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

by Adam Schrager, Rob Witwer

Overview

Through the microcosm of Colorado's stunning political transformation, this is an inside look at the rapidly-changing business of campaigns and elections. The techniques pioneered in Colorado have been recognized by both parties and pundits as the future of American politics.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781936218004
Publisher:	Fulcrum Publishing
Publication date:	05/01/2010
Pages:	280
Sales rank:	362,560
Product dimensions:	4.90(w) x 7.90(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

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. 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.

Table of Contents

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

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

What caused this stunning reversal [in Colorado]? It wasn't just the vagaries of political fortune; a carefully executed Democratic plan was instrumental in the turnaround. Adam Schrager and Rob Witwer debriefed the architects of the plan and now lay out what they learned in The Blueprint. "—Wall Street Journal

"It's been blurbed by everyone from liberals... to conservatives including former Gov. Bill Owens and Hugh Hewitt- this is an even-handed take, not a takedown, and is well worth your time."—Gabbur

"Every conservative should read The Blueprint. It is a must-read for anyone who wants to understand how the Left has built its machine."—Red State Blog

"…Provides fascinating insights into one of the most sustained and coordinated political efforts in recent history."—Taegan Goddard's Political Wire

"The Colorado turnaround in 2008 was nothing short of phenomenal: a once rock-solid Republican state went Democratic in a big way. And members of both parties are still scratching their heads over what happened. Adam Schrager and Rob Witwer have dug into the question for their book The Blueprint: How the Democrats Won Colorado and Why Republicans Everywhere Should Care.—Political Bookworm Blog by Steven Levingston

“This is not a Colorado story about a positive change in American democracy… Adam Schrager and Rob Witwer show in this book that winning has become everything and that any state could build a “donor-built and donor-funded conglomerate” that can buy and control the state... Whatever hope I had previously has been severely tested by The Blueprint.”— Former Governor, Richard D. Lamm

“The Blueprint delves into progressive politics and why Democrats across the country are starting to take power, and how Republicans may be at fault for their own loss of power. The Blueprint is a fascinating case study on the shifting nature of politics on the whole of America.”—The Midwest Book Review

Editorial Reviews

"What caused this stunning reversal [in Colorado]? It wasn't just the vagaries of political fortune; a carefully executed Democratic plan was instrumental in the turnaround. Adam Schrager and Rob Witwer debriefed the architects of the plan and now lay out what they learned in The Blueprint. "—Wall Street Journal

"It's been blurbed by everyone from liberals... to conservatives including former Gov. Bill Owens and Hugh Hewitt- this is an even-handed take, not a takedown, and is well worth your time."—Gabbur

"Every conservative should read The Blueprint. It is a must-read for anyone who wants to understand how the Left has built its machine."—Red State Blog

"…Provides fascinating insights into one of the most sustained and coordinated political efforts in recent history."—Taegan Goddard's Political Wire

"The Colorado turnaround in 2008 was nothing short of phenomenal: a once rock-solid Republican state went Democratic in a big way. And members of both parties are still scratching their heads over what happened. Adam Schrager and Rob Witwer have dug into the question for their book The Blueprint: How the Democrats Won Colorado and Why Republicans Everywhere Should Care.—Political Bookworm Blog by Steven Levingston

“This is not a Colorado story about a positive change in American democracy… Adam Schrager and Rob Witwer show in this book that winning has become everything and that any state could build a “donor-built and donor-funded conglomerate” that can buy and control the state... Whatever hope I had previously has been severely tested by The Blueprint.”— Former Governor, Richard D. Lamm

“The Blueprint delves into progressive politics and why Democrats across the country are starting to take power, and how Republicans may be at fault for their own loss of power. The Blueprint is a fascinating case study on the shifting nature of politics on the whole of America.”—The Midwest Book Review

From the Publisher