Colorado Politics

Senate Republicans’ mid-session video masters the soft sell

Senate Republicans are really getting the hang of these YouTube videos. Their latest masters the art of the soft sell.

Told in a warm tone with quick edits and a punchy script, the majority party has put together a nice video about what they’re doing this session, including a recurring character, Sen. Owen Hill of Colorado Springs, who guides us around the Capitol.

Throw a backpack over his shoulders, and it could be a PSA for a college savings fund.

“Your Senate Republican majority is here every day fighting for Colorado,” Hill says on the statehouse steps.

Then Sens. Ray Scott of Grand Junction and Jerry Sonnenberg of Sterling take us for a ride to talk transportation. From behind the wheel, Sonnenberg hollers into the back seat, “We’re working hard to fund roads and highways, so you can get your family where you need to go in Colorado.”

Work a little faster. The governor wants to see a state transportation funding plan by the end of March. To pay back $3.5 billion in transportation bonds, that’s more $250 million year in new taxes or reprioritizing the existing state budget.

Sen. Don Coram of Montrose says something about “boots on the ground for rural Colorado,” but his crooked tie kind of distracted me. He probably did that on purpose.

Sen. Larry Crowder of Alamosa saves it, “Helping our farmers not only feed Colorado but the entire world.” The Farm Bureau should put that on a bumper sticker.

Sen. Kevin Priola of Henderson throws away some books. He apparently has a bill about throwing away books about regulations, or maybe it’s just the regulations. Art is vague sometimes.

It closes with the big guys at the big doors, Senate President Kevin Grantham of Canon City and Majority Leader Chris Holbert of Douglas County outside the Senate chambers.

“Your Republican Majority is here for you,” Holbert says in a voice that could sell me a car.

The House and Senate Republican and Democratic press offices maintain pretty good YouTube pages. Check them out. The press staff are to be commended for being creativity and extra effort, because this stuff isn’t easy to do and they don’t get paid extra for doing it.


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