The Republican field for Colorado governor notwithstanding, this year’s political season is shaping up to be relatively scarce in terms of local and regional candidates for office. It is easy to see why. With most offices offering scant glory and microscopic scrutiny, followed by heaps of criticism, the payoff for serving public office is not necessarily easy to see. The result in a limited field of candidates, though, is a less rigorous campaign filled with less robust debate.
Rep. Scott Tipton, R-Cortez, is running for his third term in the U.S. House of Representatives and, until recently, was being challenged by Pueblo County Commissioner Liane “Buffie” McFadyen. She served in the Colorado House from 2003-11 and announced earlier this month that she would forgo the congressional race, having had her priorities realigned after attending her high-school-aged son’s lacrosse game. “After watching his first home game, I realized I’m not prepared to miss his last two years of high school here in Colorado. Time with our children moves much too swiftly and like any mom, I want to spend as much time as possible with my son over the next two years,” McFadyen wrote in a letter to the Democratic Party announcing her withdrawal from the race. And who could blame her?
Tipton has more than $500,000 in the bank, easily won re-election against Sal Pace in 2012 and watching lacrosse is a lot more fun than a contentious and costly race that would run any candidate through an exhausting wringer. The fact that no one has stepped in to replace McFadyen as Tipton’s challenger speaks volumes – and not necessarily about the congressman’s efficacy or popularity. He has been noncontroversial, though, and is well-heeled and ready for campaign duty. That, it seems, is enough to scare away any formidable contenders thus far – and time is ticking.
Meanwhile, both parties are gearing up for battle, though it seems Republicans are doing so with more enthusiasm – perhaps another reason that lacrosse is more appealing to McFayden than a campaign. A recent CBS poll shows that Republican voters are more eager to cast their ballots in November than their Democratic counterparts, to the tune of 70 percent to 58 percent, respectively. That said, 4 in 10 voters are rather nonplussed about the prospect, regardless of party affiliation.
So with lackluster enthusiasm from voters, with downright disdain sure to follow upon election – Real Clear Politics showed an average approval rating for Congress at 12.5 percent in early March – it is a wonder anyone would want the job, let alone the struggle to be elected in the first place. That disdain, by the way, is not altogether unearned: Thus far, the 113th Congress is on the books as least productive in history, second only to the 112th Congress. Not a lot is happening under the dome. In a more engaged world, this inaction would spur more aspiring politicians to try their hands at election. Alas, the stakes for running are increasingly high, and the payoff at the end is inversely proportionate. McFayden’s decision – and others like hers – is understandable, though democracy suffers for it.
