In which Obama gets a 2nd chance but blows it

Might the recent inauguration herald some real hope and change at last, wonders a tongue-in-cheek John Andrews in the February round of Head On TV debates. He even momentarily dons an Obama button before Susan Barnes-Gelt reaffirms the hardball playbook and reminds us it's all the Republicans' fault. John on the right (button quickly discarded) and Susan on the left also go at it this month Hillary Clinton's past, the GOP's future, immigration reform, and gun control. Head On has been a daily feature on Colorado Public Television since 1997. Here are all five scripts for February: 1. PREVIEWING OBAMA’S SECOND TERM

Susan: Obama has four years of on-the-job-training – and he doesn’t have to pander to special interests for re-election. Washington is a swamp and he can apply his will and intelligence to cut entitlements, reform the tax code and protect the vulnerable. Elections have consequences. He must play hardball.

John: Mr. President, sir: Like my [Obama campaign] button? I voted for Mitt, but since I follow a God of second chances, I appeal for you to devote yourself to hope and change. Change your confrontational ways. Stop trying to transform us into France. Give Americans reason to hope for constructive cooperation between Democrats and Republicans.

Susan: Washington’s dysfunction is driven by the politics of partisan primaries. Incumbents who are moderate problem solvers are threatened by right wing ideologues – not Democratic challengers. Majority Speaker Boehner is trying to manage a freak show that has noting to do with Obama’s leadership style.

John: Barack, my friend, this saddens me, but it’s over between us. [Removes button, tosses it away.] You had your chance. Your spokeswoman here, Susan, won’t get off the Alinsky talking points. Second-term hardball, Obama unfettered. Veer to the left, no comprise, consensus be damned. In 2010 that approach cost you dearly. It will again in 2014.

2. ARE REPUBLICANS EVEN RELEVANT ANY MORE?

Susan: After decades of posturing and hyperbole, immigration reform will happen. And human issues – human rights, women’s health, LGBT issues and religion – are no longer the third rail of partisan politics. The reason: young people see the world in chiaroscuro– shades of grey. If Republicans don’t embrace change, they’re doomed.

John: The party of the left keeps helpfully advising the party of the right to come over there with them. Then we’d have both parties proclaiming government is the only answer and relativism is the only truth. Ain’t happening, Susan. The answer is freedom and responsibility. Republicans will stand on that, thank you.

Susan: How’s that workin’ for ya so far? Let see, R’s lost seats in the Senate, the House and – ummm – the White House? Senate Minority leader McConnell and House Majority leader Boehner serve at the will of a fractured herd of nattering nabobs of negativism. They make Spiro Agnew look respectable.

John: In America, freedom and responsibility have always worked better than bureaucracy and dependency. Always will. Democrats can go on being the party of government, Republicans the party of liberty, and we’ll see who has the best winning percentage over time. My money is on liberty.

3. HILLARY’S PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE

John: As Obama builds a new cabinet, America is better off with Hillary Clinton stepping down as Secretary of State. She is dishonest, unscrupulous, and manipulative even by the low standards of Washington. Her evasive Senate testimony about the Benghazi massacre was shameful. America does not need a Clinton third term in 2016.

Susan: Hillary’s tenure as Secretary of State was great for the President, our global partners and the nation’s safety and respect. An unparalleled advocate for the rights of women, children the underserved across the globe – she is a remarkable leader who happens to be female. Kerry has big shoes to fill!

John: John Kerry as incoming Secretary of State is no prize either. The Vietnam peacenik who threw away his war medals will have US enemies laughing at us around the world. Mrs. Clinton leaves him a legacy of weakness and appeasement. She failed as foreign minister and would fail worse as president.

Susan: This country and the world would benefit from Hillary Clinton’s leadership – whether as president of the United States or head of a multi-national organization. She is smart and articulate with impeccable values. She knows who she is and what she stands for and is respected throughout the world.

4. IMMIGRATION REFORM, AGAIN

John: I like Marco Rubio as a rising conservative star, and I like the savory seasoning that Latinos add to the American melting pot. But Rubio is wrong in teaming up with Obama for a so-called path to citizenship, which really means amnesty for lawbreakers. Ten million new Democratic voters? No thanks.

Susan: Republicans will continue to be irrelevant if the old white boys don’t recognize the inevitable. The realities of the 21st Century – from demographics of economic sustainability depend on sane immigration policy. A majority of Americans agree. Marco Rubio is the face of America’s future. Get used to it.

John: The social and economic dysfunction of Mexico has sent opportunity-seekers flooding into the USA for decades. Can we make room for them? Absolutely, on the right terms. But full political participation is not the way. Amnesty failed when Reagan tried it, and will fail again. Secure the border first!

Susan: John F. Kennedy said it best in his 1958 book, A Nation of Immigrants. The United States is and always has been a nation of people who value both tradition and the exploration of new frontiers, people who deserve the freedom to build better lives for themselves in their adopted homeland.

5. GUN CONTROL, AGAIN

John: The gun control proposals by Feinstein in Congress, and by Hickenlooper here in Colorado, take away too much self-protection and self-responsibility and offer too little assurance of greater public safety in return. A government big enough to give us everything we want is big enough to take away everything we have.

Susan: Thirteen. Sixty-four. One hundred and forty two. One hundred and thirteen. Two-hundred and fifty. Four Hundred and fifteen. Thirteen years. 64 mass shootings. One hundred and forty-two guns. One hundred thirteen illegal guns. Two hundred and fifty dead. Four hundred and fifteen injured. Do the math.

John: Firearms are dangerous, no question. But power-hungry big government is far more dangerous. Citizens and politicians alike, including Colorado’s own Democratic senators, need assurances that proposed gun laws will truly deter criminals and lunatics, not just disarm the law-abiding. Then we can deal.

Susan: Thirteen. Sixty-four. One hundred and forty two. One hundred and thirteen. Two-hundred and fifty. Four Hundred and fifteen. Thirteen years. 64 mass shootings. One hundred and forty-two guns. One hundred thirteen illegal guns. Two hundred and fifty dead. Four hundred and fifteen injured. Do the math.

Don't disarm the law-abiding

Since Connecticut's strict gun control didn't prevent the Newtown horror, policymakers shouldn't impose new restrictions that disarm the law-abiding, says John Andrews in the January round of Head On TV debates. Just do the math, replies Susan Barnes-Gelt, and we'll all conclude too many have died, laws must be tightened. John on the right, Susan on the left, also go at it this month over Colorado proposals to help children of illegal immigrants and shut down death row, as well as the continuing fiscal cliff drama and the Obama-Boehner standoff. Head On has been a daily feature on Colorado Public Television since 1997. Here are all five scripts for January: 1. GUN CONTROL

Susan: Thirteen. Sixty-four. One hundred and forty two. One hundred and thirteen. Two-hundred and fifty. Four Hundred and fifteen. Thirteen years. 64 mass shootings. One hundred and forty-two guns. One hundred thirteen illegal guns. Two hundred and fifty dead. Four hundred and fifteen injured. The Second Amendment? Do the math.

John: The mass violence is unacceptable, Susan, absolutely. We have to address it. America can do better. But my friend, listen to yourself. Most of the guns in those shootings were already illegal. Legislation in Congress or in Colorado must recognize that. When responsible citizens have firearms to protect themselves, crime goes down.

Susan: Thirteen. Sixty-four. One hundred and forty two. One hundred and thirteen. Two-hundred and fifty. Four Hundred and fifteen. Thirteen years. 64 mass shootings. One hundred and forty-two guns. One hundred thirteen illegal guns. Two hundred and fifty dead. Four hundred and fifteen injured. Do the math.

John: The math says more Americans are killed each year by hammers and clubs than by guns, according to the FBI. More Americans are killed by automobiles than guns. Connecticut’s very strict gun laws didn’t prevent the Newtown horror. The problem is the culture, not the weapons. Don’t disarm the law-abiding.

2. COLORADO ASSET BILL (DREAM ACT)

Susan: Colorado voters retained a Democratic Senate and turned over control of the House to the Dems. The economy is uppermost for D’s and R’s, but reduced tuition for undocumented students – the ASSET bill – is high on the agenda. Investment in education for ALL Colorado students is key to the future of this great state.

John: Public policy should not reward lawbreaking. It’s unfair that CU should cost more for Tommy from Kansas, a citizen and the son of citizens, than for Tomas from Mexico, whose parents snuck him into the country as a child. Tomas is not to blame, but neither are taxpayers. Let private charity subsidize his tuition.

Susan: The demographics of Colorado and the entire country are changing – Exhibit 1: November’s election. Kansas Tommy’s future is inextricably bound to Tomas’s skills. Education is not a zero sum game. America’s future depends on an informed, diverse and well-trained workforce.

John: America’s future depends above all on the rule of law, a shared common culture, and patriotic citizens who understand that rights involve responsibilities and cheating has consequences. The Asset Bill or Dream Act disregards all those values with misguided sympathy and a hidden leftist agenda. Don’t pass it. 3. DEATH PENALTY

John: An ancient principle of justice says that if you take a life, you pay with your life. This is not barbaric, it’s reasonable and right. A child-murderer like Austin Sigg or a mass killer like James Holmes deserves the death penalty. Colorado should not abolish it.

Susan: Which testament is it? The ‘eye for an eye’ bible or the theology valuing the sanctity of life? Honestly, I am ambivalent on the issue of the death penalty. I am a pragmatist. Which costs less? Lifetime incarceration or the death penalty? It’s a calculation, not a principle.

John: When lawmakers debate abolishing the death penalty, they will be told it has become impractical with the way the appeals process works today. There’s your pragmatism. Then we should fix that process, not redefine crime and punishment to the vanishing point. Tell it to the Ridgeways and the Aurora theater families.

Susan: I need to be convinced that loss, grief and anger can be assuaged by retribution – the death penalty. Reforming the justice system isn’t the answer, particularly during these hyper-partisan times. Life imprisonment may be more unbearable than death.

4. FISCAL CLIFF & DEBT CEILING

John: With last-minute legislation on January 1st, Obama got his tax increase on the most productive Americans. The minimal added revenue will not nearly solve our trillion-dollar deficits. It merely penalizes success and hurts everyone’s prosperity. Congress must address the spending crisis. Do your thing, Republicans.

Susan: If the D’s and the R’s don’t stop their playground antics – the country suffers. Dems must get serious about entitlement reform. Republicans - about the bloated defense budget. The rest – to quote the Bard, “ Sound and fury, signifying nothing!”

John: Washington is all bloated, but for the record, defense spends less than half the money as entitlements. But it starts with attitude. As the Lincoln movie reminds us, when America faced a cancer called slavery, the president and both parties came together. Why can’t they now, with the cancer of overspending?

Susan: Overspending is merely a symptom of the cancer. The disease is myopic self-absorption where nearly everyone exposed to the DC swamp becomes infected with the perq’s of power, the illusion of control and the obsequious groveling of special interests. It’s a toxic, potentially fatal disease.

5. WHITHER SPEAKER BOEHNER?

Susan: House Republican Speaker John Boehner has a problem: followership. Leaders cannot lead without the consensus of disciplined, informed colleagues who share a common sense of purpose, while disagreeing on tactics. His power as Speaker is hostage to a minority of luddite anarchists.

John: Americans knew what they were doing when they reelected a Democratic President to step on the gas and a Republican House to hit the brakes. It’ll be bumpy, but divided government may create the opening our economy needs to recover. John Boehner is tough as a boot. He’s the right speaker to confront Obama.

Susan: The problem isn’t divided government – a balance of D’s and R’s. The problem is the intransigent myopia of the far right and, perhaps, the far left. Progress in a democracy demands compromise, negotiation and mutual respect. These three characteristics define the Beltway’s endangered list.

John: You didn’t mention the most uncompromising ideologue of them all, our left-liberal President. Dogged John Boehner leading the House majority and crafty Mitch McConnell leading the Senate minority can’t match him on charisma, but they have the people’s best interest at heart to avoid US bankruptcy. Unlike Barack Obama.

A lighter look back at 2012 and ahead to 2013

As 2012 departs with undeserved job security for Buffs' top brass, says John Andrews in the December round of Head On TV debates, 2013 may come in with bungee cords as Congress's consolation prize to Americans headed over the fiscal cliff. Secretary of State Scott Gessler's letter to Santa, adds Susan Barnes-Gelt, should request a new ethical compass -- and Interior Secretary Ken Salazar's secret wish for the New Year may be a 2014 run for governor. John on the right, Susan on the left, this month whimsically nominate their Colorado winners and sinners for the old year, offer wacky predictions for the year ahead, and outline New Year's resolutions for politicos in both Denver and Washington, along with thoughts on the brave new world of legal marijuana. Head On has been a daily feature on Colorado Public Television since 1997. Here are all five scripts for December: 1. WINNERS & SINNERS OF 2012

John: It’s John and Susan’s Colorado winners and sinners of 2012, 10th annual. Thumbs up for Jon Caldara, whose Freedom Embassy shook up Capitol Hill, and John Elway, who rebuilt the Broncos bigtime. Thumbs down for the RTD board, who can’t build light rail, and the PERA board, who can’t do math.

Susan: Gifts for my sinners: Secretary of State Scott Gessler, an ethical compass for his desk. A bigger bathtub for Grover Norquist in his quest to drown government. Copies of the 2010 census for Republican consultants. And a 2-year supply of TUMS for our Gov, facing Dem majorities in the lege.

John: More Colorado winners and sinners as the old year departs: Thumbs down for the anti-energy left with their false fears about fracking, and the top brass of Buffs and Rockies who keep their jobs despite hellacious losing records. Thumbs up for pension watchdog Walker Stapleton and Pentagon watchdog Mike Coffman.

Susan: A bag of coal for Denver DA Mitch Morrissey’s off-the-chart salary demands. Gold stars to Civic Center’s Conservancy’s revitalization of Denver’s most important public square; Metro State Pres Steve Jordan and trustees for lowering tuition for undocumented students. And a BIG bouquet of roses to the people of Colorado!

2. FEARLESS PREDICTIONS FOR 2013

John: It’s John and Susan’s fearless predictions for 2013, wildly wrong every year. Hickenlooper tries for president with a new home in Iowa. He’ll govern Colorado by Twitter. Perlmutter tries for bipartisanship with a new chief of staff: Joe Coors. Coffman tries his wife’s patience by volunteering in Afghanistan.

Susan: Hick and Ken Salazar swap jobs: Hick goes to DC. Salazar comes home as guv. Mayor Hancock attends to the City he leads, not the aerotropolis he dreams about. Denver School Board requires local residency for its superintendent. RTD hires a director who has actually built a transit system.

John: More predictions for a wacky 2013. Unable to avoid the fiscal cliff, Congress authorizes free bungee cords for every American. Grabbing for the Hispanic vote, Republicans offer to make Mexico the 51st state. To prove his foreign policy is no joke, Obama replaces Secretary of State Hillary Clinton with Jon Stewart.

Susan: Uber-partisan talking heads become an endangered species. Good humor and sound judgment prevail: Al Franken replaces Harry Reid as the Senate majority leader. South Carolina Guv Haley appoints Steven Colbert to DeMint’s vacant Senate seat. 2013 inaugurates peace, health and optimism to Coloradans and the planet.

3. NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS FOR THE GOLD DOME

John: The 2013 legislative session brings fresh faces and hot issues. Susan, I bet the members of your party and mine would love some help with New Year’s resolutions. House Republican leader Mark Waller: I’ll be calm and conciliatory on civil unions. Senate Republican leader Bill Cadman: I’ll pressure the Dems like Von Miller.

Susan: I’ll start with a resolution for Guv Hickenlooper. He’ll maneuver gracefully when the Dem-controlled legislature forces him to be partisan. Legislators from both parties will resolve to follow Aurora Dem Morgan Carroll in ignoring the pressure from lobbyists during official debate. Both D’s and R’s resolve courage and compassion.

John: More New Year’s resolutions recommended for the next Colorado General Assembly. Budget Committee Republicans Cheri Gerou and Kent Lambert: We resolve to scream bloody murder if Democrats propose reckless spending and tax increases disguised as fees. TABOR means what it says.

Susan: Both D’s & R’s – persuade voters to end the stranglehold of TABOR, Gallagher and Amendment 23, thus allowing Colorado’s economy to address the future. The Lege endorses CDOT Director Don Hunt’s solution to the I-70 viaduct expansion; bans hand-held cell phones in vehicles and mandates year-round K-12 education.

4. NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS FOR THE BELTWAY

Susan: 2013 offers a new beginning for Federal government leaders. Resolutions to consider: Congressionals resolve to hear We The People . . . not just K Street lobbyists. The Supremes resolve that Corporations don’t breathe and reverse Citizens United. Obama resolves to enjoy the rough and tumble of political engagement.

John: More New Year’s resolutions recommended for the upcoming 113th Congress. Speaker John Boehner: I will relentlessly use the power of the purse to oppose Obama and the Senate in their crazy spending and expansion of government. The House has no less a mandate for conservatism than the President does for liberalism.

Susan: Democrats and Republicans work for the future of the country instead of their political parties and themselves. Congress reforms the entire tax code, Social Security and Medicare. Special interest and Super PACS reveal individual donors. The US Capitol moves to Lake Wobegon and . . . pigs fly!

John: At the risk of agreeing with you, I like the Lake Wobegon idea, because every congressmen and senator is above average – just ask them. But these are supposed to be achievable resolutions for the Beltway crowd. All of them should vow this year they’ll obey the constitution, for a change.

5. BRAVE NEW WORLD OF LEGAL MARIJUANA.

Susan: Colorado, along with Washington State approved the possession of small amounts of marijuana. Medical MJ is legal in several other states. Enter the conflict between local policy and federal – zero tolerance laws. The war on drugs was lost decades ago and it’s time the feds decriminalize and regulate drugs.

John: The message from voters seems to be that marijuana prohibition has failed as badly as alcohol prohibition, and a new approach is needed. But restraint and responsibility are needed as legislators draw up regulations. A pot parlor on every block, as some stoners have fantasized, is not the way to go.

Susan: Wow! We are pretty much in agreement on this issue, John. Legalizing and regulating drugs is the only way to put criminals and the drug cartels out of business. Comprehensive and unified Federal policy – including imposition of local, state and federal sales tax – must prevail.

John: Voters legalizing marijuana in two states and same-sex marriage in four states signal a new American attitude about using the law to enforce virtue. As a Christian, I believe the body is God’s temple. Don’t defile it with chemicals or promiscuity. But government can’t ultimately police that. It happens in the heart.

Glories of gridlock, perils of second terms

Divided government continuing into 2014 and beyond may not be all that bad, especially as presidential second terms tend to go awry, says John Andrews in the November round of Head On TV debates. Not so, given Americans' reaffirmation of Obama's leadership and their impatience for government that works, contends Susan Barnes-Gelt. John on the right, Susan on the left, also go at it this month over prospects for the now all-Democratic Colorado General Assembly and what it meant that voters approved most ballot issues. Head On has been a daily feature on Colorado Public Television since 1997. Here are all five scripts for November: 1. PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

John: Congratulations to my Democratic friends for their big victory. President Obama will proceed with his agenda of fundamentally transforming America through bigger government and a weak foreign policy. Americans seem to be okay with that. Mitt Romney campaigned valiantly for freedom and limited government, but he couldn’t overcome the negative ads.

Susan: The Obama victory reflects not only a very smart and strategic campaign, but also recognition that the U.S. in 21st Century is more diverse, socially tolerant, less partisan and more independent than it used to be. A viable democracy relies on compromise and flexibility. Americans are sick of wing-nut ideology.

John: Compromise? Flexibility? There’s a concept. We’ll see how the left-leaning Obama does with the right-leaning House on compromising to tame the entitlement monster. His flexibility so far has been mostly with foreign bad guys like the Russians. Presidential second terms often go off the rails. Democrats beware.

Susan: When Republican leadership announces its primary goal is to limit the new president to a single term – it’s testimony to Obama’s tenacity that he still stands. Americans are sick of political grandstanding. Obama is a centrist – it will be up to your team to move to the center.

2. THE NEW CONGRESS

Susan: The 113th Congress will be a bit different than the 112th. Dems took several seats in the House, though R’s maintain control. Dems picked up seats in the Senate – thanks to far right Republican candidates. The 2012 campaign headline: Republican Party hijacked by Tea Party crazies and 18th Century luddites.

John: Americans said no to real change and yes to divided government. Speaker John Boehner is now the man of the hour, and time is short. The House, the Senate, and the President have only a few weeks to save our economy from crippling tax increases and our defenses from a body blow.

Susan: The resounding take-away from the 2012 election is the C-word: Compromise. Voters are clearly frustrated with extremes on both sides of the aisle. Biggest winners: immigration reform; the politics of inclusion, and a balance of tax increases and entitlement reform. Americans want a government that works.

John: Are you sure? Maybe they’d rather have gridlock. Individual liberty, civil society, religious freedom, and economic growth stand a better chance when we don’t get all the government we pay for. Every day Harry Reid and John Boehner are at loggerheads, and sObama is out golfing, is a good day for America.

3. COLORADO GENERAL ASSEMBLY

John: Congratulations to Colorado Democrats for holding the state Senate and taking the state House. Mark Ferrandino of Denver will become Speaker. His sexual orientation is his own business. But his political orientation is to the left, which is not good news for economic growth, energy exploration, or fiscal responsibility.

Susan: One party control of the legislature is bound to give our a-partisan governor, Dem John Hickenlooper, heartburn. If the Dems list too far from the middle on fiscal policy – Hick will be hard-pressed to advance his ambition. I’m optimistic that both sides will resist overreach.

John: When you speak of Hick’s ambition, do you mean the White House? Some say he’s so focused on 2016 that he won’t seek a second term in 2014. Then the fun begins. Meanwhile, one-party control of state government could lead to overreach on fiscal and social issues alike. Democrats beware.

Susan: The voters have no patience for overreach. And Hick is so good at commanding the bully pulpit, that he will prevail on fiscal issues. Any Dem who doesn’t support fiscal prudence is destined to fail. The guv is a pragmatist and superb arm-twister. The smart money is with him

Susan: Wow! I hoped we’d have a kumbaya moment - as in why can’t we all get along? Demographics are stacked against you. Ask New Jersey Republican Gov. Chris Christie about shrinking government to drown it in a bathtub? Christy has tougher waters to navigate for those devastated by Sandy.

4. COLORADO BALLOT ISSUES

Susan: Colorado’s November ballot was littered with issues ranging from local tax increases to cleaning up the state personnel system and legalizing marijuana. Every question was overwhelmingly approved: local school bond issues; tax increases; state constitutional changes and legalizing marijuana. Margins indicate Coloradans are generous and optimistic.

John: I hate to say it, but America is moving left and Colorado is keeping pace. Voter approval for legal marijuana here and in Washington State, along with gay marriage in Maine and Maryland, signals a new moral permissiveness. Local tax hikes in a weak economy defy logic, but at least TABOR is working.

Susan: America is moving to the center, reflecting a more diverse, younger and socially tolerant electorate. The Republican party must re-define its principles to adapt to the less hierarchical and more flexible society. Hurricanes Sandy and Katrina reinforce the importance of federal policy and resources. Take that – Grover Norquist.

John: I love it when you Democrats give us Republicans makeover advice. We already have one party with disposable principles. The GOP will stick to the proven principles of America’s founding, thanks anyway. One of those is federalism, which now faces a test with our state’s pot legalization. Uncle Sam disapproves.

John & Susan's dueling voter guides

Obama's record is so weak, his only hope against Romney is to lie and distract, says John Andrews in the September round of Head On TV debates. No, retorts Susan Barnes-Gelt, the challenger's own weaknesses will undo him and reelect the incumbent. John on the right, Susan on the left, also go at it this month over Colorado legislative races, but find themselves in rare agreement that municipalities and schools haven't earned the tax increases they're asking for. Head On has been a daily feature on Colorado Public Television since 1997. Here are all five scripts for September: 1. PRESIDENTIAL RACE / DOMESTIC POLICY

John: Here's all you need to know about the presidential race. Any incumbent with a failing economy and a foreign policy meltdown is an underdog. Obama's only hope against Romney is to lie, distract, and change the subject. He’s doing that, and the media are helping. I think it won’t work.

Susan: What’s not working is Romney’s duck and dodge on every issue: domestic policy, foreign policy, Medicare reform, tax reform, education reform, balanced budget, student loans, the deficit, healthcare, climate change, fiscal policy, immigration, the dream act, women’s health, energy dependence, human rights – You name it. He dodges.

John: Romney will get government out of the way so free enterprise can put Americans back to work. Romney will respect the constitution and religious freedom and stop the war on churches, war on unborn babies, war between income groups. Romney will stand up for Israel and stand against Iran. America needs Mitt.

Susan: Which Mitt? The moderate, pro-choice, pro-affordable healthcare, pro-gay marriage former governor of Massachusetts? Or the elitist rich guy whose written off seniors, single moms, working people and minorities – nearly half the voters. If he governs with the same clumsy incompetence that he’s running his campaign – BIG TROUBLE!

2. PRESIDENTIAL RACE / FOREIGN POLICY

Susan: Voters must think about whom they want answering the phone at 3 AM, in the White House Residence? Mitt – Russia’s-our-greatest-threat Romney? Or President Obama, who killed Bin Laden and his key operatives, ended the war in Iraq and has kept our country safe for four years?

John: It was Hillary Clinton who warned of Barack Obama’s unfitness to deal with that 3am foreign policy crisis, back in 2008. We now know from the recent 9/11 debacle in Egypt and Libya that both are unfit. Obama’s Muslim appeasement policy has collapsed. Voters should dial a call to Mitt Romney.

Susan: Romney has NO foreign policy experience – to wit: his diplomatic gaffs at the London Olympics; his uninformed reaction to the attack on the Libyan consulate and murder of Ambassador Chris Stevens; including injured veterans in the 47% of victims who refuse to accept responsibility? PULEEZE!

John: Reagan had no foreign policy experience either. All he did was win the Cold War without firing a shot. Because he had what Gov. Romney also has – proven ability as an executive and a leader. Obama has neither, and it’s killing us around the world. This apologizer, this appeaser, has to go.

3. DENVER & CENTENNIAL SEEK TO DE-BRUCE

Susan: Denverites should vote NO on 2A. The measure promises to repave streets, add police training classes, expand library and recreation center hours and eliminate furlough days for city employees. Truth is, it’s a substantial tax hike with no guarantees – just unenforceable promises.

John: Government always wants more. It never has enough. Politicians always believe they can spend our money better than we can. I too would oppose Denver’s tax hike, if I were an urban guy. I am opposing Centennial’s tax hike as a suburban guy. Our little city wasn’t created to be a revenue hog.

Susan: Denver voters have a choice. Approve a blank check that never expires for higher taxes, or send Mayor Hancock back to the drawing board to craft a balanced initiative with a mix of reduced expenses and tax increases. 2A is bad for jobs, small business and homeowners. Vote NO.

John: The first word in Tea Party stands for “taxed enough already,” and I’m delighted to hear you of all people urging Denverites to vote that way on school construction and the Hancock proposal. If Coloradans look at the huge tax increase Obama plans for Jan. 1, they will vote him out too.

4. PUBLIC SCHOOL TAX INCREASES

Susan: Several school districts are on November’s ballot with tax increases for K-12 education, including Denver. DPS wants more than a half a billion for new schools, renovation and updating of existing schools and increased operating funds. It’s a tough time to ask for the biggest tax increase in history.

John: I’m voting no on Cherry Creek school taxes. And I agree with your no vote in Denver. Taxpayers in Jeffco, Aurora, and all 29 Colorado districts where a total of $1 billion is being requested should join us. The answer for better education is more choice, not more money.

Susan: Regarding DPS, I’m undecided. Should Denver build new schools when existing ones are way under capacity. Should the District go to a 12-month school year to support student achievement? Yes – I support 3B – increased operating funds. I’d like to see more reform before we build more schools.

John: A lot more reform. Something is happening when I as a conservative Republican and you as a liberal Democrat begin agreeing that taxpayers forever digging deeper while teacher unions keep making excuses is no longer a viable strategy for helping kids learn. For devastating proof, see the new movie “Won’t Back Down.”

3. LEGISLATIVE RACES

John: The battle for the White House is intense, but don’t overlook the state House and Senate. Control is divided now. If Dems take over, it means tax and spend, regulate and redistribute. If Republicans take over, it means economic growth and fiscal responsibility. Vote with care, fellow Coloradans.

Susan: Truth is, Colorado’s legislature is constrained by Gallagher, TABOR, Amendment 23 and federal mandates. The real difference between whose in charge is simple. Small government Republicans will focus on what happens in the bedroom. Dems will pay attention to rebuilding the economy and job creation.

John: Legislative Democrats here don’t understand job creation any better than Obama Democrats in DC. As Coloradans vote for a new president to revive prosperity, they should also elect a Republican state House and Senate to energize our economy with oil and gas. Plus send Joe Coors and Kevin Lundberg to Congress.

Susan: There’s no more informed advocate for the pursuit of conventional and alternative energy that democrat, former geologist Governor John Hickenlooper. If Colorado’s Republican agenda reflected a commitment to small government instead of fascination with people’s bedrooms – we would all be better off.