Colorado at the crossroads; State political leaders assess the West's role in the November election.

A moderate coalition including pro-business Republicans swept moderate Democrats into major power positions in the state. Is Colorado a bellwether for the national election in November?

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We posed that question to political leaders, regional advocates and academics, asking them to write about the role of Colorado and the West in the general election.

After a few people said they didn't necessarily agree with our assessment about a moderate coalition, we offered to let them veer from the script if they chose. As you'll see on the following pages, we attracted a diverse group of perspectives from people on both sides of the political fence.

It's safe to say they share at least one thing in common: a deep love and respect for the state of Colorado and its people.

Mike Cote, ColoradoBiz editor

BILL RITTER JR.,

governor, 2006 to present (D)

Without question, the national spotlight is shining brighter than ever on Colorado. Not only is Colorado hosting the Democratic National Convention, but we are widely considered one of a few key states that will help select the next president of the United States.

While much of this national attention involves election-year politics, the real Colorado story has nothing to do with Republican or Democrat, right or left, red or blue.

The real story--the lessons Washington, D.C., and other states are learning from us--is our nonpartisan collaborative approach to solving problems, getting things done and making a positive difference in people's lives and businesses.

Look no further than our economic development successes and Colorado's New Energy Economy to see what I mean.

A recent Denver Post editorial noted, "Colorado's economy is doing well, even as the pulse of the nation's business slows." National business analysts are taking notice, too. CNBC named Colorado No. 5 in its annual list of Top States for Business because of Colorado's business-friendly climate and our growing New Energy Economy. The Milken Institute ranked Colorado No. 3 in the nation for our strong technology sector.

Our signature economic development successes involve Colorado's New Energy Economy--a marriage of our traditional energy industries with Colorado's growing renewable energy sector. The arrival of companies like Vestas Blades and ConocoPhillips demonstrate the incredible job-creation and business-development potential of the New Energy Economy.

ConocoPhillips will bring an estimated 7,000 new jobs to Colorado with its alternative-fuels research center and worldwide training hub in Louisville. That, in turn, has triggered a boom of economic-development activity along the U.S. 36 corridor.

The seeds of our New Energy Economy were planted in 2004, when Colorado voters passed Amendment 37, the country's first voter-approved renewable-energy standard. A year later, that bipartisan--nonpartisan is a more apt description--spirit continued when voters passed Referendum C, a budget-fixing measure supported by virtually every business organization in the state.

The convention will put a national spotlight on Colorado and our pragmatic approach to economic development. That spotlight will continue to shine through the November elections and beyond, not because of partisan politics, but because of our ability to set partisan politics aside and make real progress on the issues that really matter.

JOHN HICKENLOOPER,

mayor of Denver, 2003 to present (D)

I think a lot of what has happened in Colorado over the last 10 years is a powerful model of what this country needs to do. Colorado and Denver are places where people will fight a partisan battle. But once the election is over, they put down their weapons,- they come together.

When we passed FasTracks (public transportation expansion) for the metro Denver region--eight counties, roughly the size of the state of Connecticut--we got all 32 mayors, Republicans and Democrats, big cities, little towns, all unanimously supporting FasTracks. It's a remarkable achievement.

In the Rocky Mountain West, it doesn't matter who your parents were arid what your grandfather did for a living, ft matters; who you are and how hard you're willing to work to achieve your dreams. This is a place where people collaborate and come together--I always say that there were-a lot more barn-raisings than there were shootouts at the OK Corral.

I think running a business is the best training you can have for elected office because you learn that there's no margin for having enemies. Every customer is going to talk to their friends. You just can't afford to have enemies. Too often, elected officials like to be adversarial because they think by diminishing their opponent, they lift themselves up in the public's eye. That's crazy.

I think there's a huge group of people in this country who are tired of fighting over social extremist issues, and really care about making sure that their kids will have a better quality of life than they did.

(Adapted from an interview with John Hicken-looperjor ColoradoBiz TV)

BILL OWENS,

governor of Colorado, 1999-2007 (R)

With the Democratic convention coming to Colorado, the conventional wisdom is that Colorado is a traditionally Republican state that is now moving Democratic.

Like most conventional wisdom, this perception is largely incorrect.

Yes, Colorado Democrats have been successful in recent years, but Colorado is not traditionally a Republican state. Instead, Colorado has for almost as far back as you go in modern times--been in play for both parties, a veritable battleground for Democrats and Republicans.

Take--please--Colorado governor: Since 1970 there have been nine gubernatorial races in Colorado, and Democrats have won seven. If Colorado were truly a red state, I don't think I'd be the only GOP ex-governor in the last three decades.

And a look at Colorado's U.S. Senate races since 1970 makes my point as well. Since 1970, we have had 1 I Seriate elections in Colorado--and Democrats have won six of the eleven.

So, since 1970, Democrats have won seven of nine governor's races and six of 11 Senate races. With numbers like these, Democrats might well want more "Republican" states like Colorado.

But what about presidential races? Isn't Colorado a reliably Republican state that is now trending Democratic?

Well, no and perhaps.

Colorado is reliably a state that mirrors the national results,- we may in fact be what economists call a trailing--rather than a leading--indicator.

Colorado usually votes for the winner in national elections, and that winner in recent years has usually been a Republican.

Thus, since 1980 Coloradans voted for Reagan twice, George H. W Bush once and George W. Bush twice but so did the country. And in 1992 when the country voted for Bill Clinton, Colorado did as well. As goes the country, so goes Colorado.

The exception was 1996 when, after four years of "change" under President Clinton, we bucked the national trend and voted for the older, less charismatic war hero, Bob Dole. (Perhaps this is a leading indicator for 2008?)

And while Colorado often votes for moderate candidates, this fact will spell trouble for Sen. Obama, whose style may be moderate but whose voting record isn't.

While Sen. McCain's independent streak has frequently caused heartburn among his fellow Republicans, Barack Obama is clearly, definitely and directly a liberal.

I don't use that term as a pejorative but rather as a descriptor.

Voting analyses done by numerous nonpartisan organizations consistently rank Sen. Obama as the most liberal senator in the Senate--to the left of, for example, Hillary Clinton and Ted Kennedy.

So if "moderate" Democrats have won in Colorado, that certainly does not prove the case for a very liberal Sen. Obama.

My party has had a though time recently, both nationally and in Colorado, but 1 am convinced our message of strong national defense and lower taxes--while not saying "how high?" every time big labor says "jump"--will win.

If the presidential race comes down to Colorado's nine electoral votes, then Jan. 20, 2009, you will find me in Washington, D.C.--celebrating the inauguration of our 44th president, John McCain.

WELLINGTON WEBB,

mayor of Denver, 1991-2003; current president of the Colorado Black Chamber of Commerce (D)

The presidential election in 2008 will be the most lopsided election since Sen. Barry Goldwater of Arizona lost to Lyndon Johnson.

In my autobiography published in 2007, 1 mentioned the road to the White House comes through the West. Since Lyndon Johnson's support of civil rights legislation during his presidency, the Democratic Party has primarily become a minority party in presidential politics. Since we have abdicated Southern states and the Rocky Mountains, our only two election victories came when our ticket was headed by Southern governors, Jimmy Carter of Georgia in 1976 and Bill Clinton of Arkansas in 1992.

Sen. Barack Obama will overwhelmingly win the electoral college, the popular vote and sweep most of the Rocky Mountains,-Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, Montana and North Dakota. Sen. Obama will do well in the West because he represents all of the history of America. Unlike the Last Coast and the South, where economic and social pedigree are so important, we in the West value independence, our environment, respect for the government, keeping your word and the value of a handshake.