2006 post-mortem: Democrats win on the issues

The more I look at the election results, the better I feel.

The first theme I see is the slow shift of business groups and Libertarians into the Democratic camp. As I wrote on Saturday, in Colorado the GOP is completely in the hands of paleoconservatives and theocrats.

The second theme is the demand for competent leaders. After six years of ill-planned wars, skyrocketing deficits and stagnant wages, voters were ready to return the keys to a party that had a successful track record.

If the polls hold, somewhere between 15% and 20% of Republicans voted for Bill Ritter. And they didn't defect because of Ritter's position on gay marriage.

Ritter won because he embraced the issues that matter. He was out in front on healthcare, transportation and energy. I'd argue that he had a superior track record on immigration reform and balanced budgets, too.

Like Brian Schweitzer and Jon Tester, Ritter shows a willingness to lead on issues that cross party lines. Call them Western pragmatists or grassroots populists.

This is the best reason of all to be a Democrat in the year 2006. We are the party of solutions. Education, healthcare, energy, ethical government and fiscal responsibility matter to every voter in Colorado. And they're issues that we absolutely own.

Photo of me discussing election returns on the Jay Marvin Show courtesy of the Coloradolib spy satellite.