Coloradoans may be finally waking up to the reality that their Democrat party has abandoned John Hickenlooper’s centrist coalition in favor of union leaders and the far-left fringe.
In a recent editorial, the Colorado Springs Gazette decried the recent “far-left shift” in the Colorado Democrat party, arguing that the Democrats are placing “union leaders above the working class, poor, immigrants, and minorities.”
This dynamic was on “full display” at the recent state assembly, where Democrat “delegates booed” school choice leaders and passed a resolution attempting to exile a school choice group from their party. Following the astonishing display of extremism and intolerance, nearly two-thirds of the delegates voted for far-left gubernatorial candidate Cary Kennedy, who has been endorsed by the teachers’ unions because of her unyielding support of their anti-choice agenda.
With Hickenlooper’s pleas for centrism falling on deaf ears within his own party, it’s now up to general election voters to reject the extremism of the Colorado Democrats and their gubernatorial candidates.
Here's more, from the Colorado Springs Gazette editorial:
A far-left shift in the Democratic Party was on full display Saturday, as delegates met in Broomfield for their state assembly.
It was time travel to an era in which Democrats held union leaders above the working class, poor, immigrants, and minorities.
The party eliminated any question of this reversion when delegates told Democrats for Education Reform to get lost. They overwhelmingly passed a resolution ordering the group to stop using ‘Democrats’ as part of their name. The vote makes rejection of school choice a core of the party’s platform.
Delegates booed Democrats for Education Reform Director Jennifer Walmer so loudly she became emotional, stopping her speech and begging permission to continue.
State Sen. Michael Merrifield, D-Colorado Springs, and a few others emboldened this behavior with a November letter to Democratic Party Chair Morgan Carroll. It asked her to send a cease-and-desist demand to Democrats for Education Reform. Merrifield wrote in 2007 “there must be a special place in Hell” for school choice advocates.
The old-left assembly nominated former State Treasurer Cary Kennedy as the party’s top gubernatorial candidate. State and national teachers unions — traditionally opposed to school choice — endorse Kennedy. She won 62 percent of delegates.
The Colorado Education Association (teachers union) recently opposed a bill, signed into law by Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper, that ensures charter schools obtain a share of future school tax hikes.
‘She aligns with all of our issues and values that our members share and our hopes for what public education can be in the state of Colorado,’ said Colorado Education Association President Kerrie Dallman in January, announcing the union’s support of Kennedy.”
