Dan Maes was Running Without Cowboy Boots, got kicked to the curb

A year ago, one-time gubernatorial favorite Scott McInnis was grappling with charges of plagiarism -- leaving the path clear for darkest of dark-horse candidates Dan Maes to win the Republican nomination for governor. He was soundly trounced in November by John Hickenlooper, but at least he has something to show for that boot from the spotlight: his self-published book, Running Without Cowboy Boots. Maes's book is now available, and the good news is that it's much more lively than McInnis's "Musings on Water." The bad news? No one really wants to relive the 2010 campaign.

Here's the description of Running Without Cowboy Boots on its Xlibris page, where you can order an e-book for $9.99, a softcover copy for $19.99 and a hardback for $29.99.

In the spring of 2009 Dan Maes was a no name, small businessman who announced he was running for Governor of Colorado. No one cared. By August 2010 his name would be know across Colorado and he would be surprising even the sagest of political pundits as he racked up win after win. While hundreds of thousands of grassroots supporters from the Tea Party to the Republican Party rallied around this breath of fresh air, not everyone in the GOP was pleased about it. On the request of many in Running Without Cowboy Boots Dan exposes the truth about his rapid rise in popularity, his tireless campaigning, and the corrupt party politics inside the Colorado GOP during his campaign that changed the direction of Colorado politics for years to come. Strap in for a 2 year rollercoaster ride of Rocky Mountain Highs, Washington DC lows and a Journey of Faith as Dan shares what really happened in his campaign.

The print-on-demand site also includes a four-page excerpt from the book, set at the Republican state convention where Maes not only made the primary ballot, but also wrested the top line from McInnis:

I still cannot convey the emotions I went through in those five seconds of thinking we lost to realizing we had won by less than 1 percent. There was no time to consider it. I was shuffled on stage for my speech that I had not prepared!

The crowd was still on its feet, and the applause grew. "Wow" was all I could say, and I bowed my head and prayed quickly while the applause and cheering continued. God give me the words. And I looked up. The "wow" was not a reflection of "wow, we actually won." It was "wow, look at these people here for us." They had persevered the wait and boredom to reap not my reward but their reward. They had sacrificed time with family, vacations, days off, pay, and who knows what else to attend Tea Party meetings, Tea Parties, and Republican events over and over and over. They had made phone calls and walked precincts, and it was not even primary time yet. They had volunteered to become precinct committee people and attended activist training. They had earned the win, and I was the benefactor of their efforts. I continued emphasizing the slogan on our T-shirts: The People's Candidate. The people had found their voice in me. It was deafening that day...

And the silence since November? Also deafening.

For more "Musings on Plagiarism," see Kenny Be's Worst-Case Scenario here.