Today John Hickenlooper put his name behind a negative attack ad for the first time in his political career.

Ignoring Schumer and Pelosi’s role in tanking COVID relief negotiations is a complete distortion, but his campaign’s full scale embrace of attack ads represents a radical departure from the rhetoric that Hickenlooper parroted for years.

Here is just a sample of Hickenlooper’s condemnation of attack ads over time:

  • “What we’re doing with these attack ads is depressing the product category of democracy.”
  • MODERATOR: How do you succeed so beautifully, never going negative?

HICKENLOOPER: So you use humor … and you also have to realize and tell your entire team that part of the problem we have in this country … is the bitterness that comes out of campaigns. It poisons the environment.

(Concordia Summit, 10/2/18)

  • “Hickenlooper has another mission which he sounds equally passionate. He wants to rid the country of negative ads. The country, he believes, is in a deep trough politically. ‘I think that the system has created an intensity of conflict … I don’t think it’s sustainable over the long period.’”

(“John Hickenlooper: The man who hates negative ads,” Washington Post, 7/12/14)

  • “Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper says short term benefits that candidates get from negative ads are outweighed by the long-term damage it causes.”

(CNN, 7/19/12)

If you are covering Hickenlooper’s attack ad, please consider the following quote from me:

“According to the old Hickenlooper, his negative ad is causing long term damage to our political system and depressing the product category of democracy. Hick’s schtick was always a bad act, but his ridiculous ad demonstrates partisan ambition clearly outweighs any of his alleged principles.” -Compass Colorado Executive Director Kyle Kohli