Authenticity is a rare commodity in politics, and Hickenlooper has it by the barrel-full. The problem is that authenticity can be more of a burden than a blessing: For all the warnings against being prosaic, there’s a reason candidates give stump speeches and use talking points. The media—and the voters—expect politicians to act and talk and think in a certain way, at least when the lights are on.
It was this sense of “community”—a word he uses constantly—that he otherwise lacked. Children did not play at the Hickenlooper house. He was skinny, socially awkward and dyslexic. He also had a severe case of prosopagnosia, or face blindness, a rare condition that impedes one’s ability tor recognize familiar faces. All of this made it nearly impossible to fit in.
Hickenlooper liked geology and initially hoped to keep working in the field. But he came to see the firing as a blessing. No longer would he settle for solitude. Thinking about other things he liked—drinking beer, being around people, drinking beer while being around people—Hickenlooper hatched a crazy plot: He would start a brewpub, part brewery and part bar, with a full-service restaurant to boot.
These were the early days of entrepreneurial hardship, pinching pennies and gutting out whatever tasks came his way. In this case, when a friend offered “beautiful, old, art deco toilets” for $10 apiece, Hickenlooper pounced, not realizing they were in a building with no running water and therefore choked with years-old excrement. He was undeterred: On moving day, Hick got down to lift them by the base, one by one, proving his maniacal commitment to himself if no one else.
At the grand opening, a panicked Hickenlooper poured beers in solo cups for 25 cents each because the dishwashers couldn’t keep pace. Calhoun chuckled at the newcomer’s awkwardness. Yet as she and her colleagues got to know him over many late nights at the bar, they concluded he was just about the most colorful—and curious—character they’d ever met.
Hickenlooper struggled mightily in the first year to turn a profit. Friends worried that the bar would go under. Eventually, he took the dramatic step of approaching the handful of restaurant and bar owners in the neighborhood and suggesting they join forces with a common purpose. It was an uneasy conversation to have; Hickenlooper argued that unless more people started coming to LoDo, they would all go out of business before long.
Dems love fake people like hillary and Biden.
Tragic. He should have watched the finese and performance from some of his colleagues. They rose in the polls. A shame.
As a therapist I would tease certain clients: Be yourself..and if that doesn't work, be someone else.. - Back in March we took a look at Hickenlooper's campaign and how the former governor was learning that being authentic may not be enough
I lived in Denver when he was mayor, and when he was elected Governor. His motives, at least on the surface were never political. He cared about the community and did what he thought was the right (even if it was unpopular). Denver and Colorado benefited from his leadership.
Is this the entirety of Politico’s staffs’ opinion, or just one person?
Or maybe because he has no platform, no plan, and no real reason to run for President.
I was w/a small group who heard him speak right before he issued a formal apology as gov of CO to the Cheyenne and Arapaho for the Sand Creek Massacre. He's humble. Honest. Kind. Thoughtful. Smart. Runs way deep. If 'we' were more like him, things wouldn't be like they are.
Stick with the first thought. I tend to believe there are not many as weird as him.
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Interesting perspective. There is just something odd about him and it may be that he is to familiar. Good article.
Its more cuz hes a shitty moderate who thought that a possible running mate should be John Kaisch. But sure, Hes just too 'flawed' for the judgmental Dems to have him as a candidate.
Hickenlooper is far from the worst candidate running for the nomination See Beto and Klobuchar