Two Fort Collins Democrats think it’s time the donkey got a little respect.
So they are on a quest to have fellow Coloradans – and maybe even the national party – make the animal the party’s official symbol.
Richard Payne says the donkey represents the Democratic Party at its best: stubborn, independent, hard-working.
Compare that to the pompous pachyderm claimed by the rival Republicans, Payne said.
“The elephant is big and inflated,” Payne said. “And it consumes too much of our natural resources.”
Payne and Edward Fuentes have proposed a resolution on the donkey for the state Democratic assembly, set for May 20 in Greeley.
“A party that values hard work, courage, good character and an independent spirit should have as its mascot or symbol the little animal that surely is all of those things and more,” the resolution states.
“Let us make it official, in 2006, and adopt the donkey or burro as our official symbol or mascot with the same stubborn pride and hard work that has got us this far at this point in time.”
Payne, a 52-year-old doctoral student at Colorado State University, and Fuentes, a 36-year-old customer-service representative, said they thought it would be a fun way to drive home what the Democrats have in common.
“This resolution is a first step in unifying the Democrats,” Fuentes said. “We have different points of view, but this is something we can agree on. It really makes it more inclusive and invites the Latino culture.”
The effort is attracting nationwide attention. Payne said he has been called by reporters from U.S. News and World Report and by representatives of Oprah Winfrey and Bill Maher, who hosts an HBO show on politics.
While the donkey has been tied to the Democratic Party since the 1800s and is depicted on letterhead and party websites, it has never been formally declared the national party symbol.
The elephant, meanwhile, is an official symbol for the GOP.
Bob Martinez, chairman of the Colorado Republican Party, said Payne’s characterization of his party mascot is “despicable” and “really gets my goat.”
“I have a great fondness for the elephant,” Martinez said. “I’ve been to Africa and India. And the elephant is really revered as being one of the smartest animals in the kingdom and one of the most graceful.”
On the other hand, the donkey is perfect for Democrats, he said: “They are obstinate. They are obstructionist.”
Staff writer Mark P. Couch can be reached at 303-820-1794 or mcouch@denverpost.com.
