Purplish is CPR News' podcast about state politics, state government, elections and political identity. Hosted by public affairs reporters Bente Birkeland and Andrew Kenney.

Latest Episodes

  • Neglect can be a powerful political force. Southern Colorado spent a century mostly voting for Democrats, but in 2016 many countries in the region voted for President Trump. It was the first time some had supported a Republican in decades. The reason many voters cited was a sense of feeling forgotten by state and national politicians too focused on urban and suburban corridors. Reporters Nathaniel Minor and Allison Sherry recently visited Southern Colorado as a part of CPR’s election road trip series. They talked to voters about whether they feel like politicians are listening now--and what that could mean for November and beyond.
    <p>Goemmer Butte, (pronounced "gimmer") is a landmark near La Veta in Huerfano County, Colorado. It's named for the nearby Goemmer Brothers ranch and is <a href="http://academic.emporia.edu/aberjame/field/rocky_mt/goemmer.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">made up</a> of trachyte and breccia. </p>

<p><span>The area is full of ranches, artists and retirees who are often at odds politically — but many residents say they're more than happy to put differences aside in order to be good neighbors.</span></p>
<p>Goemmer Butte, (pronounced "gimmer") is a landmark near La Veta in Huerfano County, Colorado. It's named for the nearby Goemmer Brothers ranch and is <a href="http://academic.emporia.edu/aberjame/field/rocky_mt/goemmer.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">made up</a> of trachyte and breccia. </p>

<p><span>The area is full of ranches, artists and retirees who are often at odds politically — but many residents say they're more than happy to put differences aside in order to be good neighbors.</span></p>
  • A name can be a tricky thing for a politician. For Walker Stapleton, the Republican nominee for governor, his name does double duty, tying him to both a controversial Denver mayor and the Bush dynasty. Stapleton trumpeted both those ties at the beginning of his political career. Today, he’s running more as his own man. CPR’s Ann Marie Awad dives into both the legacies embodied in Walker Stapleton’s name--and examines whether either might matter on Election Day.
    Republican candidate for governor Walker Stapleton at the CPR studios Monday, May 21, 2018.Republican candidate for governor Walker Stapleton at the CPR studios Monday, May 21, 2018.
  • Congressman Jared Polis has spent an unprecedented amount money on his campaign for governor. By the latest count, he’s donated $18.3 million of his own money. That’s more than the total candidate spending in the 2014 gubernatorial race. The Democratic nominee says self-financing buys him political independence. Unlike his opponent, he refuses donations from corporations and special interests, which he argues frees him to push bold proposals. Meanwhile, Republican nominee Walker Stapleton accuses Polis of trying to buy the election. These opposing talking points raise bigger questions. What does it mean for democracy when someone is ready, and able, to spend whatever it takes on a campaign? How does that change the dynamics of a race? And where does it leave voters? This episode looks back at the origin of the candidate’s fortune and how it’s long been a potent force in Colorado politics. And we’ll explore why he’s likely to be far from the last wealthy candidate in the state or the country.
    <p>U.S. Rep. Jared Polis, a Democrat from Boulder, is running for governor of Colorado.</p>
<p>U.S. Rep. Jared Polis, a Democrat from Boulder, is running for governor of Colorado.</p>
  • In Colorado, voters have incredible power to pass laws at the ballot. The initiative process was born out of the Progressive Era. Reformers hoped that by giving people a say in state government, they could check special interests and their influence over lawmakers. Things haven't gone exactly as planned. Today, the initiative process is often Colorado's highest-stakes political poker game, attracting a wide range of corporations and wealthy donors. So has direct democracy made Colorado voters into scientists in the laboratory of democracy? Or the test subjects?
    <p>The protestors that arrived to trail signature gatherers in Civic Center Park were not bashful about keeping a close proximity to interactions with the public.</p>
<p>The protestors that arrived to trail signature gatherers in Civic Center Park were not bashful about keeping a close proximity to interactions with the public.</p>
  • “Purplish” is a show about Colorado's democracy ahead of the 2018 election. The podcast, hosted by Colorado Public Radio reporter Sam Brasch, goes behind the headlines to ask big questions about state government. Each episode hones in on a puzzling piece of news around the election. Explanations come from CPR reporters, experts and voters. The goal is to provide the context that’s often left out of election coverage. Rather than cover the horse race, it tells stories about how democracy works in Colorado and where it might be headed next.
    <p>Colorado state Capitol building</p>
<p>Colorado state Capitol building</p>

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