Blueprint: How the Democrats Won Colorado (and Why Republicans Everywhere Should Care) »

Rob Witwer is a former member of the Colorado House of Representatives. He has successfully managed six local campaigns and has served as legal counsel to the Colorado Republican party, the governor of Colorado, and several legislative, congressional, and gubernatorial candidates. Witwer practices law in Denver and lives in Golden with his wife and four sons. Adam Schrager covers politics for KUSA-TV, the NBC affiliate in Denver, Colorado. In more than 15 years in the business, he has won numerous broadcast journalism accolades, including more than a dozen Emmy awards. He is the author of The Principled Politician: Governor Ralph Carr and the Fight against Japanese American Internment. He teaches an introductory class on broadcast journalism at the University of Denver.

The Blueprint is the inside story of one of the most stunning reversals of political fortune in American history. Four years ago, the GOP dominated politics at every level in Colorado. Republicans held both Senate seats, five of seven congressional seats, the governor s mansion, the offices of secretary of state and treasurer, and both houses of the state legislature. After the 2008 election, the exact opposite was true: replace the word Republicans with Democrats in the previous sentence, and you have of one the most stunning reversals of political fortune in American history.

This is also the story of how it will happen indeed, is happening in other states across the country. In Colorado, progressives believe they have found a blueprint for creating permanent Democratic majorities across the nation. With discipline and focus, they have pioneered a legal architecture designed to take advantage of new campaign finance laws and an emerging breed of progressive donors who are willing to commit unprecedented resources to local races. It s simple, brilliant, and very effective.

Preface xxiii

Introduction

August 2008: The Democratic National Convention-How This Story Ends 1

Part 1 The Gang of Four

Chapter 1 Colorado's Political Past Meets the Future-in Arizona Jared Polis 13

Chapter 2 A Billionaire Decides to Spend Some Money Pat Stryker 25

Chapter 3 Political Nonprofits and the Architecture of Change Rutt Bridges 37

Chapter 4 "Somebody's Gotta Go" Tim Gill 47

Part 2 The Plan

Chapter 5 Bringing It All Together: The Roundtable Is Born 63

Chapter 6 Money, Technology, and Shoe Leather: The Roundtable Builds a Ground Game 78

Chapter 7 "We Didn't Have a Chance": The Roundtable Unleashes Hurricane-Force Winds of Change 90

Chapter 8 Circular Firing Squad: A Story of GOP Fratricide 104

Chapter 9 "Financial Atomic Bombs": The Roundtable Turns a Senate Race Inside Out 109

Part 3 Success

Chapter 10 Election 2004: A Great Night for the GOP-But Not in Colorado 119

Chapter 11 Taking It to the States Part One: Tim Gill Draws GOP Blood in Iowa 126

Chapter 12 Elevating the Game: The Roundtable Becomes CoDA 135

Chapter 13 The Trailhead Group: Colorado Republicans Fight Back-And Get Sued 146

Chapter 14 Election 2006: CoDA Extends Its Lead 157

Chapter 15 Taking It to the States Part Two: Wisconsin and Texas in the Crosshairs 167

Part 4 The Next Step

Chapter 16 The Democracy Alliance: The Colorado Model Goes National 177

Chapter 17 Election 2008: For CoDA, No More Worlds to Conquer 186

Chapter 18 The Aftermath: Money, Message, and a New Blueprint for Victory 198

Epilogue 207

Afterword In Their Own Words 209

Index 221

About the Authors 228