Friday, May 24, 2013
Long Story Short
by Anthony Lane
There was plenty of drama in local politics last year. You just had to know where to look for it.
Most of the attention, obviously, focused on the presidential race, which was spiced with highfalutin talk and energized by extensive networks of donors and supporters. Compared with watching Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton duke it out, and then Obama and John McCain, local races many of which were destined to be less than competitive in overwhelmingly Republican El Paso County were easily ignored.
But progressive, community-minded residents who did pay attention throughout the past year identified something important going on close to home.
Never-before-seen energy and organization had sprung up across the county in support of Obama's campaign. Politically minded folks asked themselves, and each other: Would Obama supporters who got their first taste of politics stay active? Could they eventually catalyze future projects on local issues, and make a difference in local races?
As El Paso County's Democrats reorganized this past weekend, the tentative answer to the first question, at least, seemed to be yes: Political newcomers inspired by Obama have taken key leadership roles in the local party.
So in "Obamanos!" (cover story) we start looking for answers to the second question, too.
