O’Doherty: With an election up in the air, Bennet remains stoic

Colorado’s senior U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet was in his frequent-flier mode, perched in coach, his head lowered, reading glasses on the bridge of his nose, lenses perfectly aligned with the tablet in his lap. I always assumed United’s Economy Plus was for the legroom, but Bennet’s library of books, stuffed into his aisle seat, left the former big-city school superintendent’s legs in a contorted steerage position to accommodate his learnings at 36,000 feet. 

Curious, I asked what he was reading. Without hesitation, Bennet dug into the seat-back storage and handed over the massive stack of books. His selections? “How the World Made the West” by Josephine West, an enormous tome that explores how cultural exchanges from Africa, the Middle East, and China propelled Western Civilization. “One Man’s West” by David Lavender, a tribute to the resilience and adventurous spirit of ranchers on Colorado’s Western Slope. And finally, Marcus Aurelius’s “Meditations,” where Bennet remarked that the stoic’s writing grounds him as the margin-of-error presidential election looms ahead. 

As the plane taxied, I couldn’t resist texting Snowmass Village Mayor Bill Madsen about my unexpected seat mate. Mayor Madsen, ever the constituent servant, quickly replied, praising Bennet’s advocacy for Western Slope water rights and urging a future visit to the Ruedi Reservoir. Madsen, a mayor who has made his mark with a no-nonsense, “just-do-it” approach of an auld ski racer, reminded me of Bennet’s work on the Ski Hill Resources for Economic Development (SHRED) Act which ensures forest service fees are directed toward the protection of local mountain communities.

Bennet, it turns out, had just visited Snowmass days earlier and was now headed from Denver to D.C. to preside over a pro-forma session of the U.S. Senate. A long flight to simply gavel in and out of session, but the Senator, a happy warrior on the trail, was also on his way to co-headline a Baltimore fundraiser with Illinois Senator Dick Durbin and Maryland Rep. Steny Hoyer — all in support of Maryland U.S. Senate candidate Angela Alsobrooks.

Serendipitously, I too was set to attend the same event Bennet was headlining. The United pilot had announced our arrival in “The Land of Pleasant Living,” and it was clear: from Denver to Baltimore, Bennet was in his element. “Let’s go meet people,” he likes to say.

Thinking I would see Bennet at the event — not on the plane, I had just been researching Bennet’s role in the historic designation of Camp Hale-Continental Divide as a national monument for a piece in this newspaper. This monumental designation, courtesy of the Biden-Harris administration, is something I believe Pitkin County voters should consider as they head to the polls. It was a monumental and well-earned land grab for a Senator and administration that gets nowhere near the credit they deserve in our fractious media. 

Through his gritty efforts, Bennet garnered support from local leaders, businesses, and conservation groups, ultimately persuading President Biden and Veep Harris to use their executive authority to protect these unparalleled American alpine landscapes. 

Bennet’s powerful speech about the 10th Mountain Division at the Camp Hale designation event with President Biden was itself historic prose. And, as the bookish but ebullient Senator slowly sampled his Mega Omega trail mix, I had to gush, “Senator, you said it all beautifully and in a six minutes!”

Similarly, Sen. Bennet comes alive in Baltimore at his headliner event for Alsobrooks pleading to the crowd to work even harder — for two more weeks — to elect Kamala Harris President. 

“I know the children I worked for in the Denver Public Schools are invisible to Donald Trump,” he told the grassroots Democratic crowd.

“And, I know Kamala Harris recognizes them and cherishes them and acknowledges them!”

The crowd enjoyed Bennet’s energy and charming family campaign anecdotes from the stump. Politicos in the room questioned why Bennet’s oratory and inspired campaigning didn’t get more notice in the Senator’s brief 2020 run for the Democratic nomination for president. 

“Bennet is such a terrific Senator,” explained Nancy Pelosi’s longtime, hometown consigliere Lynn Morrison Venetoulis. “Very smart and puts in the work.”

With an election in the balance, Colorado’s senior senator remains at the center of American politics. If VP Harris does not carry the day for Democrats, the Party will do a deep autopsy to learn how to compete in the future. Along with the stoicism of Marcus Aurelius, the Democratic Party can learn alot from our Senator’s western values and the inspiration he brings, specifically, for the next generation of Americans. 

On climate, education, and healthcare, Senator Michael Bennet is the architect of a broad coalition for our children’s future in the U.S. Senate. Can he take it further with a new administration or across party lines next cycle? Bennet’s next-generational vision, undeniable wisdom, and enthusiastic, problem solving make him a go-to for a Democratic Party poised to demonstrate a new generation of leadership — win or lose. 

Damian O’Doherty is a Snowmass Village resident and an eight-year resident of the Roaring Fork Valley.