Republicans concede defeat in governor's race?

In a post a few hours ago, I ruminated on the reasons Republicans are endorsing Democratic gubernatorial nominee Bill Ritter. Of course, the GOP leadership has its own explanation: Ritter is going to win, so Republicans need to start jockeying for Ritter administration jobs.

The Durango Herald quotes La Plata County Republican chairwoman Shannon Richardson as saying, "It's obvious that [Cortez Republican and Ritter endorser] Mark Larson is shamelessly pandering for a job with the Democrats."

While I'm writing about the Republicans for Ritter movement, I should point out that according to The Denver Post, "the state's business elite" are also jumping on the bandwagon. The article quotes Bruce Alexander, president of Vectra Bank, "This is a really critical time and a great opportunity for creative leadership... Across the state, local business and development agendas are overriding partisan politics."

Photo of Bill Ritter and three of his non-GOP supporters courtesy of Bill Ritter for Governor. Left to right, CD6 Democratic nominee Bill Winter, CD4 Democratic nominee Angie Paccione, former U.S. Ambassador Joe Wilson, and Ritter.