Colorado: Winning Wave

Colorado was one of the brightest spots on the Republican landscape--and it showed what can be done when good candidates are helped by a first-rate state organization to ride a conservative wave.

Behind the G.O.P. victories in Colorado were Denver Adman Jean K. Tool, 43, who took over as state chairman two years ago, and Robert E. Lee, a backroom pro who heads the Denver party organization. Between them, they replaced 40% of the county chairmen, cut the average age of district captains from the 70s to the 40s, raised money for a radio and television blitz--and produced two of the most attractive candidates anywhere. They were Lawyer John Love, 45, for Governor, and Representative Peter Dominick, 47, for the Senate.

Love, making his first try for elective office, faced Democratic Governor Steve McNichols, who had an impressive record of school and highway construction, high employment and industrial development. But McNichols' achievements came at the cost of an unpopular increase in state income taxes. Love struck at this McNichols soft spot, promised a tax cut. Love's appearance and personality also helped him upset McNichols. Remarkably handsome in a man's-man way, he became a cracking good extemporaneous speaker, managed to sound persuasive even while remaining a bit vague about his political philosophy--"I'm for the simple but powerful precept of government with the people."

There is nothing vague about Peter Dominick's philosophy: he is a fulltime, working conservative who stands for less government and less spending. Said he of his opponent's record on spending bills: "The guy I'm running against voted for every one of the cotton-picking, things." That opponent was Democratic Senator John Carroll, a 100% liberal who edged in by 2,770 votes six years ago, later lost votes by putting his daughter Diane on his congressional payroll at $12,500 a year while she attended Georgetown University Law School. Carroll, a fumbling campaigner, was hardly a match for Dominick, who is almost as handsome as Love and every bit as good a speaker. Thus, with Jean Tool's smooth-working organization behind them, Love and Dominick cut deeply into the Democrats' Denver and Pueblo strongholds; both won going away.

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