President (To Win Colorado) See Full Big Line

(D) Kamala Harris

(R) Donald Trump

80%

20%

CO-01 (Denver) See Full Big Line

(D) Diana DeGette*

(R) V. Archuleta

98%

2%

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

(D) Joe Neguse*

(R) Marshall Dawson

95%

5%

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

(D) Adam Frisch

(R) Jeff Hurd

50%

50%

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

(R) Lauren Boebert

(D) Trisha Calvarese

90%

10%

CO-05 (Colorado Springs) See Full Big Line

(R) Jeff Crank

(D) River Gassen

80%

20%

CO-06 (Aurora) See Full Big Line

(D) Jason Crow*

(R) John Fabbricatore

90%

10%

CO-07 (Jefferson County) See Full Big Line

(D) B. Pettersen

(R) Sergei Matveyuk

90%

10%

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

(D) Yadira Caraveo

(R) Gabe Evans

70%↑

30%

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
September 04, 2010 03:40 AM UTC

Top 10 reasons the conservatives are getting shafted in the Governor's race

  • 45 Comments
  • by: The Bob Hatter

(Really interesting post-mortem – promoted by DavidThi808)

So I decided to give a shot at this whole dairy thing and write about the 10 people/groups that are fault for giving conservatives the shaft. now granted this is written from my perspective as a small government type.

 

10.) The Tea Party and 9/12 movement.

Let’s face it. Dan has proven he’s not the candidate a lot of people hoped for. I’m going to assume the grassroots didn’t call any of his personal references; they just took Dan’s word. However I can’t place the Tea Party higher on the list considering the choices they had.

9.) Jason Clark, Jamies Brown, Paul Fiorino, Willie Travis, and Michael R. Moore (TIED)

Who are these guys? They are all 3rd party candidates who didn’t run in the Republican Primary, but will be on the ballot in November.  Had they went through the Republican Primary, there is a good chance they would have won. I also believe if either of these 5 got in, they would have taken Dan seriously from day one, and a lot of the stuff that got out would have got out sooner.  So yes these 5 people partially to blame for the current mess.

8.) Joe Gschwendtner and his staff (note: I am among this group)

Joe G was going to petition on. He hired a company who hired someone to get all the signatures. This person lied to his boss about numbers, and by the time everyone found out it was too late. By the end, we were very close to the amount needed; in fact maybe 3 more days would have been enough. Had Joe G hired the right person sooner, Joe would have been on the ballot and probably would have won.

The worst part was I saw it coming and when I brought it up, I wasn’t loud enough. So I guess that should give me spot 7.5

7.) Josh Penry

I honestly don’t know what the GOP had on Penry, but he was making good on fundraising. Had he stayed in he probably would have been the nominee.

6.) Ben Goss

The ACP sold out. Tom does not agree with all the views of the ACP party, but through backroom dealings they were able to circumvent the Primary process and make Tom their choice for Governor. I thought republicans where the only ones who bend on values to get a candidate who can win, guess I was wrong. Ben Goss was the candidate for Governor and could have stopped all of this. This is why he gets #6

5.) Tom Tancredo

Had Tom got in last November when he was hinting, he probably would have won. But Tom decided to have McInnis sign a paper to show how HARD CORE conservative he is. We all know when a politician puts something on paper, they ALWAYS follow it…

4.) Scott McInnis on Fox News and Scott McInnis dealings with the plagiarism (TIED)

Scott McInnis made two mistakes that killed him. Who ever put him on Fox News and had Neil Cavuto call him the Tea Party Candidate was not paying attention. All that did was push the Tea Party groups closer to Maes. Scott also didn’t handle the plagiarism well at all. Had he not made these two mistakes, he would have been our nominee.

3.) Dan Maes and his Staff (or lack thereof)

Dan has been HORRIBLE with his PR. Every single mini scandal has him barfing all over anyone who can hear. When Freda was on Peter Boyle’s show, why didn’t anyone of his staffers lock him in a basement without a phone so he couldn’t call him up and look like a raving loon? Why in the hell did he even give Freda an unsigned check? That just put it in the media even more. Why didn’t a single staffer look over his resume and say “The skill set of an undercover cop doesn’t add to your resume as a Governor, take it off.” Why does his website still have stories from 2009 on the front page? Why doesn’t he have a campaign manager yet? This is not amateur hour. Either Dan isn’t listening to his staff, or he’s listening to them and they are giving him bad advice.

2.) The GOP establishment.  

The GOP pushed Scott McInnis on everyone. Had Dan not gotten in, we would have had Scott McInnis. A lot of people would not have been happy with that. So of course they are going to go to Dan Maes. The backroom guys had better learn that career politicians with moderate leanings are not going to work anymore.

And the Number one person to blame is…

JOHN MCCAIN

John McCain started the whole “we need to move to the center” ideology and was the latest politician to pull “it’s my turn.” He lost worst then any Republican Presidential Nominee in Colorado since Gold Water. John McCain has done more damage with his fiddling around than anyone else on the list.

Tweet
Share

Comments

45 thoughts on “Top 10 reasons the conservatives are getting shafted in the Governor’s race”

    1. The ACP was built because the GOP wasn’t conservative enough. So I find it amusing that they would do the exact same thing they don’t like about the GOP.

      1. Special: (Those who are specifically focusing on GOP)

        Anti-Interest:  Since Interest is a fee paid on borrowed assets(favor), and Anti, is the Opposite, Anti-Interest, is another word for (the intangible non-favor)

        So, Special Anti-Interest would be a non-political(generally) who has a vested interest but its not a connected one.

        (example   Pollsters)

        DEM – Democrat Party, and all those hooked into the Democratic party, affiliation or ideological beliefs.

        “maybe a few more” : All those who were historically barred from this specific focus but are a factor: 501(3)’s, churches and the such, government agencies (in whatever capacity) and others …..

        1. Since it had all the appearance of Greek to me, too, I subjected it to a full reverse United Nations translation using the babelfish. Specifically, I used a Eng-Grk-Fr-It-Jap-Eng algorithm.

          Aluminium interests, DEM.

          Does it make sense now?

  3. .

    It’s the “party before principle” Republicans like Mike Rosen who aren’t faring well in this race.

    Conservatives have a strong candidate who is rising in the polls, taking votes from Dan Maes.

    .  

  4. Concerning McCain, if he would have ignored his handlers during his race against Obama, he would have done better. They brought Palin on to combat his moderate stances. I’m not sure he was the one that started the ‘move to the center’ ideology, but I’d argue Palin did more damage than McCain.

    That and his bizarre flip flopping and pandering for money and votes…

    1. when he failed to respond to Bush forcefully in SC in the 2000 primary. Imagine if we had only bombed Iran instead of invading Iraq. What the world would be like now!

      1. It was like if you guys had been stuck with Ben Nelson as your national candidate.  I’m an R and I’d rather vote for Al Franken for Pres than McCain.  

        BTW, Charlie Miller, fuck you.  If you mess with me at my workplace again, it’s on.

  6. The so-called conservatives are not getting shafted in the governor’s race.  The so-called conservatives stabbed each other in the back while in the classic “circular firing squad” formation.  A wonder to behold. That is something they could patent….if they believed in patents.

    Look at the contempt for the voter.  Look at the total disregard  for any  principles.  Look at the conceit.  

    And now they want to do to the state what they did to each other.  These “leaders” are vicious, dangerous, stupid people.  They should not be anywhere near the power of the government.  

  7. America is still a moderate centralist country.  Republicans may win the next election due to the recession and populist anger, but extreme tea party craziness is going fail over the long run and republican will spent the next decade scrambling to find those “moderate leaning” pols.

    Of course, I thought Maes would drop out so my crystal ball is bit rusty…

  8. FIrst, nice job on a diary.  It’s structurally sound and grammatically ok.  It reads.  So that’s something.

    But I don’t understand.

    Conservatives are getting the shaft? Presumably you mean because the R nominee appears to unelectable and the ACP nominee likewise is unelectable for different reasons.  How is this the shaft?  

    The question is whether or not a “conservative” candidate, as you define it, would be electable at all.  You seem to think that voters wanting a conservative candidate just got a bad crop through a chain of events that you want to blame on Senator McCain and others.

    I’m not sure what you mean by “conservative” but I argue that a far R candidate like Tancredo and Maes want to be, is not electable in Colorado 2010.

    So, what do you mean by “conservative” or a “small government type.”  

    The labels have shifted in use. “Conservative” sounds so safe. Look to the past for solutions, do what’s worked before and it will work again,  But that’s not what it means anymore. It’s code for lower taxes, and end to affirmative action and anti-abortion.

    You describe yourself as a “a small government type.”

    Ok- which functions of government should we keep, eliminate or add?  Since we’re talking about the Colorado governor, let’s stick to Colorado.

    How about CDOT? ELiminate CDOT and let all roads be privatized toll roads?

    Higher ed? Privatize the universities and let them do what they watn?

    K-12 ? Law enforcement? Health department? Parks and open space?  Fish & Game?  

    What size is the “right” size for a small government type?

      1. It is really important to follow up on what happens with reduced services. Crime rates go up or down?  What happens to kids?  Plus, federally funded military, both active duty and retired, have a large presence in the county.  They get medical care and other services  from the military.

        Ditto for Alaska – which is almost a totally subsidized unit of the federal government….

        1. It’s anyone’s guess, is it ironic or hypocritical that El Paso county sucks the most of the public ‘tit’ and is the most right-wing (no dis meant to GJ)?

          1. How about all those “independent” rural types, “Fuck the gummint,” who use taxpayer subsidized irrigation, roads, marketing of their products, and once upon a time their electricity and phone services.

    2. burnt down the big tent of tolerance and differing views.  Colorado conservative R’s (to stay with the thread) sucked all the oxygen out of honest party debate on critical issues.  You went so far as to label any R that supported Ref. C as far less than a true conservative (which is BS, a whole host of them were outspoken in favor of C – D less so).

      I will hazard a guess here based solely on conversations and e-mails, moderate R’s will jump ship in Gov.’s race and probably be an under vote in Senate race.

      1. and this is becoming a habit with the so called moderate Republicans. If the Republican Party continues to offer far right candidates the moderates will continue to vote for the Democratic candidates and soon (it has already happened for many of us) they will feel comfortable with voting for the Democrats in subsequent elections. The right wing ideologues have control of the Republican Party and they continue to march right off the cliff. I recommend they read Barbara Tuchman’s book: The March of Folly.

        2. Any time I talk about history, I bring up “The March of Folly.”  It’s a brilliant book but also a great example of how all history is written with a theme or point.  She justs states it straight out, this is my thesis and here is how I will prove it.  Reading it improved by ability to critique and appreciate much more writing, and movies.  Seeing the man behind the curtain doesn’t diminish what one can learn, it improves the understanding.

          2. I think he’s making a reference to party members who do not vote in the primary.  I think it’s pretty widely accepted that many of the people who vote in primaries are more ideologically driven.  They tend to being the more radical part of the party.  As long as people don’t vote in the primary, I don’t see how they have much to complain about.  Maybe the GOP should have had a GOTV for the primary: not push a candidate but push for turnout.  But with mail-in ballots I’m not sure we can really claim that moderates are the majority in the Republican Party.

    3. So say I have a very good understanding of what is the right size of government would be a lie. Honestly I’ve never even looked at the budget of the State, and I doubt many have. But with my limited knowledge I’ll answer the questions as best as I can

      CDOT: Eliminating the CDOT and having all roads be privatized toll roads is a Big L idea. I disagree.

      Higher Ed: This is one is a little tricky. I’d want to see what Government subsidies they are getting compared to their profitability. I’m pretty sure I’m going to get nuked for this answer, but I really don’t have a good one at the moment. I hope everyone can respect that.

      K-12: I really don’t see the point of sending money to the federal government that then goes back to state schools. Why not take out a layer of bureaucracy? I’m believe in School Vouchers because I believe free market has a better chance of success

      Law Enforcement: Why is it when ever tax cuts are brought up, opponents always say Cops are the first thing we are going to cut? Also Colorado Spring had I believe 3 cops whose sole job was to bust drug users not related to organize crime. Why is the city paying for that?

      Health Department: I’m very wary when the Government adds input to the health sector.

      Parks and open space: If the demand for these services is so high, why can’t we get volunteers to donate money and work in keeping the upkeep up?

      Fish & Game: I honestly haven’t looked up this issue at all.

      1. a dialogue about which functions of government should we keep, eliminate or add?

        Instead we have to back up and have a basic primer.

        How big is the state government now?

        What was the total Colorado budget (or revenue- same since we have a balanced budget requirement)  in

        1970? 80? 90? 2000? 2010?

        In the same years, what was CO:

        – population ?

        – GDP?

        – Total tax burden?

        – the total number of resident in K-12?

        – college?

        If you’ve never read the budget, how do you know the Colorado government isn’t the “right” size?

        How are K-12 schools funded in Colorado? (I.e., describe the basic function of the CO School Finance Act.)

        Can a local school district decide to eliminate their schools? Can it decide to hugely  increase funding by voting for their own tax increase?  Why or why not?

        If we approved vouchers so the free market could do it’s thing, would all schools who accept vouchers be required to accept and educate all students?  Or could they take public funding and also be exclusionary?

      2. You need to go back to the City Beautiful movement to understand city parks.  They really start before that even, but in this country that’s when many of the big ones were built.  Private parks were the rule in Victorian England.  About the only public area in America were the commons.  Partly because of the extreme density in cities at the time (hundreds of people living on a block, sometimes dozens in a building) plus the use of coal for heat and horses for transportation, plus the total lack of clean water standards, open space that was not polluted or already used (say for grazing) didn’t really exist.  Reformers and good government types saw parks as a way to allow healthful exercise.  Some parks were only green spaces, perhaps with woods and water.  Other parks had ballfields, even carnivals.  (Interestingly, Olmstead was adamantly opposed to any of those active uses.)

        I think in modern-day suburbia, the argument could be made that the old arrangement of parks for health is redundant.  I would argue that the design of suburbia is outmoded and should be reconfigured, but that is an argument for another day.

  9. This is a great insight into some of the voters.  It reinforces my belief that Dick Wadhams is the one who is going to bear the bulk of the blame.

    McCain as the number one reason is surprising.  I can’t imagine blaming John Kerry for 2006 election happenings (or other previous national candidates) is why I have a hard time understanding.

    Both parties have an overwhelming (to their good judgement) desire to avoid primaries.  I think trying to avoid them allows problems to fester.

  10. republicans/conservatives did this to them selves.

    Obviously following the Sara Palin model of a viable candidate. no vetting, no substance… just a pretty, smiling, winking face. If the candidate had kept His mouth shut, giving NO interviews! Then possibly would have won the Governorship, Like Sarah Palin did in Alaska.

    then again, the republican politburo thinks the Colorado electorate is dumber than Alaska. By actually granting interviews and allowing the candidate to be vetted. This situation proved them wrong.

  11. McCain lost because the tide was running against the Republicans but his loss was far worse because he did not run as a moderate Republican. For all the carping the right wing Republicans have done since 2008, they need to look within. Senator McCain sold out his moderate principles and adopted the right wing mantra, including adding Gov. Palin to the ticket, and was slaughtered in the general election.

    Even today, with the tide running in favor of the Republican Party there isn’t any significant increase in Republican registration here in Colorado.

    It certainly looks like the Republicans will come out on top this election but it will only be a temporary lull in their slide into oblivion. The United States is not a hard right nation. It is middle of the road and the Democrats are far closer to that than the Republicans.

    Hard line ideologues are never any good at solving real problems because they are inflexible. Ideology is only the starting point when formulating policy. It isn’t the end because the facts on the ground may not line up with a particular philosophy and that’s when a flexible mind is required.

    The Republican Party has proven over and over again in the past decade that it does put principles above reality to the point of ignoring objective facts which should be considered (i.e. going into Iraq). Until the Republican Party returns to a moderate conservative position it will continue to loose support.  

  13. belongs with George Allen. If he hadn’t had his Macaca moment, then Dick Wadhams would have been working on George Allen’s 2008 Pres run.

    Without Wadhams, Republicans in the state might actually win some races. And if they started winning, they might actually attract some good candidates.

    Thanks George!!!

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

74 readers online now

Newsletter

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