April 11, 2016 12:54 PM UTC

Get More Smarter on Monday (April 11)

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• by: Colorado Pols

That’s “Darryl Glenn” — two “Rs” and two “Ns.” It’s time to Get More Smarter with Colorado Pols! If you think we missed something important, please include the link in the comments below (here’s a good example).

TOP OF MIND TODAY…

► The Republican race for the U.S. Senate nomination turned completely upside down on Saturday when El Paso County Commissioner Darryl Glenn shocked the Colorado political world by dominating the delegate voting and becoming the only GOP candidate to make the ballot through the caucus process. Much of the buzz at the World Arena in Colorado Springs surrounded Glenn’s stirring red-meat speech — an oratorical home run that helped Glenn generate a whopping 70% of the total delegate vote.

► Oh, by the way, Republicans also selected delegates to go to Cleveland in July for the purpose of selecting the GOP nominee for President…and Donald Trump is not at all happy about how things turned out. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz walked away from the World Arena with a clean sweep of delegates, but Trump is (rightfully) concerned about signs that the selection process may have been biased toward Cruz. Colorado Republican delegates will likely be hearing plenty from Trump’s campaign in the coming weeks; a protest of the GOP Convention voting is scheduled for this Friday.

Let the delegate swiping begin! As the Washington Post reports, delegates could end up collecting some pretty impressive “gift baskets” before the end of the summer.

Get even more smarter after the jump…

IN CASE YOU ARE STANDING NEAR A WATER COOLER…

► The Colorado Republican Party is going with the “unknown hacker” defense in response to questions about why the GOP’s official Twitter account would have sent this message to the masses (though it was quickly deleted):

► What happens when you tote a cardboard cutout of Hillary Clinton to the Republican State Convention? Pretty much exactly what you might expect.

► State Sen. Owen Hill (R-Colorado Springs) would like you to believe in the idea of a “moral mandate” for tossing Coloradans off of the Medicaid rolls.

► Republican Senate candidate Jack Graham gets the Politifact treatment for his statement that it is “clear” Hillary Clinton “violated national security rules.” The ruling: FALSE.

► Congressman Doug Lamborn (R-Colorado Springs) came this close to not making the ballot in CD-5 thanks to upstart Calandra Vargas. From the Colorado Springs Gazette:

A relatively unknown state legislative aide came 18 votes shy of becoming a congresswoman Thursday.

Calandra Vargas, a 32-year-old from Colorado Springs, gave the speech of her life during the 5th Congressional District Assembly and secured 58 percent of the delegate vote.

Congressman Doug Lamborn, a five-term incumbent, received 35 percent. He needed 30 percent of the vote to make the ballot.

Had Vargas won 18 more votes she would have kicked Lamborn from the ballot – and without a Democrat in the race, Vargas would have become congresswoman by default.

Vargas doesn’t have long to try to put together a campaign that can defeat Lamborn in the June 28th Primary; still, this time last week Lamborn didn’t think he’d have an opponent at all.

► Thank goodness he isn’t a write-in candidate.

► The new VA Hospital in Aurora might be finished by 2018.

► Former state Sen. Gail Schwartz is getting a lot of press coverage for her decision to challenge incumbent Congressman Scott Tipton (R-Cortez) in CO-3.

► Governor John Hickenlooper signed legislation that increases penalties for tampering with a dead body in Colorado.

► There will soon be a pornographic video parody of Donald Trump. We’re a little surprised that it hasn’t happened already.

OTHER LINKS YOU SHOULD CLICK

► Colorado Pols’ reader “Voyageur” has a humorous take on the state of the Democratic battle for President.

► Republican Presidential frontrunner Donald Trump needs a big victory in New York next Tuesday…but two of his children won’t be able to vote for him.

ICYMI

► Take that, Mississippi! No Bryan Adams for you!

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