Still No Fat Lady

Former Democratic Party Chair Chris Gates still hasn't given up on challenging the results of the Democratic Party elections a few weeks ago that made Pat Waak the new chair, but he may find that the line is growing short behind him.

Although Senator Ken Salazar has written a letter encouraging a recount (which will no doubt drive the Be the Change faction of the party absolutely bonkers), the leadership of both houses in the state legislature, as well as many other members, have told Waak that they would oppose a further recount. Some have even said that they would speak up to the Democratic National Committee if such a move is made.

We've said this before, but for Gates and his pal Paul Lhevine to allow this to drag on as long as it has is absolutely ridiculous. It sounds like the election may have had a questionable result, but the time to challenge those results was the Monday after the election. You don't screw around for three weeks trying to figure out the best course of action, because then it just looks like you're trying to change the results - that's a tough perception to escape.

Things would only get worse for Democrats at this point if Gates did successfully challenge the results, serving only to widen the gap between an already divided core group. Both Gates and Waak have acted silly over this whole election, but it's time to move on.

Comments

[ColoBLT]

I don't know where you're getting your info from, but Chris has been asking for a recount ever since your fabled "Monday after the election." That hasn't changed.

As for a recount, we're Democrats!!! Have we learned nothing from Florida, Ohio, Washington, and numerous other tight races across the country? When an election is as close as the one betweebn Gates and Waak, Democrats must support a recount unless they wish to appear totally hippocritical.

[Alva Adams]

Gates has talked about it forever, but he hasn't done much specifically. Do it or don't - don't just talk about it.

[Phoenix Rising]

It was recounted at least twice during the re-org meeting, with credentials and rules committees looking on and verifying votes. Gates needs to let it go - the party has already done what he's asking, and it didn't turn out his way. It's not like the ballots were run through a machine. It's not like we had multiple candidates with no-votes in the "Chair" spot. It's not like we had people voting who weren't on the lists. And it's not like we were counting thousands of votes... Time to move on.

[vladimir]

Hey Chrissy and Paulie lost -- they had every chance and opportunity to present at the convention their claims that votes should have been counted -- the committee structure was in place to make such rulings --
instead of acting that day Paul Lhevine acted like a deer caught in headlights -- they had every opportunity to contest fully and present every claim at the convention -- they chose not to do so and are now whining crazy stuff about Florida -- duh who was in charge of the proxies -- Paul Lhevine could have made sure that they were submitted properly but chose to stand in the corner playing the big shot all day --
If, Chris thinks that the DNC will bail him out he'd better double check -- Chris has not one friend in the national party hierarchy and like many Coloradans laughed their ass off when they learned he lost