I-New West: I-Colorado ikhombisa ukugudluka kwesifunda ukusuka ku-GOP

DENVER –

UKevin Priola wayengumRiphabhulikhi ngaphambi kokuthi avote.

Egqugquzelwe u-Ronald Reagan, wabhalisa ngaphambili ne-GOP eneminyaka engu-17. Wajoyina i-College Republicans eNyuvesi yaseColorado e-Boulder – isenzo sangempela sokholo kuleyo nqaba yenkululeko – futhi wakhethwa esiShayamthetho ngo-2008, lapho ake wakhonza khona. kusukela.

Kepha u-Priola wakhula kancane kancane ehlukanisiwe ne-GOP, eyibona inegunya elingaphezu kwe-Conservative, futhi ngo-Agasti odlule waba yiDemocrat.

“Angikwazanga ukukubamba,” kusho uPriola ngeqembu lakhe elidala, “futhi ngizihlanganise naleso sitayela nohlobo lwepolitiki.”

Akayedwa neze.

Ku emashumini amabili eminyaka edlule, izikhundla zamaRiphabhulikhi eColorado zinciphe kakhulu, zafinyelela kwikota kuphela yabavoti ababhalisile, njengoba izwe elake labomvu ngokuthembekile seliphenduke umthunzi oluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka.

Uguquko luyingxenye yoguquko olukhulu lwezepolitiki ngaphesheya kweNtshonalanga: eduze nogu lwe-Pacific, ukunqamula izingwadule zase-Nevada nase-Arizona, ukuya ezifundeni zase-Rocky Mountain e-Colorado naseNew Mexico. Uma sesiyinqaba yaseRiphabhulikhi, isifunda sesiphenduke isisekelo seDemocratic Alliance. Lokho-ke sekuguqule ipolitiki kamongameli ezweni lonke.

Njengoba kunengxenye enkulu yaseNtshonalanga – iCalifornia, iColorado, iNew Mexico, i-Oregon, iWashington – ebonakala ivaliwe, amaDemocrat akhululekile ukugxila kakhulu ezinkundleni zempi zaphakade zaseMidwest futhi angenele ezifundazweni ezake zaba yiRiphabhulikhi eqinile njengeGeorgia.

Ezinyangeni ezimbalwa ezizayo ngizovakashela ezimbalwa zalezo zifundazwe zasentshonalanga ukuze ngihlole amandla aphinde enze imephu yezombangazwe.

Izinguquko azizenzanga nje, njengeqhwa elihlobisa amaRockies ebusika, noma amanzi agelezayo akhukhula imifula eneqhwa yaseColorado entwasahlobo. Kuthathe imali, isu, izinguquko zesibalo sabantu, futhi, okungenani, ukujikela kwesokudla okubukhali okwenziwe amaRiphabhulikhi.

Uchungechunge, olubizwa nge- “The New West,” luqala eColorado, njengoba kungekho sifunda esifundeni esishintshe umbala waso weqembu ngokugcizelela kule minyaka engamashumi amabili edlule. “Kusukela esifundeni esisentshonalanga, isiphenduke isizinda seDemocratic Alliance,” kusho umcwaningi uFloyd Ciruli, osethathe isampula lombono womphakathi eColorado iminyaka engaphezu kwengu-40.

Ngo-2004, Amademokhrasi empeleni ayekele futhi ayivala indawo; baphathe iColorado kuyo yonke imiqhudelwano kamongameli kusukela lapho. Ngo-2020, uJoe Biden waphumelela ngamaphuzu ayi-13 ehlula uMongameli uTrump, ukunqoba okukhulu kakhulu kweDemocratic Alliance lapha esikhathini esingaphezu kwengxenye yekhulu leminyaka.

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UPatrick Winkler usize ukuguqula ibala lezepolitiki laseColorado.

Kule minyaka engu-20 edlule, umbuso usuzuze izakhamuzi ezingaphezu kwezigidi ezingu-1.3, iningi lawo elizinze – njengoWinkler – eDenver noma izindawo ezingaphansi kwedolobha ezizungeze i-Rocky Mountains’ Front Range.

UWinkler wathutha eminyakeni emithathu edlule esuka eCalifornia, ngenxa yokuthi umenzeli wezindlu oneminyaka engu-29 ubudala wayefuna ukuba nomuzi futhi azi ukuthi imali yakhe izodlulela phambili eColorado.

Imibono yezepolitiki ayingenisile ifana neqembu lentsha likaWinkler, elibheke kwesokunxele phakathi nendawo. Uvotele u-Biden ngo-2020 kanye noMbusi WeDemocratic Alliance uJared Polis ngoNovemba odlule, ikakhulukazi ngenxa yokudelela kwakhe i-GOP – enomqondo omncane kakhulu, ngokubona kukaWinkler – kanye nokungathandi okuthile kukaDonald Trump.

“Bekungewona umbono womuntu mayelana nabazokhethwa,” kusho uWinkler, ogcine ethenga indlu yedolobha enezitezi ezintathu ebheke epaki eduze kwedolobha laseDenver. “Bekumayelana nombono ojwayelekile wamaqembu nalokho akumelelayo.”

Ukuthutheleka kwabancane abafikayo – abaningi, njengoWinkler, waseCalifornia – akuyona into entsha. I-Colorado kade yaba nguzibuthe wezinto ezingamashumi amabili nantathu, idonswa indawo yombuso ebabazekayo, indlela yokuphila yangaphandle futhi, muva nje, izimboni zayo ezichumayo zobuchwepheshe nezinkonzo.

Okushintshile yilabo abathole ikhaya labo kuDemocratic Party: Bancane, bacebe kakhulu, bafunde kangcono, futhi bakhululekile ezindabeni ezinjengokuhushula isisu namalungelo ezitabane.

Ngamafuphi, amaDemocrats manje asehambisana kakhulu neColorado, esinye sezifundazwe ezifunde kakhulu futhi ezikhululekile ngokwenhlalo ezweni, njengoba isizinda samaRiphabhulikhi sesikhulile, singafundile kakhulu, ivangeli kakhulu kanye neTrumpy eyengeziwe.

Ngenkathi u-Lori Weigel ethuthela eDenver ngo-1997, uyakhumbula, “i-Broncos yayihlala iwina futhi i-Republican Party yayihlala iwina.”

“Manje,” kusho usomaqhinga we-GOP, “sineqembu lebhola elilahlekile futhi, ezweni lonke, igama elilahlekelwa yiRiphabhulikhi.”

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UPolis uhlezi ehhovisi lakhe elikhulu eCapitol yesifundazwe, ingxube yakhe ye-terrier eneminyaka engu-13 ubudala, u-Gia, egoqe esihlalweni eduze kwakhe. Ingubo yakhe — isudi empunga kanye neshethi le-polo elinsomi elinamateku e-Nike afanayo – iyi-mash-up of tech bro kanye nesikhulu sikahulumeni somcimbi.

Eminyakeni engama-47, uPolis useneminyaka engaphezu kwamashumi amabili engusozigidi. Wenze ingcebo ngezinsuku ezinogwebu ze-inthanethi yezohwebo, esungula, phakathi kwamanye amabhizinisi achumayo, isevisi yokulethwa kwezimbali ku-inthanethi.

Ngaphambi kokufuna isikhundla esikhethiwe, uPolis wabamba iqhaza elikhulu ekuthuthukisweni kweColorado njengomunye “weqembu lezigebengu ezine” – iquartet yabanikeli abacebile abachitha izigidi, kusukela ekuqaleni kwawo-2000, bakha uhlelo lokusekelwa kwezepolitiki nokuqasha nokuxhasa ngezimali abangenele ukhetho lweDemocratic Alliance.

Umzamo ububalulekile ekubekeni ibhentshi leqembu futhi kwephule ukubamba kwe-GOP esigodlweni.

I-Polis, nokho, ibukela phansi ukungeniswa koshintsho lweColorado ukusuka kokubomvu ukuya kokuluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka. Ngemuva kweminyaka eyi-10 eseNgqungqutheleni futhi engenela ihlandla lakhe lesibili njengombusi, kulandela ukuqokwa kabusha okumangalisayo ngoNovemba, iDemocrat ingakhetha ukukhuluma ngenqubomgomo kuneqhaza layo njengelungu leqembu likaMnu Moneybags.

Ukushintsha kweColorado, uthe, “akubangelwa yimali.” Futhi lokho kuyiqiniso ngezinga elikhulu, nakuba ukufakwa kwemali akuzange kubuhlungu.

Okubaluleke kakhulu ukubekwa uphawu kwamaDemocrats eColorado njengeqembu lesikhungo.

Isimo “asiyona inkundla yokudlala yangakwesokunxele,” kusho uChris Hughes, owayengusihlalo weColorado Democratic Party. “Akusona isimo esifana neMaryland, lapho bazowina khona noma ngubani iDemocrat.”

Polis, ozishaya isifuba ngokunciphisa izintela kanye ephethe isandla esilula ngesikhathi sodlame lwe-COVID-19, ungowakamuva ochungechungeni lwabaphathi behhovisi leDemokhrasi ezweni lonke abaye bashiya iqembu likazwelonke kwesokunxele.

Kwakukhona uSen. Ken Salazar wase-US owayenezigqoko zenkomo, owenza i-bipartisanship ikhadi lokufona e-Washington. Ngaphambi kokuthi iPolis kufike amaGovs amaphakathi. UBill Ritter, owayengumshushisi, kanye John Hickenlooper, owayeyisazi sokuma komhlaba senkampani kawoyela.

Ngaleso sikhathi, amaRiphabhulikhi anikeze abantu abazongenela ukhetho lwenhlangano yetiye ephiko lwesokudla kanye nabavutha umlilo njenge-anti-immigration crusader. UTom Tancredo.

“AbakwaColoradan bavame ukulinganisela,” kusho usomaqhinga weDemocratic Alliance uCraig Hughes. “Noma ngubani obeka imibono yakhe ngezixazululo uzophambana nabavoti baseColorado.”

KuPolis, odelela ama-hardliners kuzo zombili izinhlangothi, umbono wegama elinezinhlamvu ezine. Uyashesha ukuveza ukuthi ukubhaliswa kweDemokhrasi kwehlile eColorado kanye nalokho kwe-GOP.

(Nakuba kungenjalo. Abavoti abangahlangene yibona abaningi ku-45%, kulandelwa amaDemocrats ngo-28% namaRiphabhulikhi ngo-25%; amashumi eminyaka amaqembu abemancane ngokulingana, cishe ingxenye yesithathu yabavoti ngalinye.)

Ama-Colorado Republicans enze okubi kakhulu kunamaDemocrats, kusho uPolis, ngoba ukhetho lwe-GOP lugxile kakhulu ezindabeni zempi yamasiko ezifana nokuhushula isisu namalungelo ezitabane futhi baphonsa izimbobo zonogwaja njengezikaTrump. izimangalo ezingamanga zokhetho oluntshontshiwe. (Ngasekuqaleni kwale nyanga, i-Colorado Republican Party ikhethe owenqaba ukhetho njengosihlalo wayo.)

“Noma yiliphi ikhandidethi elifuna ukuwina eColorado kufanele likhulume futhi libe nezixazululo zezinkinga ezibaluleke kakhulu kubantu baseColoradans nsuku zonke,” kusho uPolis, ephawula lokho: imfundo, izindlu ezithengekayo, isiminyaminya, ukuminyana.

“Bazogxila ekuthuthukiseni izinga lempilo,” kusho uPolis mayelana nabavoti bezwe lokho-ewenzile-ngenxa yami kamuva nje. “Hhayi lezo ziphazamiso kwesokunxele noma kwesokudla.”

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U-Casi Smigelsky usebenza ekuthengisweni kwezobuchwepheshe e-Denver futhi, njengabaningi baseColoradan, akayona ingxenye yeqembu lezepolitiki.

Lo mfana oneminyaka engu-33 ubudala uzibona engumuntu othanda ukonga imali futhi akayena umlandeli weBiden – insalela enkulu kakhulu, uthi umongameli oneminyaka engama-80. Kepha uSmigelsky unombono olukhuni nakakhulu we-GOP, ayibona isabonakala ngokweqile kuTrump.

“Sebephenduke iqembu lenzondo,” kusho yena, “kanye neqembu lokuthatha amalungelo.”

Yize uSmigelsky ezibona evotela iRiphabhulikhi elinganiselayo njengomongameli, uma umuntu ngandlela thize ephumelele ukuqokwa ngo-2024, ayikho indlela angake avotele ngayo uTrump, umgijimi wokuqala we-GOP.

“Lutho neze,” kusho yena. “Akunjalo neze.”

AmaRiphabhlikhi ayesehle kakhulu eColorado ngaphambi kokuthi uTrump angene eWhite House. Inkohliso yalowo owayengumengameli kanye nesiphithiphithi asidala kwasheshisa ukuwa kwamahhala.

U-Dick Wadhams, u-Coloradan wesizukulwane sesine kanye nomeluleki womkhankaso we-GOP osenesikhathi eside, uthe kunzima namuhla kubantu baseRiphabhulikhi ukuthi bathole nokulalelwa ngokungakhethi kubavoti, kungakhathaliseki izimfanelo nezinkolelo zomuntu siqu.

Ucabanga abavoti abavamile baseColorado bezitshela ukuthi, “’Ngeke sinikeze lawa mahhovisi ku-Republican Party, ngisho noma laba bantu bebukeka sengathi baqinile, ngoba iqembu liyahlanya lilonke.’”

UPam Anderson angakhuluma nalowo mathupha.

Owayeyisikhulu sokhetho endaweni engaphansi kwedolobha iJefferson County, u-Anderson uzichaza njengomuntu olinganiselayo emphakathini, uma engakhululekile, futhi akanalo usizo kulabo ababiza ngabajikijeli bepolitiki.

U-Anderson wabonakala ekhasini elingaphandle lephephabhuku i-Time ngo-Okthoba odlule njengomunye “wabavikeli” abalwela ukusindisa intando yeningi ngemuva kokuthi enze kahle kakhulu umuntu othembekile uTrump nophika ukhetho ukuthi awine ukuqokwa kwe-GOP njengonobhala wezwe, umbonisi wokuvota eColorado.

“Ngangimelene kakhulu nakho konke uTrump akushoyo mayelana nokhetho,” kusho u-Anderson ekuseni ekuseni endaweni yekhofi yaseDenver. “Konke.”

Noma kunjalo, uthe, abaphikisi bagijime “izigidi zamaRandi kwezentengiso bethi ngangiyi-MAGA kakhulu eColorado.” Ehlehle ehlehla, engathi usadiyazela. “Angikwazanga ukuqongelela imali eyanele yokulwa nalokho.”

U-Anderson waphakamisa amahlombe. Alahle izandla.

Ulahlekelwe ngamadijithi aphindwe kabili, wahamba ngesikhathi esaletha amaDemocrats kuwo wonke amahhovisi amane ombuso futhi wagcizelela uguquko lolwandle olwenze kabusha iColorado futhi lwashintsha iNtshonalanga ngendlela emangalisayo.