Owens 2008: Coulda, Shoulda, Woulda

There was more than just a little wistfulness in Colorado on Wednesday. There was regret.

“How do you think Bill Owens feels right now knowing he could have been president in 2008?” asked one GOP stalwart on Wednesday after going through the lackluster list of candidates.

After winning election to the state’s Governor’s Mansion in 1998, Bill Owens made all the right moves in his quest to become president of the United States.

He was admired across the political spectrum on the right for his school reform measures, including strong support for homeschooling.

In his first term, he passed tax cuts, worked congenially with pro-life groups and promoted further school reform.

He spoke eloquently about Main Street “values” and defended them as Governor.     

And he was rewarded handsomely.

In September 2002, National Review named him “America's Best Governor.”

‘I remember Walt Klein telling me ‘This is the guy. We have our next president right here in Colorado,’” said one GOP consultant.   

In 2002 Owens won re-election in historic fashion, trouncing Democrat Rollie Health 64% to 32%.

In national publications it was being openly speculated that Owens at the very least would be tapped to be a VP candidate in 2008.

But then something happened during Owens’ victory lap around Colorado.

“He got a whole bunch of girlfriends,” said one disgruntled GOP candidate that had gone up against Owens and lost.

Perhaps.

Shortly after his reelection bid Owens and his wife Frances announced they were separating for unspecified reasons.    

But perhaps it was more the way Owens accumulated enemies rather than girlfriends that eventually did him in.

“Politics is a tough sport,” said one GOP legislator, “but Owens treated it like every issue was a knife fight. He’d rough you up in an alley if you didn’t support him 100%.”

Owens gained even more (and his most lasting) enemies by recruiting beer magnate Peter Coors into the US Senate race for the seat of retiring GOP Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell after Owens had already pledged to support Bob Schaffer for that seat.

 Then Owens kicked dirt over his own Republican grave by helping to suspend TABOR state tax and spending limits over the noisy objection of most in his party.      

Clintonesque is the word often used to describe Owens by the GOP right and it’s not just about the girlfriends either.

When Owens offered a parting kick to conservatives during the special session (Owens last session as Governor) called to address immigration reform by cutting a deal with Democrats, Colorado Senator Shawn Mitchell called Bill Owens the “Bill Clinton of Colorado politics,” according to a story written by Lynn Bartels and April Washington of the RMN in July 2006, for double dealing with the other party.

Amongst GOP types that’s considered an insult.

In January of 2008 instead of filing for president of the United States, Owens and his wife filed for divorce.

Knowing both men, it’s hard to believe either men-who-would-be-king, Bill Owens or Bill Clinton, have regrets about very much in their life.

In Owens’ case it’s too bad.

Because it has left some people in Colorado kind of wistful.