OK, pro tip: If you want to get a good media turnout, don’t schedule your announcement at 8:30 a.m. at Red Rocks. I mean, if you’re going that far, go for the sunrise. Otherwise, a lot of us are just reading Joey Bunch’s piece in the D-Post, which estimated the crowd at 30.
Two questions on Kopp as he enters the race: Who is he and why is he running?
Neither question is a good one when you’re running for governor. Kopp used to be Colorado Senate minority leader. He quit when his wife tragically died young of cancer. He’s a Bill Armstrong, John Andrews type of Republican, which leaves you to wonder what separates him from the rest of the candidates. That brings us to question No. 2. He’s running because, like many of us, he has looked closely at the field and figures anyone can win.
I assume he’s going to run as being not as crazy as Tom Tancredo, not as gun-happy as Greg “Biking to the Gun Show” Brophy, not as unlikeable as Scott Gessler. Still, he’s a hardline conservative, with little name recognition. The pullout quote from his announcement was “I want to put the government in the back seat — the back seat of the taxpayers.” I don’t know what that means, and trying out the imagery, I don’t think I want to know.
Meanwhile, my very very early GOP rankings for run in Nov. 2104 against Gov. John Hickenlooper.
1. Scott Gessler. He was introduced by Bob Schaffer. Haven’t we seen this movie before?
2. Greg Brophy. Smart guy, but has been very, uh, candid during his career, meaning he’s got more than a little Tancredo-like baggage he may have to deal with.
3. Mike Kopp. I’m not sure why he’s No. 3 either.
4. Tom Tancredo could probably win this race if he wanted to. Can’t help wondering, though, if he really wants to lose to Hickenlooper again.
5. George Brauchler. He still might run, but it’s not like there’s a groundswell out there demanding he join the race.
