Palin power energizes Colorado Springs

By David Montero, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published September 6, 2008 at 12:05 a.m.

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Barry Gutierrez © The Rocky

While listening to the Republican National Convention on a radio Wayne King, a volunteer, helps prepare signs for McCains rally on Saturday in Colorado Springs at the Victory Office, a shared space for Republican candidates.

Jane Hyde works on campaign signs at the Victory Office in Colorado Springs for the McCain-Palin rally today.

Anna Litchenberg was on her knees in the campaign office parking lot, the sun dipping behind an old two-story building as a chill gripped the air.

With a brush soaked in dark blue paint, she traced carefully over the stenciled words in pencil onto the white poster. Around her, others with green and red paint wrote out their messages, too.

At a nearby table, Walt Peacock decided he couldn't suppress his enthusiasm anymore.

"Let's hear it for Sarah Palin," he yelled while raising his arms to form a V.

About 30 people cheered. Litchenberg smiled, put her head down and went back to painting the words "Coloradans for Mac and Sarah."

Before John McCain's announcement that Palin was going to be his running mate, Litchenberg had little motivation to be making signs for today's rally when the GOP's standard bearers come to town.

She voted for Mitt Romney in the February Republican caucus and was never quite sure McCain could be trusted as a true conservative.

But then Palin happened.

The first-term governor of Alaska is an evangelical Christian who has been called a heroine of the pro-life movement.

James Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family, reversed his vow not to vote for McCain and got on board with vigor. So did radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh - a frequent critic of the Arizona senator.

Litchenberg was sold on the ticket and, for the first time this election season, decided not only to vote for McCain, but also to volunteer.

"By McCain choosing Sarah Palin, he showed he could be trusted," Litchenberg said. "The pick really nailed it for me."

And, it may just put a crimp in the talk of Democrats, including Barack Obama, about getting at least 40 percent of the votes in this reddest of red counties.

DEMS IN GOP COUNTRY

Back in June when Obama came to Colorado Springs to deliver his "call to service" speech, his campaign decided to take its message into the heart of a Republican stronghold.

As campaign spokesman Matt Chandler said then: "We will not cede any county."

But Colorado Democratic Party Chairwoman Pat Waak set a more specific goal - putting 40 percent of the El Paso County vote in the Democratic column.

Gov. Bill Ritter achieved 39.73 percent in El Paso County when he defeated Republican Bob Beauprez in 2006.

That was light-years better than 2004 when President Bush trounced Sen. John Kerry by a 2-to-1 ratio.

The Palin pick might complicate things in El Paso County.

"As far as the targeted number, I would say we want 40 percent and we will look at the number," Waak said.

"We launched the 64 county strategy and we're keeping to it. Obviously there are more resources going into some counties than others, but we're not giving up on any votes," she said.

Tom Kise, regional spokesman for the McCain campaign, said Palin has brought so much energy to the conservative base in El Paso County that "a wide margin" of victory is possible again.

Kise said the appearance of McCain with Palin here today in front of an expected crowd of about 10,000 could make the statement that the county is still firmly Republican.

"I think a lot of people in El Paso County - and around the country - were waiting for that very big pick of the VP," Kise said.

"It's a sign of judgment and experience by the presidential candidate and when you put the two candidates next to each other, she's a solid pick with good conservative credentials that will appeal to a lot of people in El Paso County," Kise said.

Jason Allen bounced up and down on the balls of his feet, hands thrust in his pockets outside the McCain office in Colorado Springs shortly before Palin was to address the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minn., this week.

The 31-year-old expressed excitement about Palin and smiled a lot when her name was mentioned.

Allen, a Mike Huckabee supporter during the Colorado caucus, said McCain failed to energize him.

Before Palin was picked, Allen hadn't even visited McCain's Web site.

The lifelong Republican was even a little dispirited by President Bush and highly critical of the administration's lack of fiscal discipline.

Almost immediately after the Palin pick and a quick bit of research on her, Allen not only logged onto the McCain site, he signed up for e-mail alerts and sought to volunteer for the campaign.

"I sent out e-mails and personal messages to people urging them to support the ticket," Allen said. "This is a game-changer."

AVERTING A BLOWOUT

All week, the Obama campaign has been tilling the Republican soil - not just in El Paso County, but around Colorado. On Wednesday, it established the Colorado Republicans for Obama, including counting Colorado Springs City Councilwoman Jan Martin as a key member.

Martin acknowledged the support for Obama could cost her, but said she knew several Republicans who were ready to vote for the Democrat in November. Martin invoked the word "change" several times.

While swing areas such as Jefferson, Arapahoe and Larimer counties remain key targets, University of Colorado political science department Chairman Ken Bickers said averting a blowout in El Paso County would be helpful to the Obama campaign.

"It sounds like she's really quite appealing to that group of women - the ones being called hockey moms now," Bickers said of Palin. "It might cause them to give another look to McCain and even if it moves a point or two, that's a big deal here."

And, in turn, a big deal for the nation.

• September 6, 2008

  2:44 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  chris33 writes:

  Palin tried to have books banned when she was mayor and tried to fire a librarian who stood up to her. She made all her city managers sign letters of resignation to "show their loyalty" to her. She is currently being investigated for abuse of power by the Alaska legislature. The prosecutor has audiotapes, emails, and multiple witnesses. She abused her power as mayor, she abused her power as governor, and she will abuse her power if she ever gets to Washington. Hopefully, she will be indicted on Oct. 31st and that will be the end of her.

• September 7, 2008

  10:30 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  lynn1219 writes:

  Sarah Palin is the McCain's remedy for lagging poll numbers. It is so obvious that he picked her to energize the religious right, the only way a Republican can win an election. These people don't vote on the issues - they vote for the candidate you they believe gets their direction from Jesus Christ. Well, we've just been through almost 8 years of a man who gets personal messages from Jesus, and are you happy with that result? Record Bankruptcies, banks going under, unemployment at a 5 year high (in 2003, Bush was President) record gas and food prices, a disastrous war in Iraq, and 40 million people without healthcare. Just who do these people think is responsible for this? The Republicans have been in control of Washington for over 7 years. Bush has been president for over 7 years. McCain voted with Bush 90% of the time. Are you getting the picture? McCain will continue to cater to big business, and he could give a darn about religion. He admits he doesn't know much about the economy and doesn't care if we keep troops in Iraq for 100 years (a direct quote). His choice of Palin says even more about his bad judgement and impulsivity. Whaever she has "accomplished" in a state with a very small population and huge oil profits, she is not prepared to be the President. That should be everyone's concern. She has never given a single command to the Alaska National Guard and doesn't have a clue as to what the Vice President does. Her question was what could the Vice Presidency do for the state of Alaska. All of those people who think that if she is Vice President, she will get abortion banned, earmarks for special needs children or push the agenda of the religious right are sadly mistaken. The Vice President doesn not make policy. Cheney is the exception, as Bush was elected as the puppet and Cheney is the real president. It is truly frightening that these people are on their knees painting signs for this woman, and they know so little about her. It smacks of brainwashing - there is nothing more dangerous than a zealot of any kind. They don't watch anything but Fox News (propaganda) and don't read anything that is contrary to their opinions, which they get every Sunday from their pastor. It is truly a sad day for America when the separation of church and state is a memory, and religious zealots elect a simple-minded, shrill, hypocritical, pirhana!

• September 7, 2008

  8:28 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  Nonein2008 writes:

  The more you attack Palin, the more you move independent voters to McCain. I'm stunned at the number of independent Colorado women who are being converted from "none", "no vote" and third party votes to McCain/Palin - not due to Palin's speech, but due to the attacks on Palin. The "normal folk" see these attacks as attacks on normal people, which many are. Swing voter in swing states will decide the election, don't convert the Colorado swing voters to McCain by attacking Palin.
  Focus your attacks on McCain, there is plenty to attack. But, drop the trash talking about Palin, it only helps McCain.

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