The Blueprint: How the Democrats Won Colorado (and Why Republicans Everywhere Should Care)

This is the inside story of one of the most stunning reversals of political fortune in American history.

Four years ago, the GOP dominated politics at every level in Colorado. Republicans held both Senate seats, five of seven congressional seats, the governor's mansion, the offices of secretary of state and treasurer, and both houses of the state legislature. After the 2008 election, the exact opposite was true: replace the word Republicans with Democrats in the previous sentence, and you have of one the most stunning reversals of political fortune in American history.

This is also the story of how it will happen — indeed, is happening — in other states across the country. In Colorado, progressives believe they have found a blueprint for creating permanent Democratic majorities across the nation. With discipline and focus, they have pioneered a legal architecture designed to take advantage of new campaign finance laws and an emerging breed of progressive donors who are willing to commit unprecedented resources to local races. It's simple, brilliant, and very effective.

"The Colorado turnaround in 2008 was nothing short of phenomenal: a once rock-solid Republican state went Democratic in a big way. And members of both parties are still scratching their heads over what happened. Adam Schrager and Bob Witwer have dug into the question for their book..." Steven Levingston, The Political Bookworm Blog

The inside story of one of the most stunning reversals of political fortune in American history, featuring 2010 election epilogue.

Rob Witwer is a former member of the Colorado House of Representatives. He has successfully managed six local campaigns and has served as legal counsel to the Colorado Republican party, the governor of Colorado, and several legislative, congressional, and gubernatorial candidates. Witwer practices law in Denver and lives in Golden with his wife and four sons.

Adam Schrager covers politics for KUSA-TV, the NBC affiliate in Denver, Colorado. In more than 15 years in the business, he has won numerous broadcast journalism accolades, including more than a dozen Emmy awards. He teaches an introductory class on broadcast journalism at the University of Denver.