Hello, my name is Dan Chapin and I am running for the Democratic nomination for US Senate from Colorado. I am asking you to help me secure a position on the primary ballot to ensure that our primary produces the best candidate with the strongest support of Coloradans and not just the assumed candidate.
We need to have a strong, robust, and informative Primary. The primary is the best chance for the average American to have their voices heard and to get their questions answered. The best opportunity to find out where a candidate stands, if you can get them to give you a straight answer.
Some people are against a primary, saying it is too costly and can place a candidate in a bad position. I would respond that a primary doesn’t have to be expensive and really shouldn’t be. Primaries should be many many many debates and town hall meetings and very very few idiotic 30 second mass media messages that promise magical fixes or are so full of rhetoric so general that you often can’t even identify the issue it is suppose to be addressing.
As to the placing a candidate in a bad position, just don’t lie to the people, be ready to support your position with facts or solid reasons, and be willing to change your position if presented with new or additional information which is compelling to adjust your old position.
I am a native Coloradan, born and raised in Colorado. So I have grown up with those Coloradan values and character traits that make us stand out in the country. As Coloradans, we are not afraid to lead, we take responsibility for our actions, we don’t take credit for others accomplishments, we see the equality in all people, we are not afraid of change, and we don’t take kindly to outsiders telling us how we are doing things wrong when we have better outcomes than most of the country. These are some of the reasons many people from across the country decide to come to Colorado. This is why we, as a State, are becoming more Democratic and more progressive, these shared values.
We all know the definition of insanity. But what do you call it when you do the same thing over and over and end up worse than before? This is the model of the Democratic Party in Congress, it seems, right now. The Democrats need to quit bringing a pillow to a knife fight. We need Democrats who have not miserably failed their Intro to Negotiations 101 class.
Just a matter of days ago the Democrats in Congress, without even a hesitation, sided with the Republicans to pass the Defense Re-authorization Act. This is something the Republicans not only wanted, but they needed. Republican states see more benefit from the military and the military industrial complex than the blue states do. The question I ask is why do we need a large military if they have nothing to protect? Why would we need a large military if we lose our democracy? It then just becomes a tool for a despot. The bills to protect and strengthen democracy should come in the order they were presented to Congress. First Voter Rights Act, second the Peoples Infrastructure Bill, and then third the defense authorization. I also feel that order is from most important to least important.
So there was a bill that the Republicans not only wanted but probably needed also. It would appear a perfect time to negotiate. So what did the Democrats get? Nothing, nada, zilch, zero, bupkis. Not even a trifle, which isn’t much. I will negotiate hard and I will be able to negotiate hard because I will be spending very little time worrying about getting reelected or building a campaign war chest. It is a waste of time to work on your reelection because if you take care of the people of Colorado, they will take care of you.
This I will pledge to you.
I pledge I will be signing the Clean Campaign Pledge.
I pledge to hold a town hall at least once in every county, every year and would hope to do more.
I pledge my support for any legislation will depend of the percentage of Americans it will help or if it promotes a disadvantaged group or class of Americans.
I pledge I will change my position when confronted with new or changing information that places that position in question concerning the good of the majority of the people.
I pledge I will place quality of life for the Middle Class above profit or economic gain.
I pledge to work to restore the Middle Class back to, at least, the level I grew up with when the majority of Americans truly believed they were living the American Dream, where all the basic necessities of a good life were available to everyone.
I pledge to not always have the final answer to any problem but will do my best to always provide some solution as a starting point to build upon.
I pledge to work to implement systems, rules, and procedures into the log jam that is Congress to make it easier for the peoples business to be done.
Finally I pledge to stop the tyranny of the minority. To stop the violent, angry, hate filled, ignorant minority from forcing unwanted positions upon the majority.
These are only the beginning of the actions I will pledge to you. As more actions become known or are identified, I will take a position and pledge to you to work for improvement and progress.
What I am asking from you is to help me get a position on the Primary ballot so we can create an open and robust discussion/debate of what our Party stands for and what direction we want to take. I will not be afraid to bring up, and more importantly, answer the hard questions that so many politicians refuse to address. It is a sad commentary on our system that too often the candidate that says the least is the one who wins. We have devolved into a system that our representatives believe that if you don’t take strong positions on hard issues then you don’t have to defend or explain them. The country has a whole political party whose philosophy is to say the least you can and do even less (guess which one that is).
I ask for a minimum 30% vote to allow me to get on the Primary ballot, but would be very happy with 99% (hey, nobody’s perfect). If you would like to see a strong debate for the Primary then split your votes between Bennet and myself, or I understand there is a third candidate, so give us each a third of the vote and send us all to the Primary if that is your preference. I ask all delegates for their support and vote but would settle for enough to give me a chance to win the rest.
We are coming to a tipping point in the history of America. If we don’t change things now we are in danger of losing our democracy. Our democratic system of government is very good and is a source of amazement that it has held up so well over the centuries. However, that is not to say it is not flawed, because it is. In some places seriously so. We all know things that need to be changed, updated, or just plain removed. Some are because of the period when the Constitution was written and values, morals, and the status quo were very different. However, we must not forget that the Constitution is a living document and it may be time to breath some life into it.
Business as usual is not working, so I say let’s try something new. I will be bringing some new ideas, or at least untried ideas, to the floor. Ideas from thinking outside the box. In fact some ideas are outside the house that contains the room that holds the box.
Let’s get busy. Help me gain a spot in the Primary.