Author: Eric Sondermann
-
Phil Weiser’s sudden need to find the brake pedal | SONDERMANN
Indulge me with a personal story at the outset. Trust me, it relates. Years ago, when our kids were young, we briefly had a small jalopy for a babysitter’s use. One morning, I discovered that the battery on this poor excuse for a car was dead. Our driveway sat on a bit of an incline,…
-
Giving credit to Polis where credit is due | SONDERMANN
It is an understatement to suggest that Gov. Jared Polis has had a tough couple of months. The bloom was already off the rose and Coloradans were paying far more attention to the choice of his replacement than they were to him. The June 30 Democratic primary will identify that near-certain successor and officially cement…
-
A primary brings out primal instincts | SONDERMANN
There are no Stanley Cup finals or NBA title showdowns involving local teams this June. In their place, we are inundated with primary election campaign ads. Coloradans can be excused for missing the diversion and alternate programming. But life can be cruel and reality bites. The primary elections are upon us. Ballots are now sitting…
-
Democrats rebounding without learning necessary lessons | SONDERMANN
“When we fight, we win!” That, reportedly, was the chant heard over and over again at the Colorado Democratic Assembly a week ago. It suggests that pugilism has been the piece missing from the Democratic toolkit. Perhaps it was just me, but I seem to recall Democrats exhibiting plenty of fight back in 2024. The…
-
The insular bubble of caucuses and assemblies | SONDERMANN
Nearly 30 years ago, then-Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan coined the term “irrational exuberance” to describe the overheated stock market. That descriptive phrase could also apply to much of the political realm. The hype in politics often grossly exceeds the reality on the ground. In that vein, let’s focus on Colorado’s precinct caucuses held earlier…
-
One small step for dialing back the partisanship | SONDERMANN
Much ink, including a good deal of my own, has been spilled on the excesses of super-charged, toxic partisanship in this current era. Except for true believers along with those who profit from this all-consuming poison, there is broad agreement that it needs to be toned way down and dialed far back. The nearly 51%…
-
Michael Bennet and ‘the question’ | SONDERMANN
The train usually runs only one way. The route goes from the state Capitol to Washington, D.C. State legislators become members of Congress; governors become senators. See Hickenlooper, John. Including our junior senator, no matter his years, a total of 12 current U.S. senators arrived there after first serving stints as governors of their respective…
-
The biggest accelerant of our political tribalism | SONDERMANN
In years past, my go-to word in describing our political condition was “polarization.” I used it endlessly and still do on occasion. But as time has moved on, and the divide has only grown in depth and toxicity, polarization no longer seems to fully capture the magnitude of what has overtaken us. In its place,…
-
Unsolicited advice to both Republicans and Democrats | SONDERMANN
This even-numbered year will be one of political turnover in Colorado with the governor’s chair opening up, along with the other state executive offices (attorney general, state treasurer, and secretary of state), all due to term limits. A U.S. Senate seat will also be on the ballot. The ultra-competitive 8th district to Denver’s north will…
-
8 exemplars to guide us into the new year | SONDERMANN
It started as a one-off in my first year of writing this regular column. To ring in the new year back in the eventful year of 2020, I offered a shoutout to eight Coloradans who served as models of how to lead lives to meaning, decency and contribution. The response to that initial piece quickly…