“Like a fool I went and stayed too long”
Tuesday, I was in my downtown Denver law office with lots of work to do. But I had my free ticket for the Romney/Ryan/Kid Rock event at Red Rocks Amphitheater. It was a gorgeous autumn day, so I left before five and had smooth sailing west until I got a couple miles from Denver’s famous natural amphitheater. There, the line of vehicles became massive.
Law enforcement informed me and many thousands of others that the event was already full. Like a fool, I had stayed at work too long. Mitt and Paul would play Red Rocks without me, just like John and Paul and their Beatle friends had done back in 1964. I was happy heading home because the crowd was so huge, and I want Romney to win.
Besides, I had seen Romney and Ryan plenty in Colorado. Months ago, during our Colorado primary, I interviewed Romney numerous times on the radio. The governor lost that contest and got glitter bombed but persevered to win the nomination. Romney has never lost his cool in Colorado.
I was a bit upset though about not seeing Kid Rock. I wanted to hear this verse sung by him for Romney as the sun set at Red Rocks.
Calm, facing danger,
Lost like an unknown stranger,
Grateful, for my time with no regrets.
Close to my destination,
Tired, frail and achin’,
Waitin’ patiently for the sun to set.
And when it’s done believe that I
Will yell it from that mountain highhh!
[Chorus:]
I was born free!
I was booooooorn free
I was born free, born free.
Governor Romney’s Red Rocks crowd was huge, but not close to the Denver’s Civic Center Park crowd of more than 100,000 people who gathered on Oct. 26, 2008 for then-Sen. Barack Obama. Right then and there, you could sense Obama would win Colorado. And he did so easily. Obama’s campaign theme music in 2008 featured Stevie Wonder and Bruce Springsteen. It all seemed so fresh.
Obama had been upbeat and bipartisan back then. Remember how he jumped to our attention on July 27, 2004, keynoting the Boston DNC, telling us how there were no red states or blue states, but just the United States of America. Soaring and inspirational words, but not entirely true if you count Colorado. Colorado means “colored” in Spanish. Perhaps our namers noticed Red Rocks.
Romney left the sunny Mile High City Wednesday morning. Obama arrived shortly thereafter. So did the clouds. The two candidates did not meet in Denver this time, but who can forget the drubbing Obama endured earlier in October at the Denver Debate.
Wednesday was overcast with Denver’s City Park as the venue for the Obama rally. This event was nowhere near capacity, and was miniscule compared with Obama’s crowd four years prior. This day, I was on bicycle, and even though I was a little late again, I had the speed and maneuverability to get close. I saw the smallish crowd and heard the President rapidly wrapping up his speech as heavy storm clouds blew in.
Obama sounded angry at the end. Not upbeat. Zero inspiration. It displayed the kind of contemptuous agitation we witnessed on Monday night at his Florida foreign policy debate. You would have thought that Romney had been the bad President for the last four years. Obama’s crowd still cheered at the end, and the campaign music blasted on cue as the President went for the rope line. Little Stevie and then, the Boss.
Like a fool I went and stayed too long. Now I’m wondering if your love’s still strong.
This time, the words of the songs all seemed to have double meanings. This President has good reason to wonder whether our love’s still strong. Earlier in the day, the White House’s lies about Libya further unraveled as e-mails from 9.11.12 were published.
Springsteen’s new song, “We Take Care of Our Own,” followed “Signed, Sealed, Delivered,” and the Boss’ lyrics made me think about the crony capitalism of Solyndra and Abound Solar. Obama signed the Recovery Act stimulus legislation at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science back on February 18, 2009. Where did all our money go?
I’ve been knockin’ on the door that holds the throne
I’ve been lookin’ for the map that leads me home
I’ve been stumblin’ on good hearts turned to stone
The road of good intentions has gone dry as bone
We take care of our own
We take care of our own
Wherever this flag’s flown
We take care of our own
The Springsteen song also brought to mind Ambassador Chris Stevens and his American colleagues in Benghazi. Our U.S. flags got taken down by Islamists on 9.11.12, and four of our own were murdered by terrorists. Did we take care of our own?
President Obama must sense the knocking on his door by Mitt and Paul and the majority of people in Colorado. This is the “red state” where so much of Obama’s fortunes have been determined. The President sits precarious on his throne and does not deign to address America about crony capitalism or the Libyan lies.
Wednesday evening, the storm let loose on Denver. We need fresh snow.
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