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SONDERMANN: An unexpected appointment

By Eric Sondermann, Special to the Rocky

Published January 6, 2009 at 12:05 a.m.

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The news of Gov. Bill Ritter's appointment of Michael Bennet to fill the soon-to-be-vacant U.S. Senate seat of Ken Salazar has been met with a fair degree of hand-wringing among Colorado Democrats and an excess of exuberance among local Republicans. (In light of the withered state of the Colorado GOP, they can be forgiven some momentary glee no matter how illusory it may turn out to be.)

Given the clash of ambitions on the Democratic side, much of the reaction is predictable. Colorado political history is now seemingly turned upside-down with Democrats holding most of the high offices and having the far deeper bench with many talented politicos of high ambitions but few openings for upward advancement.

The two presumed front- runners for this appointment, Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper and outgoing House Speaker Andrew Romanoff, are especially thoughtful and able political leaders with their own unique manner.

This unexpected appointment by Ritter brings to mind another such high-profile appointment by a previous governor. The year was 1993. Denver's longtime District Attorney, Norm Early, having just lost a mayoral race for which he had been the prohibitive favorite, resigned to take a lucrative corporate job. The power to fill that vacancy fell to then-Gov. Roy Romer.

Three finalists emerged for this post. They were Beth McCann, who this week will take office as a Colorado state representative; Andy Loewi, a prominent politico and civic leader who tragically left us within the past two years; and Bill Ritter. All three - McCann, Loewi and Ritter - had accomplished prosecutorial backgrounds in the Denver District Attorney's office. But McCann and Loewi also had political resumes, political pull, and significant political constituencies in their respective corners.

Bucking that pressure and against most expectations, Romer confounded the experts and appointed the underdog among the three applicants. In so doing, he launched Ritter's political rise.

By all accounts, Romer eschewed the usual political calculations and went with his gut in selecting the person who blew him away in the interview and embodied his core values. This seems to have served as the precedent for the approach taken 15 years later by Ritter as he sat in the governor's chair and faced a similar opportunity.

For senator-to-be Michael Bennet, this appointment is the culmination to a record of stunning success in various sectors since landing in Denver a decade ago. Bennet confidants indicate that a seat in the U.S. Senate has long been his aspiration. That goal is now about to be realized, though it comes in inverse order to the normal process. Typically, one runs for office before taking it. Bennet will take office and then campaign for it. It's akin to being hired for new job - and then doing the job interview.

Republicans might be licking their chops, but I'd suggest that they temper their optimism a bit. Two years of incumbency is plenty of time for a statewide introduction. There is no inherent reason why residents of Durango or Sterling, and plenty of points in between, will be any less impressed with their new senator than folks in Denver who have already come to know him.

Ultimately, Bennet's political fortunes in 2010 will have far more to do with the national tenor of the year than with his newness to the political scene. He's already demonstrated that he is a quick study.

For Ritter, the political consequences of this appointment can be almost as significant. Two years into his term, this move could signal that he now fully occupies the office. In forsaking his beloved task forces and blue-ribbon panels, and in trusting his instincts and making a gut-level call, he is following the pattern of other strong, popular governors who have grabbed the reins of power and boldly announced, "I'll do it my way."

Eric Sondermann is a Denver-based political analyst. He can be reached at EWS@Public Persuasion.com.

Comments

  • January 6, 2009

    6:34 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    blacksho89 writes:

    Eric: There is a BIG difference between being DA of a cow town, and being a US Senator.
    Analyze that.

  • January 6, 2009

    7:34 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    davehughes writes:

    Sonderman "For senator-to-be Michael Bennet, this appointment is the culmination to a record of stunning success in various sectors since landing in Denver a decade ago. Bennet confidants indicate that a seat in the U.S. Senate has long been his aspiration."

    Oh goody. Arriving in Denver 10 years ago makes him an expert on Colorado and its needs. And his motives are apparently to 'be a Senator', more than what he can do for this state. Just what we need - a beltway politician.

  • January 6, 2009

    8:31 a.m.

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    bobjohnson writes:

    "....a deeper bench...." In 1918, late in World War I, a flu virus went around and killed millions, more than the war was doing at the time. Now, here in the year 2009, a cliche virus has descended upon Denver. I first heard the term about a month ago. Since then, its every day all day, "....a deeper bench....".

  • January 6, 2009

    11:28 a.m.

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    Oh_Wise_One writes:

    Ken Salazar won his seat even as Dubya won the State in 2004. The hispanic vote was overwhelming for Ken and not for Mr. White Guy also known as Joe Coors.
    It should be a good race in 2010 without an affirmative action candidate for the Dimmicratics.

  • January 6, 2009

    6:11 p.m.

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    jbowen43 writes:

    The republicans have only a underwhelmingly talented group of retreads to draw on.

  • January 7, 2009

    7:14 a.m.

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    vudumom writes:

    How much good is he going to be for Colorado if before he even gets to situate his rear in the cushy seat in his newly appointed office, before he can sample the cafeteria food ( though I hear it's quite good) and before he was sworn in, he and his people are talking about raising money and running for the seat in 2010?