“We are open for business. We have been open for business. And we continue to be open for business.”
This is how Lt. Gov. Diane Denish opened her talk before hundreds of developers, real estate professionals and builders who packed a ballroom to hear her. Her talk was billed as “the state of the state,” but it was a stump speech, and the speech was tailored to this crowd, mostly Republicans.
“I’m pro-business. It’s not just something I picked up. I grew up in a family of small business owners and entrepreneurs,” she said. She reminded listeners of her insurance executive father and her famous uncle, the cable tycoon.
“I’ve run a business. I’ve met payroll. I’ve taken risks,” she said. “I know how government can get in the way and how it can help.”
More sweet nothings for business ears: “I believe in the free market.
“The private sector is still the engine of the economy.”
“Regulations, when they’re needed, must be fair.”
“We must promote market solutions whenever possible.”
“Business needs predictability.”
What was interesting was the audience response. They were respectful and very attentive. In this crowd, you know the speaker has their attention when all the cell phones are off, when not one person bolts for the door, phone in hand, to do deals in the hallway. It was almost as if they were listening to the next governor.
Business people, regardless of party, tend to be pragmatists. They’ll vote for and make campaign contributions to the individual they believe will move the state forward and pay attention to jobs. When Gov. Bill Richardson plastered his image up in Times Square, business people didn’t grouse. It meant that when doing business outside the region, they wouldn’t have to tell people New Mexico was a state.
They also like a winner and they’re not big on lost causes. Business supported Denish’s boss for all those reasons – and because Republicans didn’t produce a credible candidate.
Everyone in the room has heard the Republican Party’s attempts to tie Denish to corruption scandals, and they all understand the workings of government and Denish herself well enough to not buy it. Still, she spent a long time talking about transparency in state government.
“I want to put the state’s checkbook online. Every major contract should be in full public scrutiny,” she said. “When you recruit new employers, you want to be able to say we have a culture of responsibility in New Mexico and not a culture of corruption.” (This remark drew applause.)
Listening to Denish give a smooth address in a crowd that some Dems would consider enemy territory, I thought, the Republicans must do better than mud slinging. What they need is a strong candidate. And it’s not former Rep. Heather Wilson. The party’s convenient embrace of its retreads is a slide backwards, and Wilson would be ever so easy for Denish to beat.
Wilson is a smart lady with name recognition, but her strengths end there. For starters, Denish has only to refresh her memory of former Rep. Steve Pearce’s campaign attacks on Wilson. Second, while Denish has deep roots in Hobbs and is right at home in rural New Mexico, Wilson is a carpet bagger who’s represented Albuquerque.
Third, in the match-up with Pearce for Sen. Pete Domenici’s seat, it was telling that Domenici only backed Wilson, once considered his heir apparent, at the eleventh hour because he was annoyed with Pearce’s advertising. Not exactly a ringing endorsement.
Finally, just as Republicans hope to tie Denish to Bill Richardson, isn’t it obvious the Dems would tie Wilson to George Bush?
New faces with interesting resumes are surfacing among the Rs. Some are moderates, who would produce better numbers in a statewide contest. Republicans would do well to take them seriously.
© New Mexico News Services 2009