President (To Win Colorado) See Full Big Line

(D) Joe Biden*

(R) Donald Trump

80%

20%↓

CO-01 (Denver) See Full Big Line

(D) Diana DeGette*

90%

CO-02 (Boulder-ish) See Full Big Line

(D) Joe Neguse*

90%

CO-03 (West & Southern CO) See Full Big Line

(D) Adam Frisch

(R) Jeff Hurd

(R) Ron Hanks

40%

30%

20%

CO-04 (Northeast-ish Colorado) See Full Big Line

(R) Lauren Boebert

(R) J. Sonnenberg

(R) Ted Harvey

20%↑

15%↑

10%

CO-05 (Colorado Springs) See Full Big Line

(R) Dave Williams

(R) Jeff Crank

(R) Doug Bruce

20%

20%

20%

CO-06 (Aurora) See Full Big Line

(D) Jason Crow*

90%

CO-07 (Jefferson County) See Full Big Line

(D) Brittany Pettersen

85%↑

 

CO-08 (Northern Colo.) See Full Big Line

(D) Yadira Caraveo

(R) Gabe Evans

(R) Janak Joshi

60%↑

40%↑

20%↑

State Senate Majority See Full Big Line

DEMOCRATS

REPUBLICANS

80%

20%

State House Majority See Full Big Line

DEMOCRATS

REPUBLICANS

95%

5%

Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Post Type Selectors
October 31, 2008 10:31 AM UTC

Republican Club of Falcon - Lamborn - Bidlack - Barron X face-off

  • 26 Comments
  • by: NEWSMAN

(Kudos to all involved – promoted by DavidThi808)

Well it finally happened.  A live candidate forum with all 3 candidates for the 5th Congressional district on one stage.  The  Republican Club of Falcon (RCF) pulled off what no other organization was able to put together this entire campaign season in this race.

(see video link below).  

Club spokesman Mark Shook told NewsFirst the event was “…a huge vote of confidence for the RCF by all three candidates who put their trust in the Falcon Republicans to have a fair, well run candidate forum…”

RCF choose Falcon area journalist Kathy Hare of the Falcon Herald as moderator.

NEWSMAN

District 5 opponents face off for first time

Colorado Springs Gazette

PERRY SWANSON

October 30, 2008 –

Candidates to represent Colorado’s 5th Congressional District differed Thursday on everything from marriage to the economy.

The debate between Republican Doug Lamborn, Democrat Hal Bidlack and American Constitution Party candidate Brian Scott was the only face-to-face meeting of the opponents before Tuesday’s election.

Lamborn said the government went too far recently when Congress and the president approved a $700 billion bailout package intended to loosen credit markets. He voted against the measure. Lamborn also spoke out against abortion, gay marriage and tax increases. But he appeared to try to shake the image of a stooge for the GOP that some opponents have said fits his voting record. By various measurements, Lamborn has voted with the Republican Party nearly all the time.

“I wouldn’t be proud of being the most partisan member of government,” Bidlack told the crowd of 100-some people who showed up for the debate at Sand Creek High School. Bidlack said if elected he would relentlessly seek ways to cooperate with the opposing party.

Lamborn said he would oppose his party if its agenda ran counter to the state’s needs, and he has worked with Democrats. He and U.S. Rep. John Salazar, D-Colo., have worked together to urge the establishment of a veterans’ cemetery in southern Colorado, he said.

But, “I will not be a water carrier for Nancy Pelosi,” Lamborn continued, referring to the Democratic speaker of the House.

Bidlack gave different opinions on virtually every issue. Bidlack said he, too, opposed the economic bailout package, but for different reasons. Congress approved the measure too fast, he said, and it was too kind to the people who caused the mess, he said.

“If you’ve got an arsonist who set fire to a building, you don’t say, ‘Here’s another gallon of gas, go see if you can put it out,'” he said.

Bidlack said he personally opposes abortion, but he views a woman’s right to chose as paramount and would vote “mostly” prochoice. He said the government shouldn’t decide who’s allowed to get married.

Brian Scott received applause a number of times for his views. He acknowledged, though, that as a member of a minor party he’s unlikely to win the election. If he does win, Scott said his chief concern would be ending the war in Iraq. He said he would set up an office in Baghdad to call attention to the conflict.

Scott promised to serve only one term if elected. He said if he successfully ends the war he wouldn’t need a second term, and if he fails he wouldn’t deserve one.

LINK TO VIDEO of RCF CANDIDATE FORUM

http://www.gazette.com/video/i…

Comments

26 thoughts on “Republican Club of Falcon – Lamborn – Bidlack – Barron X face-off

  1. Well done.  

    It takes guts to put yourself before the people and lay your beliefs out for all to see.

    I’m glad you finally had the opportunity to do so.

    On a side note, it would have been difficult, if it was me, to not reach over and throttle Lamborn.

    Good restraint 🙂

  2. D Slater observed

    Indeed, Lamborn indicated to Bidlack earlier this month that he would only be willing to do one debate – on the eve of the election, after over half of the voters had already voted. Oh, yes, and that debate had to be sponsored by the “Republican Club of Falcon.” For the uninitiated, the Republican Club of Falcon is informally known as the “Lamborn wing” of the El Paso County. Republicans.

    I know a little about how this came together, and you sir do not know the whole story.

    The one and only reason this happened is that Hal Bidlack, AND Doug Lamborn, AND their campaign advisers all agreed this was the most level playing field to be had in this environment.  Yes, it is the REPUBLICAN club of Falcon.  Yes some of its members are Lamborn supporters, some supported Bently Rayburn, and 2 founding members voted for Jeff Crank.  The club did not endorse anyone in the primary, and never does.

    Now that he is the Republican nominee, you bet the REPUBLICAN club of Falcon is the Lamborn wing of the County, and the Palin wing, and the McCain wing, and the Schaffer wing.

    But don’t confuse those things with why this debate (they called it a candidate forum) worked.

    It was in the best interest of all 3 candidates to participate.  Period.

    The RCF has a reputation of hosting fair events, and has won praise from challenger Amy Lathen who ran against RCF club member Mike Burton (Kristy Burton’s father) and praised the RCF for their forum and fairness

    in her county commissioner race to replace Doug Bruce.

    If they can do that when one of their own members is the candidate, they can and did do it again in the HD-15 race.

    Dan Lanotte (who is the RCF’s activities chairman)is a Waller supporter and on his campaign team, yet the RCF won praise from Waller’s Democrat challenger Michelle Maksimowicz who debated Waller at an RCF event.

    I Love the spin that Hal would go anywhere and debate Lamborn with anyone conducting the forum. Truth is, the RCF gave the Bidlack people most of what they asked for.  The RCF would not compromise with any of the candidates on format, as they know what works, and that was not negotiable.

    Bottom line. The RCF has some simple principles that guide their forum’s.  Treat every candidate like you would want to be treated. Set clear rules, and apply them fairly to everyone. If you focus on the issues, the comparison will favor the right person.

    And because of that:

    IT WAS IN ALL 3 CANDIDATES PERSONAL BEST INTEREST TO PARTICIPATE.

  3. I am going to give D Slater a partial pass on part of this. For this reason.

    It’s 4 days before the election, and a lot of partisan things are said in the heat of the moment.  He at least is honest about who he is and what he is shilling about, and who he is shilling for.  Therefore, its not really shilling is it?

    His own candidate was sincerely appreciative of the RCF event, publicly thanked and praised them for putting it together, and said so after the event also.  AFAIK, he was well treated, and got a giant infomercial for free out of the forum.

    So, What’s your beef with the group that was able to put this together?  That they weren’t able to put more together?  That they didn’t endorse the Democrat? That they did something in particular that was unfairly and deliberately slanted to favor one candidate over the other?  I know that is not true, or you or someone from the Bidlack camp would have blown their stack and made their displeasure known, and I have heard nothing of the sort, quite the opposite.

    So I am left to conclude, you are just one more unhappy Liberal with Conservative El Paso County.  

    The El Paso Republican Party did you a giant favor by scheduling a competitive event at Mr Biggs across town at the same time as the RCF’s event. I wonder if the fact that the RCF called for the EPC party chairman;s resignation a few months ago had anything to do with it? (JK- Of course not.)

    Half the RCF and most of the EPC Republicans were at the McCain Palin 96 hour kickoff event, and that left the audience 75% Democrats at the REPUBLICAN Clubs event, in a county and area (Falcon) that is 2 to 1 Republican.

    What could you possibly complain about, except that your guy will go down to an even larger defeat than suffered by Jay Fawcett in 2006.  Other than that, all is well RIGHT !

    This is a response to D Slater here>  http://coloradopols.com/showDi

  4. The video of your closing remarks should be used as a “what never to do if you want to win an election” in all future candidate training classes for all parties, 1st 2nd and 3rd.

    Other than that, YOU WERE GREAT !

    Putting you in the center made Lamborn look like not only the most reasonable guy on the stage, but the most reasonable guy in the room.

    Kudos to the Falcon Republicans.

    L

    1. .

      I wouldn’t know how to find that on the Internet.

      At risk of harming my campaign even further, perhaps someone could provide a link ?

      The link in Newsie’s diary above appears to only bring up the first 42 minutes.  

      Thanks for your otherwise kind words.  

      Both of my competitors indicated to me afterwards that they thought my inclusion had helped their campaigns.

      If so, does that indicate that I would have fared better on Tuesday if I hadn’t shown up at all ?

      .

      1. You are correct.  I will call Cindy on Monday and find out what is up with that.

        With 4 local TV stations recording the debate, not one of them has a link to any footage.  It was the newspaper of all people who hosted the footage.  Go figure.

        As to your performance, I thought you were gracious, well spoken and made your point.

        Your closing is not what I would have advised you to do, but then I would have advised against that whole “I won’t vote and will abrogate my responsibility to be a legislator” part too.  But that’s just me.

      2. If so, does that indicate that I would have fared better on Tuesday if I hadn’t shown up at all ?

        Not at all, You might well have doubled your eventual vote total by your appearance.  

        And that is something neither of your two fellow speakers can claim.  Of course they would not trade their totals for yours, but that’s the fate of a third party candidate in CD-5.

        You did fine, but must expect that reaction to such a radical platform, …”If elected, I will not do my job, but will vacation in Bagdad until John McCain wins the war?..”

  5. At Sand Creek High School – in the northeast portion of Colorado Springs (the “conservative” part of El Paso County) – a casual observer might have mistaken Hal Bidlack as being the “home team” at this Republican Club of Falcon debate. By the end of the debate, it was clear that at least 75% – a count I heard from several people – of the crowd was cheering for Hal Bidlack, not Doug Lamborn.

    Link: http://coloradopols.com/showDi

    This is very true and accurate.  Half of the RCF members and most of the involved EPC Republicans were across town at Mr. Biggs for the 96 hour kick-off event with AZ Senator Jon Kyl.  It was a tough choice.  But many choose to work for the races that are close and need help.  Lamborns race is not a concern, unless Brian Scott pulls off an upset. Those with CO Springs Cablevision just TIVOed it.

    But below is either gross naivete or spin after the fact.

    The first five questions were scripted. All three candidates (Constitution Party candidate Brian Scott was also present) were given the questions beforehand by the Republican Club of Falcon. What was interesting was that apparently Marilyn Musgrave would also fit right into the GOP Club of Falcon. Of the five issues that were thought to be the most important – so important that they required pre-written questions – two of those five most important issues were abortion and gay marriage. Left off the list of the five most important issues to Republicans in Falcon? Education. Health care. Social Security. The Environment.

    Bidlacks people know better, and so do you. The first 5 questions were presented to all in advance to allow time to have all 3 campaigns review and comment on the audience submitted questions on the night of the event.  They were not the most important, just 5 obvious questions that would come up in a CD-5 venue.

    The RCF left the majority of the questions for the audience to frame.  Education. Health care. Social Security. The Environment. Were all open for audience members to ask about. If you didn’t get the question you wanted your guy to answer, don’t blame the RCF. Blame your supporters, the audience was 75% Democrat’s.  

Leave a Comment

Recent Comments


Posts about

Donald Trump
SEE MORE

Posts about

Rep. Lauren Boebert
SEE MORE

Posts about

Rep. Yadira Caraveo
SEE MORE

Posts about

Colorado House
SEE MORE

Posts about

Colorado Senate
SEE MORE

169 readers online now

Newsletter

Subscribe to our monthly newsletter to stay in the loop with regular updates!