Quiche and policy: Bill Ritter

I spent this morning at the Downtown Democratic Forum at the Oxford Hotel. Breakfast was quiche on what appeared to be a bed of potato chips. It was a strange combination. What was even stranger was that I listened to Democrat candidate for governor Bill Ritter take questions from a crowd of urban Democrats and no one mentioned abortion or immigration.

The topics of conversation were healthcare and education. Ritter's mastery of both was impressive. He spoke for about 30 minutes without notes and didn't duck any questions.

I was struck by how similar his resume was to former vice presidential nominee John Edwards'. Both were born into poverty and worked their way to the top of the legal profession. Both are passionate about social justice. Both feel a deep need to give back to the country that helped them achieve their dreams.

Ritter is also a dead ringer for lacrosse legend and Colorado Mammoth coach Gary Gait. I'm not entirely sure they're different people.

Also at the breakfast was John Turner, a candidate for state treasurer. The only thing I knew about John prior to today came from this post on Coloradopols. But his two-minute speech made sense to me. It went something like this. "I have 35 years of Air Force and professional experience. I have a Ph.D. in economics and a major in public finance. I'm a professor of finance at U. of Colo. Denver. And I'm running because we need a state treasurer who actually knows something about handling money." Logical enough, especially given Hillman's track record.