Yesterday at Ignacio’s Sky Ute Casino Resort in the distant southwestern reaches of the state, a much-anticipated debate between the Republican candidates for Colorado’s CD-3–incumbent GOP rhetorical arsonist Rep. Lauren Boebert challenged by the soft-spoken but clearly fed-up state Sen. Don Coram of Montrose–played out before about 300 lively spectators. Before we go any further, if you’ve never been to the Sky Ute Casino Resort it’s definitely worth a stop. If you’re in the area in the evening, the casino’s steakhouse is the best. No consideration was made for this endorsement.
As the Denver Post’s Conrad Swanson reports after having made the roughly six-hour trek to the Four Corners, yesterday’s debate was a stark contrast between Boebert’s inch-deep bombast delivered at full volume versus Coram’s less cocksure and more thoughtful delivery:
The hour-long debate between the two, vying for the Republican nomination in the massive congressional district, ranged in topics from gun control, the environment, labor and immigration. But in a broader sense, the debate — Boebert’s first since entering politics — served more as a competition between the candidates’ personalities…
“I’m just a legislator, not an instigator,” Coram said. “I’m not looking for a reality TV show. I’m looking to do the job.”
Boebert touted her conservative bona fides and cut into Coram’s record on immigration saying taxpayers are “paying for illegal aliens to get a gender studies degree.”
The biggest reason this debate was mostly a showcase of “personalities,” as Swanson describes it, was the inability of Boebert to articulate a coherent position on any subject beyond an initial broadside of platitudes followed by partisan invective. The Coram campaign’s livestream recording of the debate is not the greatest technical quality, but Coram is far better equipped to rationally discuss actual issues compared to Boebert’s almost unlistenable angry blaring. This is despite the fact that Boebert came with copious notes, reportedly well beyond when had been agreed to, while Coram spoke extemporaneously.
And in this forum, Boebert’s first live debate against an opponent, Boebert planted her flag with noteworthy vigor on the “Big Lie” that Donald Trump should still be President of the United States. Colorado Newsline’s Sara Wilson:
Boebert used a question on election integrity to spread baseless claims of voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election. She pointed to debunked anecdotes of “hundreds of thousands of ballots” going out illegally and the presence of “illegal drop boxes.” Claims of election fraud have been repeatedly debunked by experts, courts and election officials from both parties.
Boebert voted to overturn the 2020 presidential election results.
“I am proud that the first major action that I took in the House of Representatives was to vote to not certify some of the electoral college results from the 2020 elections,” she said.
This is more significant than one might think at first glance, since “establishment” Colorado Republicans are at this very moment attempting to argue with their primary voters that Ron Hanks is unqualified for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate due to his belief in the very same “Big Lie.” Pam Anderson, the Republican underdog in the Secretary of State primary running a quixotic triangulation campaign off the Republican majority’s belief that the 2020 election was stolen, now has to explain how she can ethically run on the same ticket with Boebert.
Meanwhile, Boebert has refused to defend Mesa County Clerk and SoS frontrunner Tina Peters, with whom she has many Western Slope political allies in common–even as Peters has become a national figure in Trump’s conspiracy movement. There’s something weird about Boebert’s refusal to engage with Peters’ case despite the harm done to her reputation on the right, and if they do end up together on the Republican ticket in November it’s going to be very interesting.
If we were Ron Hanks, we’d be outraged with the GOP brass over this clear double standard. And as long as Rep. Boebert is the face of the Colorado Republican Party, which as of this moment she undeniably is, there’s no “moving on” for any of them.
As for Don Coram? He’s a good man, but this primary isn’t about him. It’s in every way a referendum on Boebert. All Coram needs to be is good enough, and although oratory will never be his great strength he was good enough yesterday.
You must be logged in to post a comment.
BY: JohnNorthofDenver
IN: Weekend Open Thread
BY: JohnInDenver
IN: Weekend Open Thread
BY: 2Jung2Die
IN: Weekend Open Thread
BY: SSG_Dan
IN: Weekend Open Thread
BY: JohnInDenver
IN: Weekend Open Thread
BY: JohnNorthofDenver
IN: Friday Jams Fest
BY: Duke Cox
IN: Dems Save The Day, Government To Stay Open
BY: Gilpin Guy
IN: Weld County Gerrymandering Case Pushes The Boundaries Of Home Rule
BY: SSG_Dan
IN: Friday Jams Fest
BY: notaskinnycook
IN: Friday Jams Fest
Subscribe to our monthly newsletter to stay in the loop with regular updates!
"…cut into Coram’s record on immigration saying taxpayers are 'paying for illegal aliens to get a gender studies degree.'”
So now we are supposed to feel sorry for Ms. GED valedictorian 2020 because some hard-working DACCA kid replaced her in line to get admitted to CU?
This is what gets me about the right-wing resentment brigade. When they're not griping about immigrants coming to the US to work at jobs that none of these pieces of white trash would take, they're complaining about high school immigrant kids taking their places in colleges and universities.
Give me a break.
We need to bring more LIGHT and less heat to the election fraud issue. All citizens should be united against BLACK BOX VOTING. The big lie is animated by black box voting, and the Dems are saying dude there's no proof. No PROOF because it's black box voting! That's why polls keep being wrong!! We should be loudly advocating for HAND MARKED PAPER BALLOTS with risk limiting audits.
That’s what we have had in Colorado since 2013, LinCO- the most secure and accessible voting system in the country, with our hand marked paper ballots with risk limiting audits.
It’s why these rogue election clerks keep handing hard drive images over to conspiracists- there’s no evidence of election fraud in Colorado, so they have to manufacture it.
And our Secretary of State Jena Griswold is doing a great job of advocating for our system, bringing more light and less heat to the discussion.
Whose “black box voting” are you talking about?
Lin: You must live on the moon because sure as schizophrenia you don’t live in Colorado.
Please lets unite in the CO Dist 3 DEM, GOP, LIB, independent vote CORAM to get rid of this embarrassment of Boobert. Primary her out to pasture and youtube where she belongs.
"Coram said after the debate that he’s reluctant to obstruct a person’s right to own firearms, but added that there are some people who “should not have weapons.” He also acknowledged that the rising tide of white nationalism is a “huge problem” connected to mass shootings, but said he isn’t yet sure how to address the issue."
https://www.denverpost.com/2022/05/26/lauren-boebert-don-coram-debate/
Sen. Coram has a large hill to climb to overcome the madness that seems to have taken hold of CD3, but don’t count him out.
You portray him as soft spoken, I can only guess the author of this doesn’t know Don Coram. He is a quick wit with the ability to use that wit to his advantage. He also actually knows what he’s talking about, hence his ability to speak knowledgeably extemporaneously while Bobert is busy flipping through her notebook.
I hope constituents of CD3 wake up from whatever spell Bobert has cast upon them and elect someone who will actually represent them and won’t embarrass the rest of our great state.
I also implore the Democrats who think any D has a chance in CD3 to realize no D has a chance to win CD3 and throw their support behind Coram.
Amen
polling says thats a pipe dream and we don't want more Bobert. Wait two years for dem to engage, even the DNC knows that.
You do realize that 2022 is shaping up to be a wave, if not a Sunami, election.
Combined with that, CD 3 has been made more Republican with redistricting. (Oh, how I wish that map that put Bimbobert in a Dem-leaning district with Joe Neguse had been adopted but sadly such was not to be!)
CD 3 ain’t going blue this election cycle. Nor is CD 8. We will be lucky to hang on to CD 7 along with the three safe Dem districts.
Register as unaffiliated and vote for Coram in the primary, and whichever Dems wins the nomination in November.
Real Clear Politics has the 2022 Generic Congressional Vote
Fundraising is continuing to be close: Ballotpedia’s reporting shows
* “In April, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) raised $8.3 million and spent $6.0 million, while the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) raised $8.1 million and spent $7.2 million.”
* “The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) raised $11.9 million and spent $10.2 million in April, while the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) raised $8.7 million and spent $6.9 million. So far in the 2022 election cycle, the DCCC leads in fundraising with $210.7 million to the NRCC’s $189.6 million. “
* “The RNC raised $14.2 million and spent $15.5 million, while the DNC raised $8.8 million and spent $11.1 million. So far in the 2022 election cycle, the RNC has raised $219.9 million to the DNC’s $195.5 million. At this time in the 2020 election cycle, the RNC led in fundraising by a larger margin, with $345.7 million in cumulative receipts to the DNC’s $161.9 million.”
All of those indications do not show this election rushing into TSUNAMI territory. And those numbers are:
* BEFORE the April monthly report of inflation going down from the March high (and indicators of other “cooling” in the economy).
* BEFORE additional mass shootings & deaths that appear to impact the nation more than some previous shootings. Boston is explicitly tied to MAGA/Republican extremists and their “replacement theory.” Uvalde is becoming more and more a disaster for police response, questions of racism, and evidence of bad Republican governance.
* BEFORE next month’s House Committee public testimony about the insurrection and its ties to the Republican Party and White House.
* BEFORE the likely Georgia indictments for attempting to interfere with elections
* BEFORE the likely turn in war momentum in Ukraine, as reserve units are added in, heavy artillery and rocket launchers are pushed into the field, and Russian logistics continue to grind down.
* BEFORE the full extent of Republicans in Revolt is made clear. Kevin McCarthy’s videotaped message to Trump’s rally drew extensive boos today. There are Republican primaries resulting in ever-increasing MAGA nominees,
* BEFORE the most controversial Supreme Court opinions emerge. Abortion, Gun Control, state funding for religious schools, drug pricing, and EPA power to address climate change (with possible impacts for ANY agency regulations).
There are a number of signs and portents favoring Republicans OR Democrats. And this election is going to be wildly different than most, as a former *resident is taking an active part in partisan battles AND the overall election contest. My take — anyone certain of what the outcome is going to be in 5 months is overlooking possibilities, if not fully delusional.
Perhaps gasoline prices will miraculously drop in five months.
Perhaps baby formula will start to materialize in the next few weeks.
Hope springs eternal.
It's still the economy that drive voters.
Don Coram is not the answer to the Republicans’ problem. Republicans put her in office…let them worry about it. Reppy le PewPew is doing nothing to damage the Democratic party…or the nation for that matter
Until CD3 is ready to elect a Democrat…no Democrat should help them Lance the Boebert boil on their collective ass. Where is the Republican who says, ” Hey, we made a big mistake electing this air-headed, traitorous, punk. Let’s help elect a Democrat this time.”
To my knowledge, Republicans have never “assisted” the Democratic party in electing one of their own. This is YOUR problem GOP…stop begging Democrats to help you rid yourself of this braying jackass in your stable.
Of course, the GQP has a barn full of these idiots. So there is that.
While we are awaiting the great awakening of the Dems in rural areas again Qbert will be relected because of social media and guns.
Sol cannot win in CD3. Not this year. But I am willing to CHANCE Coram vs Sandoval vs Qbert vs Sandoval.
Coram can neutralize her now in primary.
Bobert 50% dropping
Coram 35% rising
Sandoval 20% never budged
Big Line is source up on top of COL POLS page.