General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsI want to put a name out here and get your thoughts on this possible candidate - John Hickenlooper
I like what's happening in Colorado. He was smart to get Marijuana legalized because it's bringing in big cash into his state. I also like that he took on the gun nuts after the mass shooting in Aurora Colorado.
I know he's in the middle of a divorce not sure if there is anything there that might hurt him.
Thoughts on Hickenlooper for President?
joeybee12
(56,177 posts)No more...I'd never vote for him...as for his role in pot being legalized, he's doing everything in his power to block the law and did everything to make it hard to implement.
yeoman6987
(14,449 posts)He brought gambling to the state and bringing in tons of money. We are the number one state in education. Best public schools in the nation. We have the highest income in the country. We are just the most incredible state in the United States and Governor O'Malley has made it that way.
Tommy_Carcetti
(43,085 posts)But the same goes for him. Unless Hillary decides she's not running, no one else is going to get any attention whatsoever.
yeoman6987
(14,449 posts)but the intent would be to get on the ticket as VP. I have no idea if that is true or not.
Tommy_Carcetti
(43,085 posts)....solid blue status. But then again, there wasn't much strategic advantage for Obama picking a guy from Delaware, either. So who knows. I'd love a Vice President O'Malley. Hopefully he'd turn out a hell of a lot better than the only other Vice President from Maryland.
LynneSin
(95,337 posts)he took money from Delaware Casinos when he opened them up in Maryland
I chatting with some folks in Maryland who were totally against gambling in their state. I just had to laugh and agree with them. I mean Delaware is so close by we wanted all the Marylanders driving over to our state and gamble and giving us that extra revenue!!
yeoman6987
(14,449 posts)But I think since it came to the state, they embraced it.....it helped balance the budget.......I feel for Delaware...I really do because I would go to Dover Delaware all the time......now not so much....sorry.
LynneSin
(95,337 posts)Ironically when Delaware passed Sunday sales for booze we had the religious crazies all a tither.
I got a letter to the editor in the local papers saying how silly it was for us to keep the ban on Sunday Sales. Delaware is a small state and everyone in the state lives 30 minutes from the MD border where Sunday sales are legal. Why have all that tax revenue be sent over the border?
elleng
(130,156 posts)(Thunderstorms coming in, tho!)
Tommy_Carcetti
(43,085 posts)That's neither a knock against nor an endorsement of Hillary. It's just how it is.
LynneSin
(95,337 posts)But I'm not ready to cast my vote until I see all the candidates.
Tommy_Carcetti
(43,085 posts)And frankly, if it's primary time and O'Malley's still in the running (if he's in the running), I'm voting for O'Malley. If not, I'm all in for Hillary.
But I don't see a Obama like dark-horse for 2016 to knock Hillary off her front-running status. Frankly, I wasn't all that shocked that Obama managed to grab the nomination in 2008--there was a huge amount of buzz about him ever since the 2004 convention. So while him winning the nomination over Hillary might have been an upset, it was a rather minor one.
elleng
(130,156 posts)Chan790
(20,176 posts)I also think there's a viable candidacy for someone to run against her (not Schweitzer!) if they throw in now, commit to running unfriendly and start hitting her on her non-declaration. Her candidacy would be dead before 2014 midterms...and we'd have a strong frontrunner with a solid campaign going into election season. Alternately, she'd have to jump in and we'd have a strong frontrunner with a solid campaign going into election season.
It's a no lose situation for someone to come out strong now running as a liberal against Clinton as the presumed centrist frontrunner for the nomination.
truebluegreen
(9,033 posts)LynneSin
(95,337 posts)I love to learn
truebluegreen
(9,033 posts)As a native of CO, if no longer a resident ( a recent development), I'm familiar with the man. He has done some good things esp. on social issues but the fracking is a deal-breaker for me. I'm also not fond of his protege / former chief-of-staff, the current junior Senator Michael Bennet (to be fair, appointed by the previous governor). They are both too corporate for me.
Timez Squarez
(262 posts)Believe me you don't want him.
Biggest supporter of fracking.
We call him Frackenlooper and dared him to put the fracked water in his beer
hlthe2b
(101,730 posts)in what I think was a responsible way. I like him and will certainly vote his reelection, like that he signed the gun legislation... He is, however, far too "FRACKER" supportive and has really obstructed those trying to reign in these opportunists. He was instrumental in passing laws that tie the hands of communities whose voters wish to outlaw fracking.
So, yes, I like him--compared to the RETHUGS here for sure, but like most Dems, there are major "cons" in addition to the "pros".
TwilightGardener
(46,416 posts)very well (Waldo Canyon Fire, big flood up in Boulder last year) as well as the shootings. I think he's a competent manager, and I'd support him--yes, his weakness is that he's buddy-buddy with oil/gas, but he has a background in geology or petroleum stuff, I think--and fracking isn't going anywhere in CO. Edit to add: might be more of VP material, for now, but I think he's a solid guy.
Laffy Kat
(16,356 posts)He ran a brewery before he became the Mayor of Denver. I've not been terribly impressed with him as Governor.
Upton
(9,709 posts)"Colorado is known for many great things marijuana should not be one of them," Hickenlooper said in a statement. "Amendment 64 has the potential to increase the number of children using drugs and would detract from efforts to make Colorado the healthiest state in the nation. It sends the wrong message to kids that drugs are OK."
Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper opposes marijuana-legalization measure
TwilightGardener
(46,416 posts)He did his best to handle it responsibly, and respected the will of the people of Colorado about it.
Upton
(9,709 posts)And this BS: "It sends the wrong message to kids that drugs are OK." is right out of the drug warrior playbook..
To be fair though, Inslee In Washington state was just as bad as he opposed I-502..
The question is..why haven't the Democrats taken the lead on this issue?
TwilightGardener
(46,416 posts)office. Nobody wants to be the first to go out and yell, YAY WEED!! Nobody knew how it would turn out--and it's still early in terms of finding out how it affects Colorado as a whole. So no, he wasn't Hick the Brave, but he's handled it well.
kelliekat44
(7,759 posts)LordGlenconner
(1,348 posts)That's not at all how it happened. It happened because 55 percent (or more) voted for the amendment in 2012. He has said he was generally opposed to legalization, but wouldn't stand in the way if that was what the people wanted. That's different from saying he was a proponent of legalization which he was not.
I like the guy personally, but fracking is a non-starter with me. Especially in a state that has a lot to lose environmentally like Colorado. It's just a fundamentally bad idea.
Laffy Kat
(16,356 posts)I voted for him while holding my nose. Uber, uber big business.
Autumn
(44,762 posts)I'll pass.
Laffy Kat
(16,356 posts)locks
(2,012 posts)20 years in Denver while Hick was mayor, 19 in Boulder while he's been governor. We Dems were elated that we kept Denver Democratic and he has done some very good things for Colorado. Problem is, as others have posted, he owned a brewery and bar and has helped open literally hundreds of new breweries in Colorado, making beer our coolest draw (before marijuana). This has hurt our young people, especially our great CU students. It is the reason he pushed hard against legalization of marijuana although he surely knows that it's a hundred times safer for our young people than alcohol.
He is a geologist and is in the pockets of oil and gas and has fought against local control of fracking and drilling in urban areas, suing some communities like Boulder, Ft. Collins and Lafayette.
But you can see our problem; Colorado has many very active rightwingers and some really crazy Repugs, particularly in Colorado Springs and northern CO (who want to secede). Denver and Boulder's reps are probably safe but our very good Dem senators Bennet and Udall have a hard fight to keep their seats. Hick usually goes along with the Dem majority but all of them constantly straddle the fence as the right owns the corporations, the money, and a lot of the votes.
Since this is the way the country is divided now maybe Hickenlooper would make as good a president as liberals could ever get!