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Eagle man launches write-in bid for governor

Michael Moore of Eagle wants to help change the political atmosphere in the state, so he's taking a long-shot run for governor as a write-in candidate.
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EAGLE, Colorado – Mike Moore is running for governor as a write-in candidate. The odds are struck-by-lighting long, and he knows it.

But Moore, a utilities contractor who lives in Eagle, has an idea to give government back to the people, and thinks a political campaign is a good way to get people talking about it.

Moore, 46, believes technology now allows government to go back to something that looks more like the direct democracy of the old New England town hall meetings, in which everyone could participate and make his or her opinions known.



Moore’s idea is to set up a one-person, one-vote registry for important bills that look like they’ll pass the Colorado Legislature. After an independent board made up of members of just about every political party in the state posted the pros and cons of the bill, people could vote. If the people want a certain bill, he’d sign it; if not, he’d veto the measure.

“The majority rules, no matter how I feel,” Moore said.



Moore said he’s been increasingly aggravated by seeing politicians ignore the will of voters in favor of special interests.

“Our government was founded to represent people, and it’s not,” he said.

He started thinking this year about ways he could help change the status quo. He thought about running for Eagle County Commissioner, then decided to aim higher with his idea of direct voter involvement. Moore doesn’t really consider himself a member of any party – he says he’s a pro-choice fiscal conservative – and while he’s registered his candidacy with the Colorado Secretary of State’s office, he was too late to the gubernatorial race to run as anything but a write-in.

Moore doesn’t have the time or money to run anything but a Web-based campaign with almost no money. But that’s OK with him.

“I’m just trying to make a difference,” he said. “Sure I’d like to be governor, but I just want to get people talking about these ideas.”

Moore says the people he’s talked to so far seem to like his plan to give people an outside-the-ballot-box voice in government.

“The only people against it seem to be the people who lean pretty hard one way or another,” Moore said.

And Moore’s daughter, currently a college senior, has said she’ll vote for her dad this fall.

“She thinks it’s a great idea,” he said.

Business Editor Scott N. Miller can be reached at 970-748-2930 or smiller@vaildaily.com.


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