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September 04, 2014 10:30 AM UTC

Bob Beauprez: The Depth and Breadth of the Crazy

  • 23 Comments
  • by: Colorado Pols

UPDATE: Political cartoonist Mike Keefe at the Colorado Independent sums it up:

Keefe-9.4.14​

—–

“Both Ways” Bob Beauprez (right).

Susan Greene, formerly of the Denver Post and now editor of the Colorado Independent, yesterday published a tremendous deep dive into the record of GOP gubernatorial nominee Bob Beauprez since his last run for office in 2006. Titled Bob Beauprez’s last eight years: Conservatism at its extremes, this is the report on Beauprez we've been waiting to see from mainstream media outlets ever since Beauprez won the Republican primary. Greene's nearly 3,500 word story absolutely must be read in its entirety, and we expect to refer back to it many times over the next two months:

BOB Beauprez ran for governor in 2006 on an image as mainstream Republican as mainstream Republicanism gets. He was third-generation Coloradan, a rancher, banker, former state GOP chairman and sitting congressman representing one of the nation’s most moderate districts.

Now he’s back, running again for the same office with the same folksy image — labeled by the media establishment as “mainstream” and “moderate.”

But in the eight years since his last bid to govern the state, Beauprez wandered away from the mainstream. Far away. He spent much of his time in private life pushing ultra-conservative causes. He wrote a book calling for a revolution to shift the Republican Party far to the right. And in several interviews over several years, he espoused extremist conspiracy theories, including one that Americans – whom he likened to sheep – eagerly would let the government implant microchips in their bodies…

Greene recaps a large number of items from Beauprez's recent past that we've covered in detail: Beauprez's belief that President Barack Obama is "pushing the country" toward civil war, that climate change is a "complete hoax," support for repealing the 17th Amendment requiring democratic elections of U.S. Senators, and Beauprez's more recent secessionist sympathizing. But a previously unreported interview from Beauprez's past revealed by Greene could provide late-night joke fodder on a whole new level:

"When they can start tracking us with a little microchip, and the technology certainly exists, and you watch the people who would line up voluntarily so that gee if you forgot your driver's license, no problem, you've got the RFID implanted in you. If you've got to get through the airport, no problem, you've got RFID. 'Well, sure, I want one of those, I want one of those.' And you watch like sheep how they would line up behind some kind of a dopey system like that without ever realizing how much freedom they just forfeited," he said.

Later in that interview with online radio host Clayton Douglas — a militia proponent known for his anti-Semitic views — Beauprez said Americans are blindly succumbing to totalitarianism.

"We're living through what was a while ago was fantasy, Orwell's '1984.' And it is among us," he said. "You know a lot of people think that we're kind of out there along the fringe for even talking like this." [Pols emphasis]

On the objective scale of the varieties of craziness one encounters on the internet, the "government wants to track you with RFID implants" flavor of crazy ranks way, way up there. Of course, RFID microchips for identification purposes aren't new–pets commonly have them nowadays. But the step from the existence of such a technology to the idea that Americans are about to "line up" to get them implanted, and that anything we're "living though" today in America can be seriously likened to a George Orwell dystopia…

Folks, this is the Republican nominee for Governor of Colorado we're talking about. Who out there can seriously defend this man's collection of totally disqualifying fringe ravings since his last run for political office, RFID conspiracy theories being just the latest example? The idea that this person is being represented as a "mainstream moderate" candidate, if you know about even a fraction of what Greene reports in this story, is simply ridiculous.

The only thing we can attribute the gap between the mainstream media's so-far terrible coverage of Beauprez and the facts of his record to is really good press flacks running really effective interference–that, and maybe some help from a certain biased political news editor. But even with all that leverage, we just can't see how Beauprez gets to November without these disqualifying statements in his record coming back to bite him. It's reasonable to assume that, when Beauprez's campaign was working the back channels to ensure Tom Tancredo and the other contenders lost the primary, none of the people who were sold on the premise that Beauprez was more electable knew about this stuff.

Before this election is over, those people will likely wish they had known better.

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23 thoughts on “Bob Beauprez: The Depth and Breadth of the Crazy”

  1. Colorado Pols wrote:

    Greene recaps a large number of items from Beauprez's recent past that we've covered in detail: Beauprez's belief that President Barack Obama is "pushing the country" toward civil war, that climate change is a "complete hoax," support for repealing the 17th Amendment requiring democratic elections of U.S. Senators, and Beauprez's more recent secessionist sympathizing.”

    Beauprez isn’t the first person to suggest repealing the 17th Amenmdent; however, I’m curious what the logic behind doing so is. Can anyone give me a coherent argument as to why we should revert back to state legislatures choosing Senators? Or is the argument basically that voters  don’t support who Beauprez  thinks they should support, therefore the unwashed masses (if you will) shouldn’t be allowed to vote, for Senators anyway?  

    1. The logic is that it's easier to win a state legislature then it is to win a state-wide popular election, and even states like California can be run by Republicans from time to time. Repealing the 17th = More Republican Senators, even from blue states.

  2. Yet another would-be "Stealth Teabagger," hoist by his own petard. Funny how someone named BothWays can be counted upon to choose the wrong way in every case.

    We need this kind of in-depth expose on Con Man and Cough Man as well.

    Kudos to Susan Greene!

    2. I’m not sure there is really a need for microchips because people seemed to be conditioned enough already. As for an example of people being sufficiently conditioned, the holiday shopping season comes to mind.  

  4. This is a pathetic hit piece from a liberal website that just a few weeks ago thought Cory Gardner had two hip replacements at 39 years old.

    Why should I give a crap what they say? This is not a respectable news site.

    3.  

      Of course it matters. His tinfoil hat beliefs are certainly something that voters should know about and take into consideration.  Do you object to the article because you don't believe he said those things? If you don't disagree that he said them, why do you think it doesn't matter and that it's out of bounds to bring it up? Not tough questions. 

  5. If Americans ever are lined up for RFID chips it'll be at the behest of the next Republican Bush/Cheney like "war on terror" fighter . . . 

    . . . or the next Republican Rick Perry like anti-immigrant proponent . . . 

    . . . or the Republican donating pharmaceutical company that's licensed to produce and monitor those devices . . . 

    Obviously Beauprez never read, or understood, Pogo. 

  6. As a real moderate who used to be a Republican, I can tell you that I agree with him on the implanted chips, especially among young people, (hell, this is what's already happening with cell phones and the large collection of data on people that is occurring – who needs an implanted chip) and I agree with him about 1984 (though I think it is the Republicans like him that have tried to create this kind of society and have successfully made the "Republican" Party into this type of society.)  But, the man's a raving lunatic.  With that said, I guessing Hick is going to take a big hit in the next poll, because I think the current ad about Hick being unable to make any kind of decision is right on the money and is the reason why I won't vote for Hick again.

    1. So, Craig, if you're not planning to vote for Hick, are you then sitting the election out? As a traditional conservative Republican, I'm not super-enamored with Hick. But he looks like a better choice than "Blinky Beau Beau." Too many people decide to sit this one out and Blinky may actually become governor.

      I do agree a little with Blinky on one count; his comment about Americans blindly succumbing to totalitarianism. Only I define "totalitarianism" as the crap being pushed on all citizens by the religious jihadists of the far right; or trying to push.

  7. In what the media is calling a move of pure political genius, Bob totally revamps his campaign midstream and pulls Dr. Chaps into the fold as a political consultant to hope him rebrand his image as a moderate…

  8. Another day, another study points to real health impacts from the highly industrial activity that is oil and gas: will te 'Blue Ribon' panel put meaningful control back in the hands of localities?  SOunds lie the first step is to review existing regulations–what about moving riparian set backs forward?  Increasing set backs from residential areas? 

    http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-fracking-benzene-worker-health-20140910-story.html#page=1

    And here we learn that more merican energy will go to China and Asia–putting the lie to the myth that this is about 'American energy independence.'  It is about turning NatGas into a fungible global commodities, 'create new markets,' or gt new customers hooked; which makes us more entangled, extnds our 'Amrican interests' deeper in a way that will just as likely provoke more cocnflict, not lessen it.  http://fortune.com/2014/09/10/natural-gas-exports-set-to-take-off-as-energy-department-approves-two-new-projects/ 

  9. Where are all the "patriots" now? Where are the screams of "American Energy for Americans"? Why isn't the Tea Party turning out in angry mobs to protest the traitors who are attacking Americas' energy security?

    … are they just a bunch of lily-livered hypocrites?

    I think so….

    1. Another story today out about one of the top oil traders in the world still betting on oil prices spiking within 5 years, that the 'abundance' of shale is an illusion, a type of ponzi scheme to separate money from investors, mired deepr in debt than in crude, and sufferig the 'Red Queen effect' due to the high rate of decline.

      LNG exports will raise consumer prices regardless–price stabilization–as we turn a regionally abundant commodity to a globally fungible, and mush more scarce, one.  Its what cons, in other circumstances, like to call 'Economics 101.'  

      So, these two trends together should bother any 'patriot' or politician looking beyond the two- or four- or six-year cycle.  Do any of them do that anymore?

       

      1. +87 octane in agreement- Hell bent to extract & Export what could be a hedge against future shortages,Over production by both mega banks and oil producers for short term profit$ Actions do not match rhetoric of chain of fools TV spots toutiing energy independance, latest being the ex FBI toad vetran of wrong wars.

         Efforts to fuel nat'l gas fleets out the window when price gets bumped by export. Pity the poor school dists that converted to LPG for bus fleets, BP was once busted for price manipulation. When does it end? Both Senatorial candidates fight over who is first for  clearing away hurdles for nat'l gas exports,  put their by better statesman than the current crop of lobbist lackeys. America weeps.

         

         

  10. Bob "Gopray" has said he wants to be governor so bad, "he can taste it." This alone makes him so power hungry. I wouldent be suprised if he were to require micro-chipping everyone.

    1. Every politician is ambitious and has a big ego. They all have to "want it so bad they can taste it". It goes with the territory.

      We hope to elect politicians who are not willing to promise everything to every comsistuency, appeal to the lowest common denominator of the electorate, and become the puppet of corporations once in office.

      We hope to elect people who remain compassionate and remember what ordinary people go through.

      I'm not hearing much compassion for ordinary Coloradans from "Gopray". Here's what he said "On the Isssues" about health care:

      • Voted YES on denying non-emergency treatment for lack of Medicare co-pay.
      • Excludes payment to grandparents for foster care
      • Voted YES on limiting medical malpractice lawsuits to $250,000 damages.
      •  Voted YES on limited prescription drug benefit for Medicare recipients.
      • Voted NO on allowing reimportation of prescription drugs.

      • Voted YES on small business associations for buying health insurance.  (my note: this was as an alternative to state health care exchanges).

      •   Voted YES on capping damages & setting time limits in medical lawsuits.

      Hickenlooper , on the other hand, did act to expand Medicaid in Colorado. So there's that, which I've personally benefitted from. However, he has shown zero compassion for individuals living with health issues related to fracking, preferring to ignore these issues and lie about 200,000 or 110,000 jobs "lost if there is a fracking ban".

      Ballotpedia considers Hick to be a moderate. Here is what Ballotpedia has compiled about Hickenlooper "On the Issues".

       

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