Colorado is now a blue state. Hear me out.

[joshcryer]

We reelected Obama, we passed marijuana legalization, and we passed campaign finance limits, and, to top it off, we kept a state personnel tax that was set to sunset (for roads, firefighters, police, etc).

The marijuana legalization will result in more liberals moving to Colorado, even if there are hangups with the federal level (if there are hangups that will only embolden Colorado liberals).

The campaign finance limits will keep out the big money spenders in our elections, thus the less wealthy candidates will have a bigger chance. Please see fizzgig's post below about this. It's still very progressive but it wasn't what I remembered / misremembered it was.

Allowing the state personnel tax to sunset would've saved Coloradans a lot of money, yet we still passed the extension (yes I voted yes)! Contrast our behavior to California which historically hates tax hikes. Us? Well crud, we looked at our wallets and realized it wasn't hurting us currently and there is still a lot of stuff that needs to be repaired and we can't throw services under the bus, so we extended it!

It's really great, and I think it indicates that Colorado is blue and will stay blue from now on.

[Live and Learn]

1. Well done, Colorado. And welcome to the Blue side! nt

[Demonaut]

2. it's been moving that way for a while...glacial movement to liberal

[joshcryer]

3. I was surprised Amendment S passed!

There were absolutely no ads for it, it took up the entire backside of the mail in ballot. It blew my mind that is passed. I thought of all the progressive stuff on the ballot it would be the last thing to pass (because it was a tax reduction).

Pleasantly surprised.

(Amendment S was the state personnel tax extension that was set to sunset.)

[fizzgig]

4. we have been getting progressively bluer and i think we're just about there

i think now that the dems control the state house again, we will see a marriage equality law passed during the next session. plus i got to vote for jared polis tonight rather than against cory gardener.

but one note. amendment 65 does not pass any campaign finance limits, here's the explanation i pulled from 9news.

Amendment 65, an initiative that encourages Colorado's congressional delegation to propose a U.S. constitutional amendment to limit campaign contributions and spending, was passed Tuesday.

The proposal will also instruct state lawmakers to ratify the campaign-finance limits - if Congress chooses to pass them.

symbolic but encouraging nonetheless.

montana also addressed the issue and voted to "establish a state policy" that corporations are not people.

[joshcryer]

7. Thanks for that correction fizzgig.

I didn't recall the "encourages" part on my mail in ballot. So I must've misread it or misremembered! So thank you for the correction.

Still, a right step.

[fizzgig]

10. i love that people here are starting to get it

one of the things i love most about tonight is looking at the map and seeing us and new mexico, this little island of blue in a sea of red

[politicat]

5. Hope so.

S concerned me --not the tax part, but the power it gave to the governor to appoint and to dismiss the council. It's not that I don't trust Hick (well.... I kinda don't, but I do trust him to deal fairly) but Hick won't be governor forever.

According to several public policy studies, Colorado has a high potential for corruption because we lack a strong audit system. Doesn't mean we HAVE corruption, but I don't like to encourage places for it to grow.

Otherwise, agree!!!!

[Hutzpa]

6. Well Done

brick by brick, corner to corner. Very excellent work guys.

[BlueMan Votes]

8. actually-it's now a GREEN state

[joshcryer]

9. HAHA!

AAAAHAHAHA.

Yes. Yes it is.

[Jamaal510]

11. I happen to be in CA and am shocked that prop 30 and prop 37 are both losing.

Prop 30 would've raised taxes on only top earners in order to fund public schools, while prop 37 would've made it a requirement to label genetic foods (and the supporters said it would cost nothing).
People say CA is such a liberal state, but I think that's mainly for presidential elections; we nearly elected Meg Whitman 2 years ago, and we couldn't get MMJ legalized or block the infamous prop 8. We probably have a bunch of indies here.

[joshcryer]

12. CA is the state that I felt was the best comparison.

Everyone considers CA a "blue state" but it doesn't have the low level progressive policies that Colorado managed to pull off.

[Arugula Latte]

13. I'm in Oregon and we have a reputation as progressive but we've made some stupid choices recently.

Very disappointing.

[joshcryer]

15. Surprised Oregon didn't pass marijuana legalization. :(

[Arugula Latte]

16. Yeah, that was the big one that bummed me out last night.

I mean, jeez, even freakin' Colorado went for it, and they've got all those fundies in Colorado Springs.

[JoeyT]

14. Sweet.

Now to turn a few more states blue and turn the Republicans into a regional party. At least until demographic shifts strip them of power in the deep south too.

[liberal_at_heart]

17. campaign finance limits too? that's great

[LittlestStar]

18. I agree! Ha ha uppity neighbors eat my shorts and watch my weed grow.

JK, don't smoke, but that would sure be fun!