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HAPPY NEW YEAR! |
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Welcome to 2020, and welcome to the 2020's first edition of the Democratic Dispatch -- the Colorado Democratic Party's weekly newsletter filled with political news, events, announcements, and other ways you can get involved with the Democratic Party in Colorado! We hope you had a wonderful holiday season and a blast ringing in 2020! Now -- it's time to get to work defeating Donald Trump and Colorado Republicans likes Cory Gardner and Scott Tipton, and defending of our 2018 victories in 2020! |
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Message from the CDP Chair: A New Year -- A Better Future is in Our Hands |
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I want to thank you for everything did to make 2019 a successful year for Democrats. Following on the heels of historic wins in 2018 (best since 1936) and record voter turnout (66%), we were able to set and reach additional goals in 2019 (increased voter registration and improving odd year turnout from 29% to 41.27% and flipping several local school board and municipal seats. We could not have done that without you.
Yet, despite some great wins and the local level, our nation and world is in trouble. Trump has been impeached for Obstruction of Justice and Abuse of Power. Of course, that is just the tip of the iceberg for a President that has recklessly provoked Iran to war he has no plans for, has boasted about being a serial sexual predator, spear-headed systematic human rights violations against migrants at the border, withdrawn from two nuclear deals and rolled back critical climate measures at a time when we must aggressively move forward to save our planet and the people on it from irreversible damage over the next 12 years.
This President has openly curried favor with white supremacists, neo-nazis and other hate groups paving the way for an increase in hate crimes across America. We have lost any credibility abroad as a leader – on anything. And none of this would have been possible without Republicans in Congress enabling it. Mitch McConnell has proven to be an enthusiastic and obedient rubber stamp for Trump – right along with Colorado’s Cory Gardner. Meanwhile, the Democratically-led US House, has passed over important 400 bills since winning the majority in 2018 but they will never see the light of day as long as the US Senate remains in Republican control.
Republicans have abandoned even their own values by ballooning the national debt to historic levels supporting increased and unchecked power of the Executive Branch, and cozying up to dictators abroad. They have embraced chaos and corruption at the expense of real human beings and our basic values and norms of human decency.
We have the power – and the responsibility – to make it better. In 2020, we need Colorado to deliver a decisive win for the Democratic candidate for President. We cannot flip the majority of the US Senate and replace Mitch McConnell unless we defeat Cory Gardner. Colorado needs to come through strong and blue for the sake of the nation and the planet and we are counting on your help to make that happen.
We also need to ensure critical progress can continue at the local level by returning Democratic majorities in the Colorado House and Senate, by electing progressive DAs in our Judicial Districts, flipping the majority of the Board of CU Regents (Ilana Spiegel CU Regent 6 helps do that), maintain the majority on the State Board of Education and continue to pick up county seats across Colorado.
So here is my ask of you – please make saving our Democracy a New Year’s resolution – and we can do it together. Please volunteer or donate or both now to the Colorado Democratic Party. We are the one entity that can register voters, coordinate with all volunteers, and work with all candidates up and down the ballot to deliver a blue ticket in 2020.
Please consider making a monthly recurring commitment to the Colorado Dems at whatever amount works for you, whether it is $5 / month or $500 / month.
Thank you for all you do!
Morgan Carroll Chair, Colorado Democratic Party
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VOTE: 2020 Obama Dinner Awardees! |
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DEADLINE: January 15, 2020!
Choose who will be honored at the 2020 Obama Dinner on Saturday, April 18 by clicking here and casting your vote! These are amazing Democrats from all across Colorado -- all nominated by folks like yourself during the open nomination period! |
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EXTRA! EXTRA! Catching You Up On News! |
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It might have been the holidays, but there was still a lot of news over the past couple of weeks! Here's some of what you may have missed! |
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Catching up on what Trump tweeted over the holidays!
There’s a lot going on here. None of it is very good, and almost none of it makes any sense.
Trump doesn’t name who the “very good people” are, but we can guess from who’s been “taken down”: Michael Flynn, Paul Manafort, and Roger Stone have all been convicted of or pleaded guilty to federal crimes. Trump probably doesn’t mean his former attorney Michael Cohen, whom he has come to hate; George Papadopoulos, a peripheral character; or Rick Gates, who flipped. These people have all, once again, been found guilty of federal crimes.
The “small group of Dirty (Filthy) Cops, politicians, government officials” refers to the Justice Department and in particular the FBI, both of which Trump leads. A recent inspector-general report found serious flaws in how the FBI handled surveillance warrants—a problem that ought to concern any American—but it did not find that the probe was begun illegally, nor did it find that political bias against the president was a motivator. The witch hunt is no such thing and continues to reap new, disturbing information; the Ukraine scandal is no hoax; Trump continues to misconstrue (or misunderstand) treason; and the present scandal is, I have argued, worse than Watergate. |
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Click the image above to see an example from comedian Jordan Peele on the dangers of Deepfake videos. |
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Continue to Watch Out For Deep Fakes and Deceptively Edited Videos!
A deceptively edited video, appearing to show [former Vice President Joe Biden] embracing the white nationalist cultural idea that the US’s identity is the product of its early white European immigrants, was shared repeatedly on social media. The only issue? The 13-second clip, picked from a December 30 speech in New Hampshire, was part of Biden’s critique of that European culture. ... In actuality, Biden was talking about American culture allowing sexual violence to continue unchecked. He argued that rape culture has descended from English legal permissiveness toward sexual violence and violence against women before detailing his own role in trying to change that culture.
REMINDER: The CDP is neutral in primaries and does not support one Democratic candidate over another. We call on all Colorado Democrats to be vigilant about deceptively edited and deep fake videos. Even if the video is about a candidate you do not like (yes, even Trump), we all lose and democracy loses when we share and allow fake media and news to rule the conversation.
Remember: the Trump Campaign and the Republican National Committee have to lie because the voters agree with us Democrats on the issues. We can beat them on the issues and WIN.
Please don't spread disinformation! :)
Click here for tips to spot fake news media on Facebook.
Click here for examples of different presidential candidates and politicians being victim of such videos from Media Matters for America's Parker Molloy. |
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New Laws that Take Effect in Colorado in 2020!
The new Colorado laws cover everything from surprise medical bills to bed bugs.
New year, new laws.
Multiple new laws passed by Colorado’s Democratic-controlled House and Senate and signed by Gov. Jared Polis (D) went into effect on January 1, 2020 following a busy 2019 legislative session. |
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A Look Back at 2019 -- and A Look Towards 2020!
Colorado’s political landscape shifted significantly in the past year — and decade — as Democrats moved more firmly into power, backed by a transformed electorate.
The new political reality led to major changes in policies and birthed a new generation of leaders on both sides of the political spectrum.
To capture this scene, The Colorado Sun surveyed dozens of politicians, strategists and observers — split evenly between partisans — for their reflections on 2019, the end of the decade and the year to come in politics.
The responses found broad agreement about the political currents shaping the state and offer a look at what’s to come in 2020. |
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Join the High Fivers Club! |
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"What's the High Fivers Club", you ask? It started with a simple idea: There are nearly 1.2 million registered Democrats in Colorado -- what if every single one of them gave just $5 a month to the Colorado Democratic Party (CDP)?
Answer: The CDP would be the best-funded state party in the country -- with zero dollars from corporate PACs and plenty for flipping red seats to blue!
If you haven't given to the CDP yet, here's a few simple reasons why we're asking you today:
Will you join the High Fivers Club? Click the logo below to join! |
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Now Hiring: Finance/Development Director |
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The Colorado Democrats are looking for a talented individual to apply for our finance/development director position! Click here to see the job description! |
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Democratic Candidates for President |
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(read from left, listed by alphabetical order) Senator Michael Bennet (CO), former Vice President Joe Biden, former Mayor Michael Bloomberg (New York City, NY), Senator Cory Booker (NJ), Mayor Pete Buttigieg (South Bend, IN), former Congressman John Delaney (MD), Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard (HI), Senator Amy Klobuchar (MN), former Governor Deval Patrick (MA), Senator Bernie Sanders (VT), Tom Steyer, Senator Elizabeth Warren (MA), Marianne Williamson, Andrew Yang. |
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Rural Spotlight from Shelia: Dolores County |
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Dolores County is located in the southwestern corner of Colorado. To the north of Dolores County is San Miguel County, to the east is San Juan County, to the south is Montezuma County and to the west is the state of Utah. Dolores County covers 1,068 square miles. Dove Creek is the county seat of Dolores County. Dolores County was named after the Dolores River which runs through the county.
From about 600 AD to the 1300s the Puebloans people lived in the area and in the 1500s several bands of the Ute people, mostly Weenuche “long time ago people” lived in the area. In early 1700’s, as part of New Spain, Spainards brought horses to the area. In 1765, Juan de Rivera carved out a route for future explorers like friars Silvestre Escalante and Francisco Dominguez. Mexico won its’ independence from Spain in 1821 and in 1848 Dolores County became U.S. territory following the Mexican-American war. With the Treaty of 1868 Dolores County became part of a 16 million-acre Ute Reservation. Confrontations between white cattlemen and Utes sometimes turned violent. In 1885, white Ranchers killed six Utes at a traditional Ute Camp along Beaver Creek. A historic marker details the Beaver Creek Massacre and stands near the town of Dove Creek. |
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Today cattle ranching, farming, and outdoor recreation make up the economy of Dolores County. Dove Creek is home to Adobe Milling which sells beans, chilies, salsa and southwestern cuisine. With the beautiful peaks of Mt. Wilson and San Miguel Peak to the flat top of Lone Mesa there is plenty to see and do -- hike, fish, and hunt -- in Dolores County. |
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There are approximately 296 registered Democrats (up by 11%), 810 Republicans (up 6%) and 700 Unaffiliated (up 15%) voters in Dolores County. It might look pretty red but the Dolores County Treasurer is a Democrat. Hazel Perkins is the chair of the Dolores County Democratic Party. If you would like more information about the Dolores County Democratic Party please drop Hazel Perkins an email at [email protected]. |
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Keep Colorado Wild
Shelia
Shelia Canfield Jones Vice Chair, Rural Outreach Colorado Democratic Party |
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Join us for the 2020 Womxn's March! |
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We need your help to get as many new voters registered as possible during the Womxn's March on January 18th 2020.
We are looking for 120 volunteers so please ask your friends to join us too.
If you can help register voters or table that day please email me at [email protected]
Note that everyone needs to take voter registration training, which can be done by webinar here:
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/rt/1917936809926228493 |
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On The Road! |
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Team CDP had a lot of fun with this holiday season! Whether it was visiting family, enjoying the natural beauty of our state, and experiencing new parts of the world they had never visited before, they are re-charged and ready to work with YOU to win in 2020! |
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Contributions or gifts to the Democratic Party of Colorado are not tax deductible |
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