But what seemed even more important than these actual achievements was how he did it. “It’s time to bring all Americans together,” was Hickenlooper’s recurring theme of the evening—and the crowd responded with their support. At the rally, as well as his recent town hall on CNN, Hickenlooper credited his ability to bring people together with widely differing views and get them to really communicate and listen to each other as the key to his successes.
Using that ability to bring people together he told the crowd what he would get done as president: healthcare is a right (though he clarified on CNN that he supports universal healthcare through a combination of systems, not a single payer system); close loopholes and no more tax cuts for the wealthy; rejoin the Paris climate accord and exceed its goals; invest in the largest expansion of skills training and community colleges in this country’s history; universal broadband will be national policy; and undo years of efforts to disenfranchise African American voters and Latino voters. “Being a pragmatist doesn’t mean saying ‘no’ to bold ideas; it means knowing how to make them happen.”
How does Hicklooper’s candidacy stack up? Fred Brown, who covered politics for most of the 39 years he worked at the Denver Post and now teaches Media Ethics at Denver University, shared his generally favorable perspective: “He gets along and understands what reporters are after,” which may help him get better coverage. “People are still looking for a stronger national economy…and Hickenlooper can claim some credit for Colorado’s economy.” “He’s a scientist [geologist], that’s a strong point. He’d consult smart people.” “His years in office suggest he doesn’t have skeletons in the closet.” “He’s in a good place to talk about infrastructure.” “Trying to work with the other side is a good principle to stick to. It’s better than fighting the other side. Hick fits that description.”