president but weighs in bigly in terms of backing the one who can deflate the Trump blimp.
To wit: Beto O'Rourke. And I would not suggest Hickenlooper as a VP choice but as a prominent cabinet member. I'm thinking Commerce.
If the Democratic Party is to go all in (and does it really have a choice?) it must go young and it must go female for the top two spots. Beto for President and Kamala Harris for VP would kill three birds with two stones, putting color back into play, in addition to gender. Assuming the offers are accepted, a cabinet with Ben Sasse (Yes, a Republican!) as Secretary of State, Liz Warren in Treasury, Sanders for either Labor or Health and Human Services, returning Julian Castro to HUD, Lisa Murkowski (Yes, another Republican!!) for Dept. of the Interior.
This is the dreaming stage, is it not. Let's dream bigly while we can. We don't have much time.
I don't want to be pacified. I want the security of return for my work, access to health care, and a path to grow old with out being in dire poverty. Is that too much to ask for?
18
John Hickenlooper appears to have the qualities of a centrist politician. He also appears to be a person of integrity, so I for one think he is by far the best Democratic presidential candidate. America needs to move to the center, not right or left.
7
It is so encouraging to see so many high caliber individuals throwing their hat into the ring for the Democrats. Several things they all seem to share in common is intelligence, listening to people, desiring to want to improve life for everyday Americans and with the possible exception of Gillibrand they are not prickly like a trump or a Rubio or a Cruz. It would be nice to have a good dose of sunshine after the Dante's inferno of trump and his gloomy party.
11
@Steve
"high-caliber individuals"? or just ambitious second- or third-raters eager to make the headlines?
1
Focusing on personality has use, I'm sure. But if Democrats actually truly help people financially when elected, something they haven't done recently, it will do more to get them elected in the future. Democrats and Republicans are responsible for Trump's election, from their past disregard for American s' plight.
3
The qualities you point out in John Hickenlooper are valuable. The Democratic presidential nominee should be able to win broad support among the American people; not among avid Trump supporters, but among people who are not necessarily confirmed liberal Democrats and who are not favorably impressed by the politics of anger.
However, there's one more indispensable quality: strength. The people I respect most and would trust with my interests most readily are both humane and strong. Hickenlooper evidently has strength to endure pain, but that's not quite what I mean. I mean strength which the pain-inflicters of society had better not mess with. Strength in reserve that is capable of stiff-arming a bully when necessary.
Call it deterrent force of character. Give me a Democrat who possesses that and a superior command of language, along with the appealing qualities described here.
10
Warmth won't defeat Trump. He is an extremely arrogant bully who is used to getting what he wants. To defeat him, one needs to get into his thin skin and tell him to his face (politely for the cameras) that he doesn't deserve any respect. Trump knows this full well, and precisely because he knows it, it will get to him and he would fall apart with rage; after that, all you have to do is just shovel him off the stage. Politely but mercilessly.
19
@Daniel Solomon: Trump's 500 word vocabulary wouldn't get him past a New York State Regent's exam.
2
Started watching Presidential Campaigns with JFK vs. Nixon.
In 1968 I watched absolute underdog Eugene McCarthy take down LBJ.
"If you want to be the man, You have to beat the man."--
Pro Wrestler Ric Flair.
If you want to be elected POTUS you have to run for President. Clinton, Obama, and Trump showed that.
Maybe Mario Cuomo would have won but he never ran.
My 1st choice is Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown.
I wish that another Republican, besides Gov. Weld, would run against Trump. A creditable candidate who could stay in the race for a while might do well in some of the bigger states (CA, NY), the farm belt, and who knows where else?
RFK's big mistake in 1968 and Biden's in 2016 was over estimating the strength of LBJ and "Her Entitledness" HRC.
Wanna win?
GOTTA RUN!!!!
5
@adara614
Justin Amash said he may run on the Libertarian ticket. Unfortunately he's pro-life, but there are worse Republicans. Weld is better though, and has some genuine charisma. But most likely too old and sane.
RFK didn't run in '64. LBJ pulled out of '68.
Hickenlooper was a very good Governor for Colorado with a great way of winning over individuals of both parties. I enjoyed his discussions as even-handed and winning. I would be happy to have him for President as he would do a very good job healing our collective wounds and bringing the country together.
23
Have you spent time with Elizabeth Warren on the campaign trail?
I think you greatly underestimate her ability to dance.
I also think there is a bias in the way men evaluate the behavior of women.
36
@DebbieR: I hear that she can be so absorbed in the people she doesn't appear to be campaigning at all.
@Steve Bolger,
I've seen her close up at appearances in MA and she definitely knows how to work a room. She's won multiple teaching awards and prior to being a politician, was a frequent guest on talk shows. She became a major player in the Democratic party within a few short years of getting elected, and is responsible for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
To lump her together with Bernie Sanders is just bizarre.
Journalists love to pick apart every utterance made by a politician, and question every motive and then are surprised if politicians seem stiff and guarded around them. They seem to be in denial about how easy it is to throw shade on somebody's motives and make someone - anyone - look foolish.
I do think men cut other men more slack. They understand and expect the kind of posturing that men frequently engage in with one another. They have much less tolerance of it from women.
2
Whoever is the candidate , he or he should be able to confront Donald Trump . That candidate should be able to tell it like it is and explain why Trump was the worse President ever . Don`t try to be too nice to the bully . It never works with bullies .
17
@Bernardo Izaguirre MD
Exactly. That was the main problem last time. He completely bullied everyone, and rolled right over them.
Enough playing nice !!!
8
@Bernardo Izaguirre MD
You also need to be able to tell it like it is to the Trumpsters, and also the Democrats. We are over political correctness and no one wants a sugar-coater, we know it's pandering. A weak-talking politician won't get a single vote. Furthermore, we expect to be entertained with a good fight and want to see passion.
@Phyliss Dalmatian
In the 2016 Republican primaries (as seen on TV), there were sixteen candidates, and only a couple were "normal" (remember Marco Rubio "losing it" and repeating the same joke over and over again?). Of the "normal" ones, only Kasich was worth listening to; all the others were trashy clowns.
This time, it is the Democrats' turn to have too many candidates, most of whom are just not worth the trouble. Are we going to have another primaries-circus next year, this time with Democrats? Good entertainment, sure, but don't expect me to vote for the "chosen one" unless it happens to be Elizabeth Warren or Bernie Sanders.
1
Can nice guys finish Trump ??? Maybe. But who cares. You saw what happened in the 2016 GOP primaries, they were all so cowed, so bambozzled, so shocked, so perplexed, so Bullied. They basically rolled over and played dead-the opossum squad.
Enough. We all know his well worn, very brief playbook, now.
WE need a brawler, a fighter, a rabble rouser. Know what they call a candidate that’s nice, fair, polite and worries about offending “ swing voters “ ? LOSER. Give me someone tough, unafraid, and brave. A “ nasty “ Woman ??? I hope so.
16
@Phyliss Dalmatian: Evangelism doesn't appear to be as consoling as it purports to be.
Nice. The Times slams Harris and Klobuchar.
But they love this guy. Interesting.
6
@Blue
Don't be fooled. They're in the bag for Harris. So is the DNC.
9
@Blue
I take exception to your comment. They didn't slam Klobuchar, her staff did. As to Harris she is trying to find her comfort zone, that is not a bad or negative thing. As to loving this guy (Hickenlooper ) this little piece was hardy a love letter and they did point out that his detractors say that he can be more self consumed and prickly in private versus public. He has a folksy quality much like Beto, Cory and Biden. You can't draw much else from this very short essay.
10
@Steve
"As to Harris she is trying to find her comfort zone". Translation: she is trying to find what she should say to get your vote. Just another weathervane!
2
Frank, that is like saying can gay men still be tough? What an offensive thing to say. Nice, doesn't mean weak. Got it?
2
"So much analysis of the Democratic presidential hopefuls characterizes them in ideological terms: left versus center, idealism or pragmatism, the revolutionaries and the incrementalists."
Perhaps entirely too much attention is being paid on personalities on both sides. What we need is someone who can defeat Trumpism, not just Trump. Trump will be gone in two years or six, but Trumpism just might linger doing damage far longer. Trumpism appeals to people who feel they have been left behind. It also appeals to people who consider themselves pragmatists. People who say "I will vote for Trump as long as I am doing well under his policies - no matter how the country at large is doing." So, I will look for a candidate who has the answer to both these aspects of Trumpism , and articulates policies that will offer a way forward to the disaffected while convince a majority of us that our future lies in a society that cares about our common well being.
5
Sweet. I hope he enjoys the ride, short though it may be.
3
Next time try writing an op ed about Jay Inslee who happens to have some backbone and fire in his belly as well as being "nice".
11
@Lawrence Garvin I've been observing Jay Inslee for a good while and "fire in his belly" is hardly the first thing that comes to mind. I do hope his candidacy keeps climate change front and center as long as possible. It is the emergency issue of our time.
A prediction:
The Mueller inquiry won't find any smoking-gun evidence of collusion. Trump will be vindicated in the minds of millions. However, Mueller will find evidence of obstruction and financial crimes. Our Trump-mad Republican senate will stymie any attempts to bring obstruction charges against the President. The state of New York will have to wait to prosecute the financial charges because of the strongly held opinion that a sitting president can't be indicted. Meanwhile, the Dems are looking like the Party of Flakes (no offense) as Trump spends the next couple of years disabling our country further. 2020 brings Trump another win against the Party of Flakes and he spends the ensuring years bringing the US to its knees. By 2025 Trump is so decrepit and senile that the State of New York as well as various other litigators find it impossible to convict him. A depressing scenario, but entirely plausible!
5
Wonderful to read Bruno’s puff piece on Hickenlooper, especially the part about how “non-adversarial “ he is.
Funny, he seemed plenty adversarial when he sued my town, Fort Collins, for daring to try to regulate fracking. I guess it all depends on whether his corporate masters ‘ interests are at stake.
47
@Philip Cafaro This. We don't need any more corporate "Democrats." In the last forty years, the Democrats have gone Republican and the Republicans have gone wacko.
4
A good mayor can do a lot for a city; it's about exceeding expectations and gaining trust, and not being a flake. Some contenders have already shown their flakiness. Millennials may need more drama to get them to vote, however.
1
@Alexia
Bernie was mayor of Burlington for 12 years. He did some good things for the city, including developing that lovely lakeside waterfront park, but what I like best is that he put a dental clinic ins a school that served poorer children. Now, that is responding to the needs of the people! He may not be laid-back and easy-going on the stump, but he is the real deal.
13
@Alexia: Mitch Landreau knows a thing or two about bailing out sinking cities.
Who can beat Trump? Anyone with the mental capacity to point out the lies and frauds Trump will have to resort to on the debate stage. "Go ahead Mr. President, follow me around the stage to try and intimidate me. Please make my day." "Go ahead Mr. President, tell me how you finished the wall." "Go, ahead Mr. President, ask Russia to find my deleted emails, oh that's right, I don't have any. Now how are you going to label me?" "Go ahead Mr. President, let's have a reading contest. I dare you stand there and read anything. Oh that's right you can't read."
19
@Richard Mclaughlin: Do you think Hillary should have turned on Trump to confront him when he stalked her during that debate?
"Can nice guys finish Trump?" No. This is because Democrats still do not understand how angry their voters are. They continue to kowtow to Trump voters, all the while getting nothing but a kick in the teeth for their efforts.
So Trump voters can foam at the mouth against brown-skinned people and religious minorities, but the rest of us are supposed to play nice? Are you kidding me?
I want to see an angry Democratic candidate for president. A candidate who is angry that Trump and his voters believe sexual assault is a joke. A candidate who is angry that Trump and his voters believe it's just fine to put Hispanic children in cages. A candidate who is angry that the current Oval Office Crime Family will never be brought to justice, while Trump's supporters continue with their ridiculous screams of "witch hunt". A candidate who is angry that this "president" did not speak out after Charlottesville, saying that the KKK and neo-Nazis are some very fine people. A candidate who is angry that our nation is in thrall to Russia, as Trump's humiliating performance in Helsinki has shown.
Mr. Democratic Nice Guy will not win. Because all the "nice" qualities on the Left have gotten us nothing but a nation that is now morphing into a racist Republic of Gilead. All of our "nice" behavior has gotten us nothing but a "president" who has reduced this country to an international laughing stock.
Angry? You bet I am. And I want my presidential candidate to take off the gloves, for a change.
93
@Nicholas Rush Anger is fully justified. But anger is neither a strategy for winning, nor is it usually the best guide to action.
24
@David,
It worked just fine for Trump. He managed to stir up his base with anger. And their continued anger in the face of our passivity will get him re-elected.
14
@Nicholas Rush
The Democratic Party will try so hard to play nice and win over Trump voters that they will end up losing my vote -- just one vote, I know, but one vote can make a difference.
3
I don't think a weak centrist is what we need. Being nice to Trump and his base is a really weird thing to do. Focus should be on policy rather than personality. The person should be for healthcare for all, the green new deal, and have a plan for dealing with education costs and outcomes. Personally, I rather have four more years of Trump than some fake liberal who wants us to play nice with the wealthy and corporations. With Trump we may get either and economic collapse or a war that will cause economic collapse, and that would be good for the environment and the future of humans.
7
@Chris: It seems that all Trump supporters are united in the belief that they have nothing left to lose. You're already in the state of freedom.
I decided a couple of months ago that what I am looking for in a candidate, aside from applicable experience, is wisdom, judgement, warmth, and inclusivity. I am so tired of the strident, mean, derisive politics we're struggling to survive. We especially need to reclaim our standing in the world as promoters and protectors of human rights and as innovators, leaders for the future. Hickenlooper could be my guy - an actual civil servant.
25
"A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus."
- Martin Luther King Jr.
Hickenlooper's style of emphasizing "aspirations over grievances" may take a bit of the heat out of the post-Trump Right's rage, though I suspect being white and male will help him more than a sunny disposition with the build-the-wall and lock-her-up crowd.
But that doesn't matter. Not anymore.
Democrats cannot waste time on the fantasy of a President bringing Republicans on board. Mitch McConnell will be there on day one, with the full support of conservative media, dedicated to the failure of ANY Democratic President regardless of cost to country.
The key to Hickenlooper's success is if he can mold consensus, not just search for it, among Democrats and Independents. Can his positive approach pull together progressives and those closer to the center?
As to the Trump supporting Right? I'm not even sure they still believe in Democracy anymore. No Democrat is going to be able to fix that anytime soon.
65
You left out "geologist" - my first encounter with Hickenlooper was listening to a radio interview when he was running for Denver mayor, and hearing somebody speak with great depth of understanding about the earth's systems; later, learning he'd been a geologist, it made more sense.
I also wonder what aspect of Trump's private sector experience captured the imagination of the foolish people who voted for him; Reagan helped demonize government for his own purposes, creating a lasting cynicism in Americans that's very unhelpful (like carbon emissions - makes one happy in the moment but decades of unhappiness follow).
In other words, would the Dems have a better chance at unseating Trump with a proven business leader, AND proven political executive person like Hickenlooper (or Bloomberg, etc)? Or do voters not care about qualifications - Trump was clearly unqualified to be elected beginning with his time as a Birther, and total lack of governance experience. How could so many voters not see through him?
Some people criticize Hickenlooper for his compromise work on oil/gas regulations that allowed the industry to earn a profit but use best practices; yet I heard him start off a discussion about it saying he was dedicated to a sustainable energy system, and I believe he knows what that really is, and would do what he can towards it.
Yes, he deserves a close look.
146
@cljuniper
Hickenlooper has been the Colorado Oil & Gas Industry’s frontman & poodle from the day he decided to run for mayor, but especially after they helped him win the governor’s race.
He held press conferences with the main purpose of telling all of us uninformed citizens how safe fracking is, and how we shouldn’t worry about it because him and his buddies have everything under control. Tell that to the surviving family members of a house that blew up in Firestone, CO. Anadarko Petroleum sent their “thoughts and prayers.”
And your “best practices”? Air quality is horrendous in any of the fracked and surrounding counties, with huge quantities of methane being leaked , with frequent spills and explosions. They claim the standards are safe but then underfund the inspectors/ enforcement agency.
61
@r2d2 Yes, Hickenlooper helped lead the Colorado economy into the 21st century. What a monster lol!
3
@r2d2
I guess if you're going to tell a story, don't let the facts get in the way. Google "explosion in Firestone" and anyone can see the explosion in Firestone had nothing to do with fracking, much less Hickenlooper's policies, but instead attributed to a long-time forgotten flow-line by Anadarko.
The governor is a trained geologist; it reasons that he would have a wider view of the oil and gas economy in Colorado - which contributes 15% of the state's GNP and just under 20% of the state's School Finance Act - than just marching to the politics of the fractivists' community that perennially seek a statewide ballot measure to ban all oil and gas production.
Maybe this is the medicine the country needs; a broader outlook on life that seeks consensus for a wide array of beliefs rather than reactionary policies that serve a narrow political agenda.
7
The problem with Hickenlooper, and even to an extent with Obama, is they let their opponents frame the debate. Whether this is a result of their desire to achieve higher levels of discourse and cooperation or an outcome of a polarized electorate venting through social media is hard to tell. But unless someone can find a way to remove Donald Trump from the center of attention, he will continue to set the terms of discourse and we will continue to struggle against the darkness of his vision.
84
@Eric Caine I hear what you are saying, and I agree. But I have noticed lately that Trump is not quite as much the center of attention as he has been up until now. His picture is no longer always the leading center picture on every major news site. I almost think the country is starting to move on. Trump is becoming a bit more of a sidebar, mostly related to investigations into his many and varied corruption issues. I may be wrong about this, but I am watching with interest...
4
@Eric Caine Have you forgotten that Barack Hussein Obama was elected twice, running against John McCain (in one of his various lack-of-ethics lapses) and then the totally unscrupulous Mitt Romney. I would say Obama was quite fine at framing the debate during his campaigns. Nice guys can finish first if they are also intelligent and moral.
5
@C. Parker
I agree that Trump's ability to control the debate seems to be wearing thin. I read that even some of his supporters at CPAC were seen leaving early, perhaps because his speech just went on and on and on, regurgitating all the same old stuff. Maybe some of his supporters are finally figuring out that Trump's endless speeches about himself are less entertainment and more just annoying.
2
'He has his detractors, who say that he can be more self-consumed & prickly in private than in public."
We've just seen an example of that in a presidential candidate from the Land of Ten Thousand Lakes. After Hickenlooper's consultation with Hillary, one could imagine he asked for permission to campaign in Wisconsin. Ain't no sunshine when she's gone, dude?
3
If I were a Democrat running for the Presidency, Trump would not be on my radar. He does nothing to threaten my candidacy
4
@DENOTE MORDANT, unfortunately, you would lose. Trump will always be the elephant in any room he enters.
7
Any velvet glove raised against Trump had better have a steel hand within it. Trump has been trampling all over "nice guys" his entire adult life. I doubt that he was a playground bully - too wimpy for that (it shows!) - but any probing of a mouth that shows no fangs will have a rancid cheeseburger stuffed into it.
The trick, I think, will be to be unpredictable. Any candidate against Trump should chuckle when Trump snarls and snap when Trump think he's being amusing or thinks he's "got something", for he rarely does.
There's no doubt that he's easily confused and can't stay "on message" (a trait of which he's proud). An opponent can take advantage of that by playing Trump's own game: when cornered, divert. When Trump is losing it, keep at him and don't let him squirm away.
But above all... dignity! America has lost that essential quality in its President for two years. It's time to recover.
56
It's easy to lose track of the legion of Democratic hopefuls arrayed to take on Trump but one potential dark horse candidate that's being overlooked, one who possesses all of the qualities that Frank is gushing over re Hickenlooper, and one who has FAR FAR FAR more name recognition is Marianne Williamson. While she will have to wrest herself in much of the public's mind from the media's knee-jerk labeling her as a "New Age guru," and dispel knee-jerk disqualifications because she has not held public office, I think any progressive who invests some time at her website -- http://www.marianne2020.com -- and reads through her Issues page and watches her media appearances to date will come away deeply impressed with her knowledge of American political history and her moral clarity. Would that Frank and the Times pay her some attention as well.
2
@stephen
Marianne Williamson? Keep that for April 1st!
1
@stephen what a joke. Haven’t we already experienced a President whom ran as a personal marketing plan? Marianne Williamson is an absurd “candidate” with no qualifications and incoherent set of unimplementable “policies”.
1
There’s something to be said for the happy warrior ethos. There is also something to be said for being merciless in eliminating the corruption, criminality, crony capitalism, lying, and debasement of public institutions that has occurred since, well, 2010. Mostly, of course, by the GOP.
16
If nice guys have a good plan and proposals on dealing with healthcare, climate change and income inequality, yeah. But if their only claim to fame is being nice........fuggidabotit.
10
At the end of the day, every single one of the Democrats would be a vast improvement over President Trump. I will support whoever takes the nomination against him because the damage he could do to America (and the world, by ignoring climate change) in 5 more years is incalculable.
That being said, while Hickenlooper seems like a pleasant, cheerful, bipartisan guy, I think he's lacking a clear "why me and why now?" message.
As far as middle-Americans go, I think Senator Klobuchar and Mayor Pete have made much more compelling "Midwestern nice" cases for their candidacies. The message should not and cannot be "let's all just get along! If we just sit down with the other side, we can work through it!" That view is naive and ignores the last quarter-century of history.
Obama tried sitting down with Boehner and McConnell, and actually had decent professional relationships with leaders on Capitol Hill. He brought them Romney/Heritage Foundation healthcare, increased immigration enforcement/deportation, and market-based solutions to the 2008 financial crisis. How did that work out for him? Oh right. He was tarred as a Muslim, Kenyan-born dictatorial socialist for years.
You cannot just "sit down" with a political party that represents the fringes of society and the ultra-wealthy. They have no incentive to cooperate in any way.
21
After 2016, I feel completely unable to predict which candidates will be appealing to swing voters in swing states. Since I have no idea how to vote strategically, I'm not going to try. I will vote for the candidate I think would be best for the country. I will make that decision based primarily on candidates' qualifications and platforms.
9
Just imagine if he was a she. Then we'd really have something exciting. It's just too bad that another white male - of a certain age - is running for president. Aren't we tired of this by now? At least he's a good person. That alone is exciting. He might even be able to work with the Republicans. Welcome to the fray, Mr. Hickenlooper.
2
@Tim Bachmann
"Aren't we tired of this by now?"
Maybe you are, but this female wants someone who works in my interests, not one who simply wears the same kind of undies that i do. At this point it's a tossup between the very old grumpy white guy who isn't even a Democrat (bless his heart), and the shrill old professor with the policy chops who seems to need a dog to make her seem likeable.
10
@Tim Bachmann
No Democratic President will "be able to work with the Republicans," because "the Republicans" refuse to work with any Democratic President. It takes two to tango.
2
An adorable headline - who can finish another person?
1
I liked your approach. Lay out your observations. Share your insights. Let’s us decide.
Good job.
M
6
He is to Trump what Jimmy Carter was to Nixon.
2
@Marty O'Toole I beg to differ. I lived in Georgia when Carter was governor, and I have been in Colorado throughout both of Hickenlooper's terms as governors. Hickenlooper is much more pragmatic and effective. While not as religious as Carter, he has demonstrated a consistently high moral character throughout his public service.
8
@Marty O'Toole- Exactly. He needs public speaking lessons and left Coloradans baffled by his lackadaisical approach to Climate Change issues. He's no tiger, but a grinning middle-roader who never had serious challengers for Mayor or for Governor. He'll wash out fast. There's no
"there" there.
4
To answer Frank's question: yes, if independents and some sane Republicans take their fingers out of their ears long enough to actually listen to the new candidates. Trump's incoherent nonsense has most Americans tuning him out right now, much like we'd all ignore a loud and wacky old relative — except this demented man has the nuclear codes.
3
trump's 2016 deplorables are still all-in with him.
his 2020 objective is to convince as many of the balance of voters to stay home. he'll cast his opponent as a socialist, communist, baby killer, America hater.
trump can be reelected.
1
Well, the Democratic field (I know, I know, it's still early) is growing comically enormous, but there is much to be said for governors (who actually have to run things, deliver services and adhere to budgets) over senators. Hickenlooper is not coastal, which seems a benefit in 2020, but Jay Inslee also looks appealing.
Hickenlooper may project optimism, but more importantly he also projects pragmatism. When asked his thoughts on Colorado becoming the first state to legalize recreational marijuana, he delivered a very thoughtful answer. On principle, he had no objection, but from a practical perspective, he wished his state had not been the first. This would be an industry for whose production, distribution, taxation, regulation, etc. no precedent existed elsewhere in the country. His state would have to implement all mechanisms from scratch, and he bore a huge responsibility to do it correctly. And with that, he took on the challenge of devising a system that other states might one day use as their own models.
I don't know enough about Hickenlooper yet, but if nothing else, it gives me hope to imagine the White House occupied by someone who doesn't oversimplify every issue because the complex truth is too much for him.
238
If the environmental, economic and human rights situations are as dire as they seem, I'd like a candidate to who speaks to that. If Hickenlooper is running on his kindness, but is somehow not outraged, I'm not sure I'm even buying his premise.
5
I am weary of all this talk about being "tough." Perhaps this is some idea from the game show in which Trump starred that I never saw. Maybe it's a vanity begun by the guys (usually guys) in suits who call themselves "Players," as if they are football stars rather than the descendents of hawkers in a Bedouin market buying stock instead of carpets.
What in the world are people thinking when they opine one must be tough to face Trump? He is a fool to be confronted with truth and with ideas of merit. More likely that Dem candidates fear a smart person in a debate than this barely moving target.
I've bought, developed and sold a fair amount of real estate. I bought property by paying more than others were willing to pay, not by being tough. I sold by offering good value. I made deals by aligning disparate interests, and never sold by threatening the Buyer that they had to buy. People returned to invest with me because I was honest and guarded their money ahead of my own.
Hickenlooper is a good man and was a good governor of my state. Good to hear about his toughness, though smarter to plan on appropriate shoes for a hike in the Rockies.
Trump's toughness is based on the limitless pain he is willing to have others endure for his aggrandizement. Toughness defined as the ability to watch others suffer is not consonant with American history. It is not tough nor brave nor smart.
70
Thanks for the introduction to Hickenlooper.. Let the primaries play out, let the debates begin. At 77, I'm personally hoping for someone with policies like FDR's. The litany is long - healthcare and a defense budget bankrupting us, infrastructure crumbling, public school budgets frayed, many with no homes, lack of decent paying jobs, a warming planet, vast income inequality. All these things are real and worse than I've ever seen. What's the plan?
29
I just read a quick bio of Hickenlooper, and it appears one reason not mentioned for his calm, positive approach to problems is his Quaker background and beliefs. I like him more already.
85
@Bassman. Careful! Let’s not let religious background become bona fides. Nixon was a Quaker.
5
@Bassman
Nixon was a Quaker. Hoover was also.
3
@bebe guill
OMG, that's right! That would be terrible. I'll just think of them as Quaker outliers in name only.
1
I would proudly canvas for Mr. John Hickenlooper while hurling evidence in the face of adversity and opposition.
6
I recently lived in Colorado for 18 months. Hickenlooper was invisible. I realize he was the governor and he deserved my support but I can't recall any discussion about him. He was the man who wasn't there. So I don't understand how or why he is entering a huge Democratic field with the expectations that he will win or become take the VP slot. I think he will be part of a pool of Democratic hopefuls that will register microscopic totals in Iowa and New Hampshire and will then drop out. Does anyone remember George Pataki's campaign in 2016 for the Republican nomination? I'm thinking Pataki.
6
@Yankelnevich As a fellow Coloradan, I respectfully disagree. Hick didn't make headline news a lot, because he isn't about drama and -- let's face it -- in general Colorado has very poor local news coverage. IMO, there is room and need in our government for someone who doesn't go for the drama and focuses his or her energy on getting things done.
4
@Yankelnevich. Exactly --- as I said previously. There isn't a clear impression even within Colorado of this guy who never faced any opposition in his prior races. He cannot even command a stage.
Pipe dreams.
4
We ALL have to ask ourselves one simple question : Is the candidate going to move the policies or are the policies going to move the candidate ?
Then when we have asked and answered that little one, the next question is going to be what are WE going to do to move BOTH the policies AND the candidate ?
The obvious answer is voting, and voting in enough representatives and Senators to have the votes to enact anything - let alone any type of significant Progressive agenda.
There is STILL the republican filibuster of ANYTHING Democratic in the Senate - let alone Progressive.
A candidate such as the Governor of Colorado would be the usual Democratic candidate (and then President) that would go along to get along. There would be trading of tax cuts (theft) and allowing of pollution and the like to hold the line (somewhat) on social issues or human rights. Essentially as the status quo is maintained, the erosion of everything else is maintained as well. - especially our climate.
Drastic action is required on said climate, and human rights, and inequality now. It is not a matter of pragmatism versus anything else, but rather a matter of necessity.
We cannot wait for investment to be incremental in our efforts against climate change, or inequality or human rights.
We cannot wait for investment in ourselves.
14
@FunkyIrishman Yes, yes, yes! Gov. Frackenlooper is entirely about going along to get along. No ideas, no goals, no principles. The very definition of milquetoast, malleable Democrat or, really, moderate Republican. We cannot waste our future on another incrementalist.
And, by the way, his bringing light rail? The line to my neck of the woods is more than 2 1/2 years late and still no sign of ever opening. Some accomplishment that is!
4
Maybe I am old fashioned, but when I listen to the likes of Bernie Sanders, or Elizabeth Warren, or Al Gore, or Hillary Clinton, I say to myself, enough with the yelling. It's the same when I hear Donald Trump. All the yelling. I am tired of the yelling.
The first candidate who proposes a reasonable agenda for presiding over the country and who doesn't yell all the time likely will get my vote.
259
@Metaphor Have you considered it might be possible that you're just being fed a both-sides narrative that tells you that Democrat candidates are yelling without substance?
I'd recommend sitting down and listening to Warren, Harris, Sanders, and others in interviews (rather than at rallies). You'd find that they each have fairly compelling and well-thought-out platforms and reasons for running. Sure, none of them is perfect, but they've each spent a lot of time weighing the issues before speaking on them.
73
@Metaphor
There's "yelling," and there's "lying." Big difference.
31
@Metaphor My experience, Metaphor, is that yelling certainly gets one's attention but the message is lost as the listener naturally focuses on the abnormal tone. Yelling usually tells me more about the speaker than I care to know. Good post.
11
There's the Democratic MO, we all love...forgive and forget.
Wall Street crushing the world economy..."cut it out guys!" Meh, lets move on...
Bush igniting the world... tsk tsk… move on, don't dwell...
Trump...?! You know, so much to get done...we need to unite. Lets just sing Kumbaya and give the deplorables a juice box. They are just misunderstood.
Right back to the incremental, Third Way, status quo. Don't rock the boat. Wait your turn. Quite dreaming and accept the crumbs given to you. Be happy.
As the world burns...but look! We're united!
Except that 40% that loves them some Authoritarianism. That doesn't care if the world burns.
Except those 40% that are struggling and aren't represented nor heard.
Hooray for the big Milquetoast Tent! We can make Smores on the embers of the earth! How fun!
44
It's impossible to go as low (or lower) than trump who is extremely effective in attacking and taking over the narrative. Remember Rubio, Cruz, Paul, Graham, etc.
A successful opponent will have and stay on message. Their attacks should be issue based, rather than trading insults with trump.
9
@Brad
Our candidate needs to do both. There's a lot about Trump that's crying out for insults. Don't be afraid of him, he is weak inside. Take the fight to him.
2
@Fourteen
Fair point. While I appreciate how smart and tough Elizabeth Warren is, I don't see that trading insults advances her positions or gains her votes. I'm just saying, don't play trump's game.
1
Hillary is actually quite nice and she was practically eviserated by Trump and the GOP propaganda machine (which includes the Russian state and other foreign influencers). We need a candidate with a balance of nice, sharp wit, brawler, and quick-on-the-feet. Joe Biden comes to mind.
8
@Bill B Biden inspires nobody. He reminds me of Martha Coakley, whom the Democratic Party was convinced would waltz to victory in Massachusetts, but was instead trounced by Scott Brown.
3
@John Watlington, Did I mention inspiration? We need someone who can adequately fullfil the office, but first, we need someone who can win. You may vote on the basis of inspiration and the wake the day after election to find that Trump has four more years.
What will matter in 2020 is if the Democratic candidate can tie Trump to the swamp/lobbyist class, which should be easy given that this is the only constituency that he’s catered to while ignoring the rest of us, plus if Democrats get back to talking about bread and butter issues facing working families. Democrats are going to blow 2020 if they do not quickly pivot back to the platform that helped them win in 2018, and helped them win over both moderates and progressives. Before even thinking about Medicare for All and a Green New Deal, they need to prioritize the following:
- First and foremost, they need to outline a plan to preserve and protect the solvency of Social Security and Medicare.
- They need to outline a plan to cut taxes for the middle class and working poor, in order to provide some immediate cost relief to the middle class and working poor. Kamala Harris, Booker, and Brown already have a decent plan crafted last year to build on, which cuts taxes up to $100k, plus expands the earned income tax credit.
- Concurrently, they need to outline a tax reform plan that raises taxes on the wealthy to reasonable levels (not the extreme levels of AOC and Warren) to help drive down deficits and make deficits manageable. Start by taxing Capital Gains at the same rates as earned income, so folks like Romney and Buffet don't pay lower taxes than working Americans.
- Lastly, address the cost of health care and prescription drugs at the provider and big pharma level.
11
@Joe Arena
Climate change?
1
I'm much more interested in learning what Hickenlooper believes in than what a swell guy he is, aw shucks. It seems to be the Times' policy to promote someone, anyone, who's not a firebrand with a vision. Fiirst Bloomberg seemed to be their choice, but alas that would mean coming off his high horse, so everyone could see what a small-minded plutocrat he really is. Then we just had David Leonhardt's article praying for a moderate. Mr. Bruni was solidly in the Clinton camp last time, so I don't think he's 'evolved" much on the issues.
Anyone who want's to remake the world after Trump is going to need an edge and not, in the manner of Obama, give away the store. Obama couldn't even say the word "Republican" when referring to his slavering adversaries. It was always "some folks". Made me want to retch.
10
Nothing wrong with being a nice person. I happen to have a soft spot for Booker. But none of that trumps (sorry) policy and credibility. I don't really care about fighting Trump or Trumpism, i care what you're going to do if you get elected. I care about what you plan to do about healthcare, I care what you're willing to fight for. I care who your donors are, and i care what your record is. (Sorry, Senator Booker.)
As an aside sir, didn't you interview Pete Buttigieg? Any chance of a piece on him? There seems to be a media blackout on the guy, but he deserves to be heard and we deserve to hear from him.
57
Sounds like he has the best resume of all the Democratic candidates. I’d vote for him.
6
@Michael Fisher
Mind you Hick can hardly gather a crowd. Let's see how many hardy souls turn up in downtown Denver on Thursday.
At a recent screening of the movie made of the 2008 convention...called "Convention" Hickenlooper was the guest of honor. Perhaps there were 35-40 people in attendance. He does not "draw", but he can smile. And, he is
"Nice"...and soft. In case we want charisma, let's try someone else.
@Michael Fisher
Basically, he's been just a mediator.
A stronger Western governor hails from the state of Washington.
Mind you Hick can hardly gather a crowd. Let's see how many hardy souls turn up in downtown Denver on Thursday.
At a recent screening of the movie made of the 2008 convention...called "Convention" Hickenlooper was the guest of honor. Perhaps there were 35-40 people in attendance. He does not "draw", but he can smile. And, he is "Nice"...and soft....
In case we want charisma or a leader who can forcefully express opinions, let's try someone else.
McConnell doesn't play nice. Republicans don't play nice and have proudly carried out that for years. Their goal is to not cooperate, satisfy donors and getting power is more important than their electorates health, education and economics. I would take the last 10 years as convincing enough.
I spent years growing up in Colorado, before Mr. Hickenlooper, but I have watched what he's done and enjoyed his success and wish him great things. We'll see if there's enough iron in the velvet glove.
8
@rlpace . Yep. Remember Merrick Garland? Oy! The republicans can be quite mean-spirited and filled with double standards. I'll vote for the top-runner whomever it may be. Go dems!!!
9
Male candidates - truly "guys" - have a lot better prospects if they are "nice," than do their female counterparts. Women have the dilemma that they won't be taken seriously if they are too nice, but will be rejected as icy if they make too big a point of being serious or strong. Can't win for losing sometimes...
27
@NM Maybe women shouldn't be anything but themselves. Like with a lot of men, affect often seems chosen, which is phony.
Compromise with a fascist party is not what we need. Didn't Clinton and Obama teach us that?
21
Just what we need, Mr. Rogers with a smiley face. Hey kids, can we sing the Hickenlooper song?
(Meanwhile, the dark tide of global fascism approacheth)
14
Trump is the king cobra. The democrats don't need any other species of snake to defeat Trump. The presidential election will be decided by the 20 percent of voters lodged between die hard Trump supporters and steadfast progressive Democratic voters. In essence whoever gets 51 percent of the 20 percent wins at least the popular vote (though we know that means nothing if it's not accompanied by the electoral vote). The Democratic candidate best positioned for that is one who can win the key purple states such as Ohio, Michigan, and Wisconsin. Trump capitalized on Hillary's complacence in such purple states. Purple states are less ideological and more pragmatic about voting, therefore the Democratic candidate who can win them over will be a centrist. Enter Hickenlooper, Klobuchar, and potentially Brown and/or Biden. That would be sensible, especially if one of them chooses a running mate to appeal to women and persons of color (as of now, that's Harris). Having said that, going high when Trump goes low is an eminently sensible game plan. Joining Trump in the gutter would be disastrous. Keep calm and talk about substantive issues (immigration, health care, infrastructure, gun control, climate change, fair taxation) while Trump blows hot air. That's the formula for convincing swing voters who picked Trump in 2016 that they cannot make the same mistake twice.
161
@nzierler
Per the latest Gallup poll of 2/1-2/10 "Independents" were 37% of registered voters; Rs and Ds only a few points apart.
3
@nzierler Your post is excellent on all counts. I completely agree about having a centrist and your idea about the ideal running mate. Thanks.
8
@nzierler, Excellent post. I would add Stacy Abrams as a possible running mate. She would also appeal to African-Americans in key Southern states.
7
Just no.
I’m done with “happy”, “consensus-building” Democrats. I’m still young, and I want to see transformational change in this country before I’m dead— enough with the baby steps.
Time to bring the fire.
339
@Me
Hickenlooper would beat Trump. Why? Because he would win ever Democratic state and peel off enough votes in rural areas to carry Ohio and Pennsylvania. He would literally run the tables. This is clear to anyone who spends time in both red and blue areas.
If Democrats think that Bernie Sanders, AOC, and their crowd of third wave free range intersectional vegan socialists can win the electoral college against Trump in the General Election, they’ll be sorely mistaken.
And it’s not just rural people who will turn against them.Twenty million center left professionals will be lying on their Facebook feeds about having voted for the progressive over Trump.
120
@Me With all due respect, and as a leftist who first voted in 1964, I have to ask: Do you think baby steps are easy? You voters in Maine just replaced a terrible governor who did a lot of harm. Is getting rid of Susan Collins a baby step? Well, then do it. If getting rid of Collins in Maine is hard, what are the odds of having Iowa or my own Michigan move away from Trump in 2020? Acting out to feel good is easy. Baby steps are hard but achievable.
334
@arp
The people of Maine did something about how that governor got elected (with less than 40% of the vote both times). They voted in favor of a referendum establishing ranked voting so there will not be a three-way split to elect someone who cannot win in a two-way race. The independent spoiler, who was the same person both times in the race for governor, is widely believed to have been funded by outside corporate money. That game is over! Ranked voting on the federal level could do the same thing.
135
I've lived in the Denver area for 27 years and work downtown. I would absolutely love it if our smart, well-read, reasonable, pragmatic, experienced (politics/governance, business) former Governor was elected POTUS.
159
“Nice guys?” Why does it have to be “a guy”?
Do you remember Sigourney Weaver’s Ripley in the “Alien” series? Any number of already-declared women can jettison the monster from the pod. They just can’t be afraid.
John Hickenlooper seems like a nice guy. But so what?
12
Nice guys finish last. Hasn't Trump taught us anything?
Mr. Rogers - "Putting on my sweater..." - for president.
3
@Oscar Esmoquin
How can you say that given Hickenlooper's success in business, and serving as Mayor of Denver and Governor of Colorado? With all due respect, I wouldn't call any of that finishing last.
3
@Bassman
The "finishing last" part is when he runs for president...
2
Likely the best pick ,he's worlds above the contenders.
9
Sadly, I feel the healing of America is decades away.. perhaps a century. How sad it is that we have ended up in this predicament. One that I’ll go to my grave with, thank you social media, the internet, etc!!!
15
Your article alone made me want to support him. I long for equanimity, rational thought and diplomacy.
207
Agree with you, Julie from Boise!
For me, this article further supports the idea of a Hickenlooper-Kasich or Kasich-Hickenlooper unity ticket. Both are from purple states, and yet get stuff done. Both prioritize climate change. Both are "can do" uniters. (Plus, a friend of mine from Hailey knows Hickenlooper from his pre-political days when he owned the brewery and says he's a great person.)
Unity may be the antidote to the division on which our current dead-end system depends? Maybe Democrats, Independents, and "Never Trump" Republicans need to think big?
5
@Elizabeth I have heard of this idea before. My fear is Kasich........not because he is a Republican but because he doesn't have the same reputation. https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/02/john-kasich-mean-became-nice-new-hampshire-213589
4
These memo's about the candidates is informative, but I will wait for the debates or attend one of the meetings if they visit Georgia before I make any decisions. The election will be the most important in my lifetime, and this 76 year old is going to take his time and analyze each and every candidate. Then vote.
139
@cherrylog754, and so will this 76 year old...
8
@cherrylog754
This 74 year old male voter is with you on that. I would love to see the primary field filled with moderates like Hickenlooper, Sherrod Brown, Kamala Harris, Cory Booker, and Joe Biden (who seems ageless for his age). The others will drop out before the end of the year.
@cherrylog754 As an 80 year old and a registered Republican for most of those years (GWB cured me) I am now registered as unaffiliated and have not voted Republican since 2000. The Republican party moved away from me, not the other way around. Hickenlooper appeals to me and might move up to the top of my Dem list, but I lean to the other sex as it is about time. My favorite there so far is Kamala Harris whose book I have red and I am impressed both with her policy positions and ability to get elected against high odds. We'll see where this leads me.
4
This is the best piece I've seen about Hickenlooper since he announced his candidacy early yesterday morning. I've known John for 16 years, and his positive attitude is not a pose or a strategy. It's who he is, and the more people in Iowa and NH who get to know him, the better will be his chances of finishing very near the top. His personality, combined with what he's actually accomplished as a progressive Denver mayor and Colorado governor, make him a one-of-a-kind candidate. Buckle up!
362
When they go low, we go high, as Michelle Obama explained.
Democrats have to represent a contrast to Trump not only in agenda, but in integrity, decency and respectability.
Trump has done more than enough damage already. We can't let his way of being define us, too.
269
As a moderate independent voter, I feel the Dems have gone low also!!
Not casting blame but n y’all
5
@NM
Unfortunately, "going low" works quite well in this country. Absent an educated electorate, we are in deep doodoo.
43
@NM, NY: Esteemed daughter of the Cairene scholar: One of the depressing results of the 2016 election was that so many millions of voters were quite through with President Obama. Read Frank Bruni’s op-Ed late that night after it became apparent that Donald Trump won. The voters ditched him (No. 44) for a dime on a spit-strewn street. They took Trump to their hearts and haven’t let go. It seems that they wanted to bury the eight great years of decency that preceded this mushroom cloud of an administration—but for what? “Going high” once meant something, but not anymore. After reading some of the comments in this thread, people seem to think that there’s some magic genii out there that Democrats can uncork into the body politic to unseat Trump. Gentility won’t do it. He understands one thing: he’s afraid of somebody hitting back. No ballet slippers and piano sonatas next time around. We’ve got to go for his jugular; he’s going to go after ours, right? John Hickenlooper May be all that and a bag of Lay’s but, as I asked, “so what?” To quote the Sean Connery character (Malone) in “The Untouchables,” you don’t bring a knife to a gunfight.”
7
And of course, we have the ever sunny, funny, ever gaffe prone, erudite, experienced Uncle Joe with the handsome goofy smile. Maybe, Obama is keeping the best for the last in this Democratic bandwagon!
1
@NNI
I hope so much that Biden will throw his hat in the ring! I think he would be the ideal candidate. He is warm, smart, sincere, relatable. Biden is a fighter for causes worth fighting for, yet he is not antagonistic or rude, and he also knows how to reach across the aisle. He is savvy with both legislation and foreign policy. Biden is visceral but never off-putting. He is it! Here's to Biden leading the way!
Thanks for what you wrote.
4
@NM I don't think he can win. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/joe-biden-2020_n_5c796502e4b087c2f295ba31
6
Exactly the problem in a nutshell... hiding anonymous through the internet!! Grand, isn’t it????