A Red Flag in Colorado

This is the first lead article I have posted since I took over the senior editor spot. I don’t plan to do it unless there is something extraordinary that comes up, and even then not when the material is accessible on the web for a Short Take. Therefore, most of the time, as now, it’s going to be a message from an email (which I can quote in full).

I received this email from Ike McCorkle, the presumptive Democratic Candidate for Congress in the district currently held by Ken Buck. I don’t suppose what is happening there could happen in every state – but it could happen in any state which mandates county, district, or state assemblies of parties as all or part of the candidate selection process, and it explains a lot.  Here’s what Ike has to say:

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We’re writing today to give you an early warning about something truly dangerous unfolding on Colorado’s Eastern Plains.

In April, Colorado politics watchers were shocked to see Incumbent Congressman Ken Buck (R-CO) take a humiliating defeat at the Colorado Republican assembly for Colorado’s 4th Congressional district that saw him lose his spot at the top of the ballot and nearly lose his Congressional seat in one fell swoop.

The man who dealt the unexpected blow to Buck was one Bob Lewis, an Elbert County real estate agent. While Lewis is a political outsider and little is known about him, what we do know should be deeply concerning.

At the assembly, Lewis criticized Buck for referring to believers of the 2020 stolen election theory as “conspiracy theorists” and received assistance from the extreme right-wing FEC United, a Castle Rock based Colorado militia group, known for calling for Governor Polis to be hanged.

Much like how the traditional Conservative Scott Tipton was unseated by insurrectionist aiding Congresswomen Lauren Boebert. Across the state we are seeing a resurgent wave of extreme right voters throwing out their own members of Congress who they don’t believe are radical enough. In CD-7 an election conspiracist also managed to beat a sitting Republican Congressman, Doug Lamborn, making it to the top of their ballot as well.

If Bob Lewis beats Buck our campaign will be the only thing holding back a Boebert 2.0 from representing over 700,000 Coloradans in Congress. 

This November, whether we are taking on the devil we know, Congressman Buck, or the devil we don’t, Bob Lewis, we will be running on bringing people together, not dividing them. We’ll be fighting for the notion that rural Coloradans deserve a right to good jobs, fair wages, election integrity, and bodily autonomy.

We are running an honest campaign based on the real issues affecting Eastern Coloradans. Partisan rhetoric and furthering divisive conflict between Americans solves nothing and should not be the ambition of leadership.

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I have been to assemblies in Colorado (in 1992 I actually made it to the state one), so I know how people get there. They start the process by turning out one cold night in February to attend a very small meeting of people from their precinct. Those who turn out for this are only the most dedicated (even fanatical) of party members, and not even all of those. It excludes people who work swing shifts. It excludes people who cannot drive at night (as I no longer can.) It excludes parents who cannot get child care. No doubt you can think of other categories who might be excluded. It is also a bloody nuisance. But it is where the delegates to the County Assembly are decided (based on what percentage of the vote their candidate gets in February). And the County Asssembly is where the delegates to the State assembly are decided (also based on percentages of votes  received by their candidates.) If a party contains extremists, it is practically inevitable that they will be over-represented at State Assemblies. Fortunately for Colorado, these assemblies only determine who will be on the primary ballots, not on the general election ballots, so there is time and means to correct some of the worst travesties. But that doesn’t always happen. Lauren Boebert is a case in point.

My recommendation to every Democrat – and even to every sane Republican – is to read up on your state’s election processes, and find out if there is a way – short of venturing out into a blizzard – that you can get involved in that process in your state before it comes time to cast your ballot in November. Particularly if there are any political storms brewing. Buck has, I believe, a decent chance of winning the primary. But it’s not a certainty. It’s much closer to certain that whoever wins the Republican primary in that district will win the general. And if that candidate is not Buck, we will have lost the only Colorado Republican in the House who was willing to work with Senator Bennet to get National Historical Monument designation for the Amache internment camp from World War II. Fifteen years ago – even five years ago – if you told me I’d be writing in defense of Ken Buck, I would not have believed it. But that is where we are now.