Forget his . Ignore this hospital provider fee . What we learned about Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper in Thursday is this:
He s one cool … dude. (Or at least he thinks he is.)
The 63-year-old governor laced his big important speech with pop culture references and creative flair — though a good bit a credit probably goes to . And probably a little bit to his 13-year-old son, Teddy.
Here s the five ways Hickenlooper used his speech (text here) to establish himself as the cool governor:
1. Before the big speech, he riffed on his guitar in the office.
Not only is he about to deliver a great speech, this man can play the guitar
— DJ Friednash (@DJFriednash)
2. He dropped a Tinder reference (just after invoking Back to the Future).
We don t need a Delorean time machine to know that change is coming. Just 20 years ago, we were using dial-up modems.
We didn t know we would one day be texting more than talking, or that dating would be all about swiping left or right.
(In an interview after the speech, I asked Hickenlooper how often he goes on Tinder. He just laughed.)
3. The very next line:
And cat videos – so many cat videos…
4. He s a poet, or a rapper, of sorts. In the middle of the speech, he dropped this rhyme:
No matter what the future holds
If you re young or old, what your dream looks like
Strike gold
Stone cold
Colorado is the place where fortune favors the bold
Colorado is the place where you can chase
Your American dream.
Colorado is the place.
5. He likes T. Swift:
Haters gonna hate. But when democracy works, it s beautiful. It s poetry in motion.
(H/T )
An honorable mention goes to the cheesy shout out to :
Originally, the top of the Capitol Dome was to be adorned by a 12-foot high statue of the most beautiful woman in Colorado.
Despite a clear Republican majority, the legislators couldn t agree on who was, in fact, the most beautiful woman in the state. So they forged a compromise: the crystal sphere known as the lantern that tops the building to this day.
…who really is the most beautiful woman in Colorado? There s no longer any debate – it s my fiancée Robin Pringle.
Then he ruined it with this next line: But all joking aside …
