We're really trying to stay focused on Colorado elections and politics here - check out this weekend's Governor Line update - but, as Michael Corleone said: "Just when I thought that I was out they pull me back in."
The Denver Post confirmed what Colorado Pols readers have known for weeks: Tom Tom Tancredo is running for President in 2008. In a report on Tom Tancredo's trip to New Hampshire this week, the crazy-like-a-fox Congressman sheds the spin on his future intentions, in a way no other politician would. The Post leads with:
It seems ridiculous to think that Tom Tancredo would run for president. And no one knows that better than Tancredo himself. The congressman from Littleton calls the idea "so audacious in one way, and so idiotic in another."
Somehow, we doubt John Edwards, Jeb Bush, Rudy Giuliani or Hillary Clinton would call their possible Presidential bids "idiotic." But, honestly, that's why we love Tom Tancredo.
As he continues his quest to become a fringe Presidential candidate, it's interesting to note that Tom Tom has crossed two more hurdles. We wrote a while back that Tom Tancredo was taking the steps anyone thinking of a run for President should take: go to early primary states, get someone on the ground to help introduce you around and get noticed by primary state bigfoot media figures (John DiStaso in the case of NH). The Post story today details two more steps on this path for Tancredo.
First, claim you'll only run if no one else in the Presidential race is addressing the issue or issues you feel important. Whenever you hear a possible Presidential candidate talking like this, you know they're running. Inevitably, this form of "testing the waters" will lead the candidate to say: "I have been out talking to the people of this great country and I have discovered that [insert issue or issues here] are of great concern to them. I do not see any of the potential nominees for President in my party addressing Americans concerns. Thus, today I am announcing my candidacy for President." On the Democratic side, Russ Feingold is engaging in the same dance.
The next hurdle is to get your local media involved in the chase. Once the national media starts to take notice of a growing Presidential campaign, first place they turn is to the candidate's local media to see how he or she has been covered in the past. The national media will often take their cue from local media's coverage, especially early coverage of a Presidential campaign, and today's Denver Post story is laying that base for Tom Tom.
We'd also like to point out that the Denver Post is casting Tancredo's Presidential bid as meaning the firebrand might give up his 6th District Congressional seat in 2008. We've contested that Tancredo could mount his fringe candidacy and would most likely be out of the race in time for him to phone-in his usual Congressional re-election campaign. But, the Post points out that by serving until 2008, Tancredo will have enough federal service in to get a nice retirement nest egg for himself, thus making more terms in Congress even less desirable.
We're fairly certain John Andrews took notice of that portion of today's Denver Post story. And, Democrats should take notice too. The numbers in the 6th District make it virtually impossible for donkeys to take that seat. However, their best chance to somehow pull out a victory in 6 is to have Tom Tom as an opponent. Once he's out and a less controversial Republican runs, the donkeys might as well just put their energy elsewhere and run Lance Wright in future elections.
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Posted by: blackalllett | July 09, 2008 at 01:42 PM