I'll be Tweeting my estimate of each candidates PERMA score after each debate round.

http://www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu/newsletter.aspx?id=1554

Well, the Denver Post didn't publish my letter (see below.)

And the candidates didn't address my primary concern, will they both pledge the other after the election? And do they recognize that under our system of government the CEO has very limited power compared to the thousands of local representatives who are elected each year?

Maybe they will speak to these issues tonight. I'll be Tweeting my reactions during the debate @JohnSWren, hope you'll say hi with a direct message if you are Tweeting. It will be interesting to compare how many hits this site gets tonight compared to last week when I was blogging for the Denver Post.

John Wren

I just sent this letter to the Denver Post:

cc:  Rick Palacio, Ryan Call (state chairs of Colorado Dems & GOP)

 Dear Editors,

 When I watch The Debate (and Tweeting @JohnSWren #POTUS2012DU with my comments),(and the leaders of our major Colorado political parties) I'll be especially looking for two things:

 1) Recognition that whoever is elected President is worthy of and needs our support.

 These are two good men, no matter what their over zealous followers say about the other. Our rights, over time, are protected by our Constitution, what this country needs now more than ever is a President and political leaders who can inspire unity.

 2) Recognition that it doesn't so much matter who is elected President as who is elected to local offices.

 Thousands of local representatives are elected across the country in every election cycle, and the grassroots is either strengthend with new and newly active citizens being drawn into our system of government, first working for candidates, political parties, and all sorts of political clubs, and then perhaps running for office themselves, or it is weakened with candidates who just pay people to pass petitions, run ads and send direct mail, candidates who almost never inspire new people to get involved.

 A home run for me? The candidate (or political leader) who salutes our Colorado Caucus, the best chance for the common person to serve in elected public office, and who encourages those who want to get involved in our 2014 Caucus to DO IT Now! The debate is a fantastic opportunity to encourage new people involved NOW in a campaign or with their favorite party or political club.

 John Wren

960 Grant St. #727
Denver, CO 80203
(303)861-1447

 Wren is one of 12 DU Debate bloggers for the Denver Post,

he writes about the Colorado Caucus on www.COCaucus.org.

 

This is one of the first posts I made here on this site.
It's very relevant to the comment I just posted on the
article about the Presidential Debates in the University
of Denver Alumni Magazine.  John Wren

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Lyle Lindesmith taught me to love the Colorado Caucus.

In 1976, as a recently elected precinct committee person going door to door looking for a block captain on one of the few blocks in my precinct that didn't have one already, I met Lyle Lindesmith.

I was talking with everyone who was on my list of party members. I'd knock on the door, introduce myself, and ask for help.

Until the moment I met Lyle, my political mentor had been Karl Rove. Karl was National Chairman of College Republicans, I'd been elected Colorado Chairman. Karl taught me how to organize a college campus, my neighbor and new friend Lyle taught me how to apply what I'd learned to the neighborhood.

For years Lyle had led a 4-session class call "Action Class in Practical Politics." Each week he'd invite speakers from both major political parties, and students were give homework assignments of checking out their local neighborhood and county, reporting back to the class what had been discovered.

He'd been Executive Director of the GOP, and with Jeane Toole they developed John Love from an obscure El Paso County Republican into Governor. Lyle went with Love to Washington when he was appointed Energy Czar.

Lyle asked me to help with what I think was the last session of the Action Class he ever led, it was at the old Petroleum Club and community activist Jeanne Faatz http://www.jeannefaatz.org/ was in the class, just starting to think about running for elective office. She was soon elected to the state legislature, and now serves on the Denver City Council.

From time to time I stopped by and visited with Lyle at his business, Englewood Press on South Broadway, and he steeped me in his long-time political wisdom, advice that would have served me well if I'd paid more attention to it. Here's what I remember now:

*Make a decision whether you want to be a candidate for elected office, or if you'd rather be of service through party work. Lyle had learned from personal experience the two don't mix, that's been my experience, too.

*Party leaders, from precinct committee person to state chair do their job best when they stay neutral in candidate races. Let all the candidates bring new people into the party rather than compete for the party faithful.

*There are several ways to get involved: 1) Through the party structure; 2) Through auxiliary organizations; 3) Through candidate organizations. Lyle had Action Class members contact their local leaders in all three areas, look for opportunities to fill voids in their neighborhood.

You who are reading this now could become State Chair of one of the major political parties or Governor of Colorado if you'd take Lyle's sage advice to heart right now. What's the best next step for newcomers? I'll talk about that more tomorrow.

I didn't know Lyle very long, but he had a big effect on my thinking and he helped to launch many active citizens in both major parties. He passed away December 26, 1978 and I attended his funeral. There was never any recognition of his passing by the county or state party. Do you think it's too late now?

Presidential debate coming to our University of Denver, read all about it in the alumni magazine, where you can also see John Wren's comment about the effect of political parties, the best chance the common person has for serving in elected public office, that's why the elite hate them so much:
http://blogs.du.edu/today/magazine/the-great-debate#comment-51842

Now is the time to start thinking about participating in your 2014 neighborhood caucus. Get involved with a campaign, a political club, a neighborhood association, or start your own group and reach out to your neighbors.