Hardball politics being what they are, it’s understandable that a Denver mayoral candidate would be hesitant to publicly reveal plans and strategies.
So it wasn’t surprising that, when asked last week what Michael Hancock had on tap for Saturday’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade, campaign manager Evan Dreyer didn’t answer the question, but rather, with a wee glint in his eye, posed one of his own.
“Are any of (the other candidates) going to have a leprechaun?”
Indeed, a boy dressed in a leprechaun green hat with a fake flowing beard rode in a convertible as part of Hancock’s contingent for the parade.
His supporters carried campaign signs, but with a twist. The candidate’s name, written in bright green, read Michael O’Hancock. The campaign slogan “We Are Denver” had been replaced with “We Are All Irish.”
Saturday’s parade came at the end of a particularly intense week for the mayoral field. Not only were there three candidates forums, along with the usual meet and greets and hustles for votes and endorsements, Wednesday was the day in which the one-time mob of 18 hopefuls was officially reduced to a slightly more manageable 10.
So if there were a need to let off a bit o’ steam, Saturday was a good opportunity.
Chris Romer, dressed in jeans, a white shirt and a tie, strode behind a candy-apple-red convertible Cadillac XLR with supporters in tow. Fans of Carol Boigon’s campaign attended too and handed out campaign memorabilia to the crowd.
It also didn’t hurt to establish a presence before such a sizeable audience of potential voters. That was the case in January, when a number of candidates participated in the Martin Luther King Jr. Marade — the difference now is that the calendar has progressed that much closer to the May 3 election day.
“With such a short campaign season, with ballots going out on April 18, and so many people in this race, the candidates have to take every opportunity to talk with as many people as they can, and the campaigns have to get their candidate’s message in front of voters,” said Berrick Abramson, campaign manager for James Mejia. “But just like the Marade, you want to be respectful that this is an event about a Denver tradition; you don’t want to turn it into something overtly political.”
The day also gave the pols a chance to embrace their inner Irish while getting that message out. Mejia walked the parade route next to the Notre Dame float, befitting an alumnus of the Indiana school.
Theresa Spahn had a stand-in riding in a late-model convertible, while Doug Linkhart walked the route in front of a truck and a Corvette that had signs touting his candidacy.
Anthony Cotton: 303-954-1292 or acotton@denverpost.com
