About

In this episode, we welcome our first guest on the show, ProgressNow Colorado’s Ian Silverii. Ian Silverii provides an experienced and informed Democrat point of view to our discussion about the national and Colorado political landscape. Topics that are discussed include Congressman Ed Perlmutter’s withdrawal from the Governor’s race, Donald Trump’s influence on our elections, and a wide range of state and national political trends. This episode is a good one. Segment 1: Introduction of Ian Silverii of Progress Now Colorado Congressman Perlmutter’s withdrawal from the Governor’s race, coupled with a seemingly ever-increasing GOP field for Governor, has made for an interesting start to the summer. What does it all mean for next year? With Perlmutter’s exit, will Jared Polis be able to easily lock up the Democratic nomination for Governor? Or are we still looking at a bruising primary? And in the age of Trump, how should each party approach the 2018 midterms? Ian Silverii biography, worked for state party and the Democrat legislative committee. Segment 2: The Democrat Primary We discuss Britany Petersen impressive fundraising haul of $170,000, thoughts about the Democratic primary in the 7th Congressional District.  Little PAC money and 90% in Colorado. Segment 3: Thoughts on Ed Perlmutter’s Exit from Governor Primary We discuss Ed Perlmutter exiting the Democrat Governor race in Colorado. He was tired, heart was not in it, and what are Democrat primary voters looking for?  Ian discusses the quality of the Democrat candidates, including state Sen. Mike Johnson, Jared Polis and Cary Kennedy. Ian talks about the confusion for two hours that he did not know if Ed Perlmutter was going to stay in Congress, leaving the three Democrat candidates in limbo. Ian and Britany did not know this was coming. One observation is that the Democrat field has raised a lot more money than the Republican field. Is Ed Perlmutter taking a breather, and will he challenge Cory Gardner in 2020?  Was there any deal done with Congressman Jared Polis? We talk about Jared Polis having a 10-year record in Congress that will be vetted very closely by opponents. We also talk about Jared Polis’s three issue priorities (employee profit sharing, renewable energy by 2040, fully funded public pre-school) when he announced his candidacy. Segment 4: A Discussion About Renewable Energy in Colorado The conversation covers the importance of renewable energy as an issue for Coloradans, and how the politics of it has played out the past few years. Segment 5: A GOP Candidate’s Challenge of Trump Loyalty & Winning Over the Middle There is a real challenge for the Republican Governor candidates to win over primary voters. They will have to embrace Donald Trump’s policies to win over the Republican base, and then turn to the middle to win the general election. In this segment, we discuss Magellan polling that shows how unpopular Donald Trump’s policies are with unaffiliated voters in Colorado. We also discuss the dysfunction of the Republican majorities in Congress trying to get anything done. We also discuss the inability of the Republican majority to repeal and replace Obamacare. Segment 6: Mike Coffman and Cory Gardner Constituent Strategies in This Environment This segment discusses Congressman Mike Coffman’s strategy and chances in 2018, and his courage of holding town halls with some of his angry constituents. We also discuss Sen. Cory Gardner’s different strategy, and how it could harm his standing with Colorado voters. This segment also covers how the environment was the exact opposite for Democrat legislators in 2009 when Democrat voters where passing the Affordable Care Act. Segment 7: Democrat and Republican Strategies for the 2018 Election Cycle What do the results of the 2017 special elections for Congress mean for 2018? In this segment, we really get into the numbers and talk about similarities to the 2006 Democrat wave election year. We also talk about how Rep. Mike Coffman, and other Republican candidates in swing districts must demonstrate a separation from Donald Trump to be successful holding onto their seat. Segment 8: Who is in Charge of the Democrat Party? In this segment, we talk about the problems a political party faces when it does not have a clear leader and messenger like Barack Obama. We talk about the strongest groups within the Democrat Party, including teacher unions, Emily’s List, and environmental groups and if they are going to be able to work together in 2018. We also make comparisons to strong Republican organizations like Americans for Prosperity and FreedomWorks.