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Campaign events: Fiestas, reindeer

By Lynn Bartels, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published September 29, 2008 at 12:05 a.m.

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Two "Thanks, but no thanks" Sarah Palin rallies.

A Santa Claus and a live reindeer delivering coal to Barack Obama's northwest Denver headquarters.

A forum to empower Denver's Latino voters.

And a fiesta to talk about Obama's support for working people.

A series of political events served as a reminder that Colorado is expected to play a pivotal role in the upcoming election.

No thanks, Palin

Jacylyn Zube waved a "Pro Family, Anti Palin" sign as cars turned the corner, honking in support or protest.

The 25-year-old Denver woman participated in one of two simultaneous anti-Palin rallies - in Lakewood and Westminster - designed to sign up voters and express disappointment in the Republican's vice presidential nominee.

"I just don't agree with her policies," Zube said as she and others waved signs near the Belmar Center.

"I would love to see a woman in office but not this woman," said Elisa Groh, who is visiting Colorado from Illinois.

"Anybody who can spend money on a Bridge to Nowhere is not the right one for me."

Christmas in September

When Democratic veep candidate Joe Biden dissed coal plants, Republicans sprang into action. They hired a Santa Claus and his reindeer to visit Obama's headquarters in northwest Denver and drop off some coal-filled stockings.

"We all know that Santa delivers a lump of coal to kids who have been bad, and Barack Obama and Joe Biden have been bad this year," state GOP spokeswoman Randy Hildreth said.

An accompanying letter noted that coal provides 72 percent of the state's electricity and provides thousands of jobs.

Obama-Biden spokesperson Matt Chandler responded to "Santa" saying, "Senator McCain knows that Senator Obama and Senator Biden support clean coal technology, and to have his surrogates try to say otherwise is dishonest.

"Last year, while Senator McCain was supporting tax breaks for big oil, Senator Obama passed a bipartisan amendment to triple federal funding toward clean coal," he said.

Empowering Hispanics

Some want to know about voting machines. And where to vote. And what those ballot initiatives mean for the state.

About 25 people attended a seminar at the American GI Forum sponsored by the Denver Election Division as a way to inform and empower Hispanic voters.

"There was a mix of people who spoke English and Spanish, and we were able to register about 10 new voters," said Stella Madrid, who sits on a board that advises Denver on how to handle a federal mandate dealing with Spanish- speaking voters.

Fiesta for Obama

Former Denver Mayor Federico Pena and former state Sen. Polly Baca talked to voters at an Obama rally at Progress Park in Littleton.

The event was billed as a fiesta, and included music, food and discussion about what the campaign calls Obama's "commitment to stand up for working families."