Charlie_Brennan's Blog

Next week represents Colorado Democrats' best chance in a generation to step up to the plate, seize the spotlight, grab the brass ring, harness the big mo', and vault from regional political stardom to center stage in the nation's political consciousness - or, at least its Democratic wing.

Who is best poised to do so? And, more to the point, will they?

Three political experts I talked with today all mentioned the same three names: Sen. Ken Salazar, Gov. Bill Ritter, and Mayor Jock Hickenlooper. The three pundits I consulted also agreed that none of them may capitalize on this opportunity in a nationally significant way.

"I think the Democrats are hoping that the star, after Obama, to emerge out of the convention will be the vice presidential nominee," said Metro State College political science professor Norman Provizer.

Provizer said a strong factor in all three's favor is that they are the brand of Democrat that might be the easiest sell in the heartland.

"The interesting thing with all of them is that they don't represent what Howard Dean called, going back a ways, the 'Democratic wing of the Democratic party.' It's interesting that they represent the moderate-centrist view of the Democrats in many peoples eyes," said Provizer. "In many peoples' eyes, Obama represents a liberal, more progressive view. It depends on who is going to move more toward who."

Political analyst Eric Sondermann doubts any of the three will become political rock stars on the strength of what happens in their back yard next week.

"They will all have their moments in the sun, they will all have their cameos when the show is in town next week," said Sondermann. "I think they will all perform well; they are all professionals, they'll perform well in their cameos. But I don't think next week, when the show leaves town, any of them are going to be talked about in the way that Barack Obama had been talked about four years ago, based on his performance at the 2004 convention."

As he noted, "Their roles are different here. None of them are expected to give a major address, none of them are a key-noter, none of them are even a featured speaker of the evening...So the opportunity to really shine is a limited opportunity, to begin with."

University of Denver assistant political science professor Seth Masket pointed out that sometimes the biggest star to emerge is a name that - at least to some - seems to come from left field.

"It's not likely to hurt any of their careers," Masket said, referring to the Salazar-Ritter-Hickenlooper troika. "On the other hand, it's hard to be sure exactly what will happen.

"I don't think too many people knew in advance that Senator Obama was going to get the kind of attention that he did in 2004 for his speech, and propel him onto the national scene. So you never really know, until it happens."

After about a year and a half of anticipation, it's about to happen.