Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob Beauprez on Tuesday repackaged his campaign promises into an “accountability pledge” in an attempt to broaden his appeal to Colorado voters.
Beauprez, a congressman, has been struggling in recent weeks with lagging poll numbers and lackluster fundraising.
By wrapping a year’s worth of policy statements into a single package, Beauprez is trying to jump-start his campaign and counter the advantage that Democrat Bill Ritter is building with voters, political observers said.
“This gives him a shorthand to say, ‘I have laid out my agenda,”‘ said Michael Kanner, a political-science instructor at the University of Colorado at Boulder.
At a news conference at the state Capitol, Beauprez said he would work for an improved health-care system, better schools, cleaner water, accountable government and tough enforcement of illegal-immigration laws.
“I think these are common sense,” Beauprez said. “I’ll say again: This isn’t about partisan politics. This is about what Coloradans – Democrats, Republicans, unaffiliateds – are saying they want government to do for them to make a difference in their life.”
Some of his proposals are standards of the Republican agenda – tough limits on lawsuits, and elimination of health- insurance mandates.
Some are vague, such as his call for a “comprehensive, rigorous, statewide standard for high school graduation.” Others are laws already on the books.
For example, Beauprez said he will enforce existing laws restricting spending on illegal immigrants. He also said he would make sure lottery proceeds are used to buy open space.
By focusing on the big picture, Beauprez can get away from mistakes that have dogged his campaign in recent weeks, Kanner said. He specifically noted Beauprez’s comment that black women get abortions at an “appalling” rate of 70 percent – a figure he later acknowledged was not accurate.
Kanner and Bob Loevy, a professor of political science at Colorado College, said the broader message can help Beauprez.
“If he can identify himself with a plan of action that has a nice ring to it, it can help his campaign,” Loevy said. “In comparison, Bill Ritter has done very well taking very general positions.”
For the month of August, Ritter raised $606,000 – nearly three times Beauprez’s $216,000.
On Tuesday, Ritter responded to Beauprez’s plan by pointing out that his own campaign released its “Colorado Opportunity Pledge” in late August.
In that plan, Ritter called for improving the rate of child immunizations within two years, working toward health-care coverage for all, and revamping the state budget system by adopting a model that has saved up to 6 percent of spending in other states.
Staff writer Mark P. Couch can be reached at 303-954-1794 or mcouch@denverpost.com.
