The news coming out of Colorado lately has given me a little more faith in the democratic process. Earlier this year, two Colorado state senators were kicked out of office for their votes against their constituents’ rights and their vocal belief in ignoring the voices of their constituents in what was one of the most embarrassing defeats for the gun control movement in recent memory. Despite the Dems and pro-gun control groups spending around 10 times as much as the NRA, they lost. And from the looks of things, the Democrats are scared out of their minds that it might happen again. So much so they’re prepared to pull the plug on the embattled senator currently being targeted . . .
In Colorado, if a recall is successful, there are two options.
- The official in question can sit for a special election, where they square off against an opponent from the other party.
- The official can resign, and their party can pick someone to replace them.
When the first recall efforts succeeded, the Dems and their gun control co-conspirators didn’t think there was a chance in hell that they could lose. They decided to go ahead with the special election, gambling that it would be a confirmation of the desire of the electorate for more gun control, and would be a great propaganda victory for the party. What happened instead was a massacre, delivering the Dems a bloody nose and reducing their hold on the state senate to a single vote majority.
Now the game has changed. The gun owners have drawn first blood and with the senate hanging onto its Democratic majority by that one vote, there’s no longer any margin for error.
According to the Denver Post, the Democrats aren’t taking any chances. Should the recall effort succeed in collecting enough signatures to qualify for a vote, they plan to try and pressure Hudak into resigning so that they can substitute another Democrat in her spot. Hudak, however, isn’t on board with that plan. From the Post:
Democratic strategists grumble that if enough valid signatures are collected to force a special election, Hudak would be lobbied to resign so that a vacancy committee could then appoint a different Democrat to hold the seat until 2014. The move would kill the recall and preserve the party’s single-seat majority in the chamber, but Hudak said she has “no intentions” of resigning, should recall proponents gather enough signatures.
My favorite stories throughout history are ones where the hubris of the antagonist have caused their own downfall. This looks like it’s shaping up to be just such a story.