Keyser Bails on Colorado Springs Senate Forum

7 Comments

by: Colorado Pols

Jon Keyser.

What’s that thing politicians do right before they lose?

Generally, there are a number of dead giveaways that the end is near for a political candidate. One is when you start laying off your “essential” staffers. Another is when you start cancelling public events. As the Colorado Independent’s Corey Hutchins reports, scandal-plagued GOP Senate candidate Jon Keyser is now doing the latter:

Voters sick of hearing about GOP drama in the U.S. Senate race or seeing Democrat Michael Bennet’s TV commercials will get a chance to check out a third option. Libertarian Lily Tang Williams will join three Republicans in a moderated candidate’s forum in Colorado Springs, sponsored by the Rocky Mountain Black Conservatives.

The forum kicks off at 6:30 p.m at Colorado Christian University in Colorado Springs tonight, Thursday, June 2.

All candidates in the big race were invited. Organizers for the black conservative group say Republicans Robert Blaha, Ryan Frazier and Darryl Glenn will also attend…

Keyser isn’t the only Republican U.S. Senate candidate who won’t be able to attend tonight’s forum, but he does appear to be the only candidate who RSVP’ed–and then un-RSVP’ed:

Derrick Wilburn, chairman of the Rocky Mountain Black Conservatives, says Graham had a scheduling conflict and doesn’t blame him for not being able to make it, but thinks it’s a mistake for Keyser not to show.

“Keyser accepted and then declined yesterday,” Wilburn told The Colorado Independent. “I don’t know the exact reason. I think all we know is that he changed his mind.” [Pols emphasis]

This isn’t the last candidate forum between now and when ballots get mailed later this month, but Keyser cancelling events at all right now is a very significant development. The last thing Keyser should do is turtle up just before ballots go out.

If Keyser has any hope of changing the conventional wisdom that his campaign is over, this was not the way to show it.

7 thoughts on “Keyser Bails on Colorado Springs Senate Forum”

bullshit! says:

June 2, 2016 at 2:30 pm

He could help himself in the long term by cancelling all his events and trying again in a few years when he grows up.

Log in to Reply
1. Diogenesdemar says:
  
  June 2, 2016 at 3:44 pm
  
  That's pretty much the way I read Keyser’s negative Big Line odds — he drops out and improves his chances of winning this election.
  
  Log in to Reply
TobiasFunke says:

June 2, 2016 at 2:40 pm

He's doing Moddy's nails, so he canceled.

There's a good reason, you guys.

Log in to Reply
Davie says:

June 2, 2016 at 3:32 pm

Hmm, so all those pronouncements that Bennet was afraid of Keyser was merely projection:

Log in to Reply
Pseudonymous says:

June 2, 2016 at 3:38 pm

He saw that Mitchell Zelinger would be there and realized that he didn't have time to run home and get his dog and still make it to the debate.

Log in to Reply
davebarnes says:

June 3, 2016 at 8:13 am

He was afraid he would be asked about his TV advert.

http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/politics/fact-check-keyser-says-obama-bennet-want-to-give-iran-nuclear-weapons

Log in to Reply
Jorgensen says:

June 3, 2016 at 7:44 pm

Why should Graham or any other GOP candidate go to this? As Colorado Pols stated, "Derrick Wilburn, chairman of the Rocky Mountain Black Conservatives, says Graham had a scheduling conflict and doesn’t blame him for not being able to make it, but thinks it’s a mistake for Keyser not to show."

Derrick Wilburn of Rocky Mountain Black Conservatives, is a co-host of this so-called forum and more in the past. Wilburn was a co-manager of Robert Blaha's defunct campaign for the 5th Congressional District, and he co-hosted a radio show with Blaha for several years after that campaign blew up. If I worked for any candidate in this race, I'd be holding a huge "Caution" sign and say, spend the evening with your family. This is a joke.

Log in to Reply