9NEWS political reporters Kyle Clark and Brandon Rittiman have been in rare form over the past few weeks, positively demolishing a persistent false claim from GOP gubernatorial frontrunner Walker Stapleton that he was the “only” state Treasurer to support the Trump tax cut bill. Stapleton’s obstinate refusal to make the simple edit required to correct this demonstrably false claim, arrogantly doubling down when confronted about it in a recent debate, resulted in 9NEWS affixing the rarely-used label of “liar” to Stapleton–since by that point there was no way to conclude this was anything other than knowing, deliberate deception.
Last night, 9NEWS debunked still another Stapleton campaign ad claim–and this one looks even worse:
Republican front runner Walker Stapleton is campaigning on the idea that he’s a “fourth-generation Coloradan.”
The claim is in Stapleton’s campaign videos, in the bio on his website and has been used by media outlets in their editorials.
But is it an accurate description of his lineage?
In a word, no.
Stapleton was born on the East Coast and grew up in Greenwich, Connecticut, according to numerous public records 9NEWS reviewed.
The current state treasurer and gubernatorial hopeful moved to Colorado in 2003 when he was 29 years old… [Pols emphasis]
A campaign spokesman argued Stapleton, his father, grandfather and great-grandfather all called Colorado home at some point in their lives.
Obviously, for someone to claim they are a “fourth-generation Coloradan” when they were not born in Colorado, when they moved to Colorado as an adult, and their father wasn’t born in Colorado either, contradicts with the commonly-agreed definition of the term. Stapleton’s grandfather was born in the Centennial State, but that’s only because his father Ben Stapleton of Ku Klux Klan infamy (born in Kentucky) was the mayor of Denver. In short, Walker Stapleton can in no way be accurately called a “fourth-generation Coloradan”–and if he is, the term is meaningless.
It’s likely this fact-check is too late to affect the mail-in GOP primary, which Stapleton is widely expected to win. But between this and the totally self-inflicted damage Stapleton took over his silly lie about the Trump tax cuts, Stapleton has a severe credibility problem going into the general election.
At this point, it would be a mistake to accept anything Walker Stapleton says at face value.
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Of course he is lying about his home state. Most of the Bush family members are spawned in Connecticut. It's like Dubya and his cowboy image. He was born in New Haven. Trump (excuse Drumph) isn't the only one who likes to create a faux image of himself.
I actually am a fourth generation Coloradan. I use that term rather than "native" because I was born in Wayne, Nebraska, where my mother graduated from college. At the age of one, I moved back to the farm my family has owned in Philips County since 1887. I grew up there and, except for two years in the Army, have lived here ever since.
So, yes, I'm a fourth generation Coloradan. "Wayne" Stapleton, on the other hand, is a carpetbagger.
My great-great grandfather Moore homesteaded south of Paoli. His wife, my great-great grandmother, died during childbirth with their second daughter at age 20 and she and the baby girl are buried in the Holyoke cemetery. Grandpa Moore gave their living daughter, my great-grandmother, to Doc Norris and his wife (Holyoke residents) to raise. Their home was the large yellow house across the street from the northwest corner of the Holyoke park.
If I don’t count my homesteading G2 grandfather who came here from Iowa at age 18 I’m 4th-generation and my Wray and Elizabeth grandkids are 6th.
Your g2 grandfather counts, so you are fifth generation. You don't have to be native to be a coloradan.
And he was still earning $150,000 / year as the CEO of a California real estate company while he was Colorado treasurer.
The treasurer job was always seen as a stepping stone to higher political office; it's the family business.
Most of the Bush family members are liars. Still waiting to see those WMD's Dubya.
Republicans do not care if a politician is lying. It truly doesn't matter to them. How else to explain Trump's polling among GOP voters? Or Stapleton's?
I suppose lies aren't lies if it's what you truly want to believe.
Davie, a rightie Republican acquaintance actually said to me a few months ago, “I don't care if it's true, it's what I feel.''
I wish I could be shocked or surprised by that.
Didn't George Costanza once say something like that?
Figures have never really been his thing. Here's the first line of his explanation to the CO Indy as to why his great-gramps' KKK legacy doesn't matter:
“It’s 100 years ago, 30 years before I was born,”
Oh well, so number-y things aren't his strong suit. It's not like he has a job where… oh.
Funny, he doesn't look 70. He can't even get that right. No wonder the Treasurer's office is such a mess with him (sometimes) at the helm.
By his reasoning, he's also 4th generation KKK. That ought to appeal to some of the base.
That's ridiculous. Do you think this gives you credibility?
I think somebody's working themselves into a tizzy advocating for the candidate Democrats fear most:
Beauprez Gessler Coffman BroccoliStaplegun.Actually, Moddy's undying devotion was to Broccoli first, then Taller Coffman but you got all the names included.
You forgot Scott the Plagiarist. Nutter had to be in that failed camp at one time.
Musings on Scooter…..
Didn't he land on his feet on the Board of County Commissioners?
Yes, still beating that TABOR drum. I don't know enough about water law to know if this is a workable idea or not.
Scott McInnis also lives on in the cautionary tales of English teachers, who use him as an example of how plagiarism can ruin one's life.
Scooter, hit on the head by TABOR restrictions that forced real problems in Mesa County, drafted and led the campaign for a sales tax increase to provide more money for the sheriff and district attorney.
The horror. But it passed.
He said "by that reasoning" as a qualifier. You really need to learn to read.
Also, do you think your ridiculous drive-by comments give you credibility?
Nutter is taking #snowflake to a new level today.
Keep up the pressure and call out every single one of this fucker's lies! They get by by throwing out so many lies at a time, it's almost impossible to refute, thus them getting away with it and the lies sticking and spreading.
Colorado will turn into Kansas if this terrible human is elected.