Colorado Total Number of Delegates: 71 Pledged: 55 Unpledged: 16
How to Recognize a Colorado Delegate: Colorado delegates are hard to see, especially if they’re standing behind a streetlight or a trash can, because Colorado residents tend to be thinner than the average American. Most will boast that their trim figure is the result of their active Colorado lifestyle of biking, hiking and winter sports, but that's not true. Coloradans are thinner simply because the high-altitude air that they breathe has 30 percent fewer calories than air at sea level. Perhaps the easier way to find a Colorado delegate is not by sight, but by how they sound. Listen for the purr of their incessant boasting. Coloradans are the biggest braggarts in the whole U.S.A., and they love to regale visitors with the latest results from national magazine polls that tout everything from the state's robust singles scene to its dog-friendly picnic getaways. Colorado boosterism is not loud and showy, but it is relentless. Colorado delegates don't mean to offend the residents of other states, mind you; the boasting is more of a repetitive personal mantra to remind themselves of the small perks of Colorado living that compensate for the loss of the larger pay scales and career opportunities available to Americans who live on the coasts.
Famous Coloradans: Trey Parker, M. Scott Carpenter, Lon Chaney Sr., Eugene Fodor, Ken Kesey, Dalton Trumbo, Jello Biafra, Amy Van Dyken, Jack Dempsey
Famous Colorado Democrats: Byron R. White, Wayne N. Aspinall, Pat Schroeder, Diana DeGette, Federico Peña, Roy Romer, Dick Lamm (off and on)
Famous Americans who were born actually born in Denver: Isaac Slade (The Fray), Jill Sobule, Chauncey Billups, Karl Rove, Ruth Handler (inventor of the Barbie doll), India.Arie, Duane "Dog" Chapman, Tim Allen, Ace Young
State Nickname: The Centennial State Population: 4,753,377 Racial Distribution: 72% white, 4% black, 3% Asian, 1% Native American, 20% Hispanic Per Capita Personal Income: $34,238 Unemployment: 6%
Recommendations for Colorado Delegation:
Most Coloradan Denver Neighborhood: Capitol Hill
Most Coloradan Bar: Herman's Hideaway 1578 South Broadway A state institution that has served as both rumpus room and rite of passage for every generation of Colorado rocker.
Most Coloradan Restaurant: Benny's Restaurante y Tequila Bar 301 East Seventh Avenue The dining room is large enough for every Colorado delegate to bring three delegates from other states, and loud enough to keep Republicans at nearby tables from eavesdropping easily.
Best Day Trip: 16th Street Mall View larger image.Colorado delegates can explore the peaks and prairies of their home state any time, but the Democratic National Convention only comes to town (so far) once every hundred years. This is the one week to stay in Denver, stroll the 16th Street Mall and soak in the once-a-century sights. It’s also the perfect time to put those Colorado-booster skills to work and share information with sensation-seeking out-of-towners about all that is good and unique about Denver and Colorado. More effusive Colorado delegates, hungry for a taste of Hollywood-style celebrity worship, can volunteer as DNC "clappers" and stand outside the velvet ropes that flank the entrances of downtown hotels, restaurants and nightclubs to welcome the Democratic "politerati" to the Mile High City.
