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SPEAKOUT: Midway in first term, Ritter struggles

By Floyd Ciruli

Published July 23, 2008 at 12:05 a.m.

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Democrats are hoping the West will be fertile ground in this November's election for their presumptive presidential nominee, Sen. Barack Obama, and congressional and U.S. Senate candidates. Colorado, in particular, is seen as a battleground. And, indeed, the Rasmussen and Quinnipiac July polls show that Obama is ahead by 3 to 5 percentage points.

Surprisingly, new Democratic Gov. Bill Ritter may be in trouble. When compared with his Montana counterpart, Gov. Brian Schweitzer, in recent Rasmussen polls, Ritter's job rating lags behind Schweitzer by 19 points. Only 45 percent of Colorado voters gave Ritter an excellent or good job rating, whereas 64 percent of Montanans rated Schweitzer as doing an excellent or good job.

The Rasmussen poll uses an automated response technique that is questioned in some professional quarters, but it produced presidential and Senate race results in Colorado comparable to other polls using more traditional interviewing techniques.

Ritter's 2006 election was the latest in a series of across-the-board victories for Colorado Democrats - from the state legislature to U.S. Congress to the U.S. Senate. But a spate of recent political missteps has dogged Ritter in 2008.

The governor's poor job performance is at least partially a reflection of growing criticism about many unfulfilled expectations - most of which he raised - and his association with controversial or thwarted initiatives.

* He created transportation and health care panels that recommended significant new programs, but produced minor legislative and policy changes and little new money.

* He froze propertytax rates, which would have dropped, and directed excess funds to favored programs. A lower court has ruled Ritter's action unconstitutional, and the ruling is under appeal.

* He has proposed raising the mineral severance tax, but the increase has only weak support from key constituencies and powerful opposition from oil and gas interests and drilling boom towns. Also, he has proposed strict environmental rules on oil and gas drilling and is getting political resistance.

* He is in a peculiar fight with his former gubernatorial campaign manager over financial issues. Civil and criminal violations are being investigated.

* And, most unexpectedly, Ritter unionized state employees, unleashing an onslaught of criticism from business and editorial pages - especially in The Denver Post, usually the state's main liberal paper. His action contributed to a labor/business ballot war involving "right to work" and other labor-oriented initiatives.

Although many of Ritter's problems could be resolved in his favor, he is at risk. Fortunately for Ritter, the intense presidential race and upcoming Democratic National Convention in Denver are diverting local attention away from his trials. But, after the expected Democratic surge in November recedes, Ritter may be in for a period of considerable criticism.

Republicans, desperate for some glint of success, are likely to pursue a full attack.

Floyd Ciruli, founder of Ciruli Associates, is a Denver-based pollster and political analyst.

Comments

  • July 23, 2008

    6:24 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    Mike_In_Hartsel writes:

    You're surprised his house of cards is shaky? The Democrats only continue to nibble away because the Republicans aren't united and lack a strong leader.

  • July 23, 2008

    1:07 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    lamb writes:

    The governor did not unionize state employees. State employees have been able to join any union of their choice for decades, and until the Service Employees Union International (SEIU) targeted Colorado in its increasing hunger to gobble up smaller unions and their dues paying members, Colorado state employees could choose from AFT, CAPE, Teamsters, AFSCME, and CFPE (and others). Since SEIU made deals with Ritter, including legislatively getting rid of the right to strike which state employees had been given in 1917, AFT, CAPE, and AFSCME merged under SEIU to form "Colorado WINS". Now, COW INS is in the process of asking state employees via open (not secret) ballots to choose between 1) COW INS or 2) No Union. To date, 26% of eligible state employees have voted in favor of a union and they won because only 30% of eligible state employees bothered to vote.
    Also, Ritter and SEIU did not allow, and will never allow, state employees to have collective bargaining. Ritter signed an Executive Order (a piece of paper) calling for a "Partnership Agreement" with COW INS.
    On the other hand, state employees are still able to join any union or employee organization they choose. They are also free to not join any union or employee organization.

  • July 23, 2008

    2:18 p.m.

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    FlyfishDude52 writes:

    He did not unionize state employees. However he hasn't accomplisdhed any of his campaign promises. In fact, it looks as though he's changed what many of them were, except freezing, rather than allowing the tax to revert to it's previously lower level.

    And now that you mention it, what's been done about illegal immigration & the burden and ill will that's been generated in that sector? Yeah. Nothing. Thanks gov, for nothing.

  • July 23, 2008

    9:33 p.m.

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    Mike846 writes:

    Ritter has failed to uphold his oath of office, just as he failed to uphold it as District Attorney. He panders to the open borders crowd, tries to skirt around the constitutional requirements of TABOR with executive orders, proposes huge taxes on energy extraction that will only lead to higher prices for consumers and loss of Colorado jobs, and hasn't been able to impliment a single one of his promised policy changes that I know of, despite having a majority of Dems in the State house. If Republicans were as well-organized and well-financed as the Left Wing, they might stand a chance. However, I am not optimistic. If the best they could trot out two years ago was Bob Beauprez, they're in deep do-do. Meanwhile, watch for more political correctness and lack of action from the Guv's office. Mike

  • July 23, 2008

    10:19 p.m.

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    nobozons writes:

    This is the first time that I would be for impeaching the governor. Ritter is the worst==screwing up jobs, thinking that getting in position to use oil shale. Colorado will be like Baghdad if he has his way. Electricity will be on for a few hours a day but we won't have 70 cent gas. It will be fifteen dollars.

  • July 24, 2008

    12:11 a.m.

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    jacka writes:

    YES on Amendment 47, should all Coloradans have the employee free choice Governor Ritter gave state employees -- the Right-to-Work?

  • July 24, 2008

    12:33 p.m.

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    ItsJustme writes:

    Jacka said "Governor Ritter gave state employees -- the Right-to-Work" I don't think that phrase means what you think it means.

  • July 24, 2008

    12:33 p.m.

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    Mtnmike293 writes:

    jacka writes:

    YES on Amendment 47, should all Coloradans have the employee free choice Governor Ritter gave state employees -- the Right-to-Work?

    Jacka, give us a break. No employee in Colorado is required to join a union; including state employees. You already have freedom of choice. 47 will destroy cooperative environments currently in place and is a waste of the taxpayer dollars. It was placed on the ballot by a small interest group (Coors amongst others)of wealthy business people who are part of a larger nationwide movement "hell bent" on the total destruction of any right to reporesentation in the workplace. Even the Denver Chamber of Commerce is against 47. Go figure

  • July 24, 2008

    9:36 p.m.

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    gary writes:

    Tax Ritter..
    Giddy up and go..
    Hopefully off into the sunset never to be govenor again!

    Maybe he can go agriculture tresspassing in Mexico!!

    Nuff Said!

  • July 25, 2008

    12:26 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    jacka writes:

    Justme and MntMike,

    You cannot deny that when the governor brought in the unions he gave state workers the right to work.

    In his order no state employee is required to join a union, pay union dues or pay agency fees. That is Right-to-Work and it's the governors policy to protect state workers.

    Shouldn't all Coloradans have these same rights?