Weekend Open Thread

3
  by: Colorado Pols April 1, 2023 at 12:42 AM MDT

“Anger elicits anger, fear elicits fear, no matter how well meaning we may be.”

–Martha Beck

Everything’s Coming Up (Temporarily) Roses For Tina Peters

9
  by: Colorado Pols March 31, 2023 at 1:30 PM MDT

9NEWS’ Kyle Clark yesterday confirmed what new Colorado Republican Party chairman Dave “Let’s Go Brandon” Williams has been suggesting ever since winning his post–indicted Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters, awaiting trial on a range of misconduct and impersonation charges related to the theft of election system data in a failed bid to prove Donald Trump won the 2020 presidential election, is taking a leadership role in the party:

Former Sen. Kevin Lundberg, GOP chairman Dave Williams, indicted ex-Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters (R).

As readers know, Clerk Peters faces sentencing April 10 on an obstruction charge she was convicted of early this month, charges stemming from her refusal to turn over an iPad to investigators leading to a public scuffle. Peters could spend up to six months in jail on that charge alone, which is just the icing on the legal cake for Peters with trial on contempt of court followed by far more serious felony charges looming on the horizon.

But as KKCO-TV reported last night, Peters’ ultimate date with legal destiny has been put off yet again:

The trial was originally supposed to start at the end of March before being pushed back to the end of August.

The last time the trial was pushed back was at Peters’ request. The district attorney’s office said that this time, after the trial was scheduled, two prosecution witnesses who work for the clerk & recorders have a mandatory certification in order for them to do their jobs during the trial.

The date for the trial is now set for Oct. 17 through 30.

Peters has no incentive to push for a speedy trial at this point, and now that she’ll be drawing a salary from the state party–which, let’s be fair, she may well have raised from “MyPillow Guy” Mike Lindell with one easy ask–Peters can only benefit from pushing the trial on the principal charges against her off as long as possible. If Peters is ordered to jail for a short sentence on these secondary offenses, Dave Williams will attempt to cast Peters as a martyr and embrace her even more tightly.

But at some point, now scheduled for October, the party will be over. Peters is innocent until proven guilty, but the case is also not considered to be particularly close with Peters’ co-conspirators singing like canaries and Peters herself having readily confessed to many key details. The election conspiracy theories that justify Peters’ actions among believers in the “Big Lie” are meaningless in a court of law, and Peters won’t be the first to discover that. This crackpot scheme involving identity theft and shutting off security systems to steal data is the only actual security threat to have occurred. Like a January 6th insurrectionist, Peters’ defense rests entirely on one central lie that, once debunked, leaves them with no defense whatsoever.

This is the future that the Colorado Republican Party under Dave Williams has voluntarily shackled itself to.

Needless to say, we don’t ever want to hear about “moving on from 2020” again.

Get More Smarter on Friday (March 31)

2
  by: Colorado Pols March 31, 2023 at 12:49 PM MDT

It’s more blustery outside than the guy inside that paper sack. Let’s Get More Smarter. If you think we missed something important, please include the link in the comments below (here’s a good example). If you are more of an audio learner, check out The Get More Smarter Podcast. And don’t forget to find us on Facebook and Twitter.

 

FIRST UP…

 

► Votes are still trickling in at a snail’s pace in Denver, with just 12% of ballots returned as of this writing ahead of Election Day on Tuesday (April 4).

If you are a registered voter in Denver but have not yet cast your ballot — remember that it is TOO LATE to drop it in the mail. Ballots must be RECEIVED by the Denver Clerk and Recorder by 7:00 on Tuesday. CLICK HERE for information on what to do with your ballot or where to find a polling place.

 

► Former President Donald Trump set a neat record late on Thursday, becoming the first ex-president in American history to be charged with a crime. So, that’s neat.

Trump is likely to be arraigned in New York on Tuesday over criminal charges related to a hush money payment to a porn star. Trump is freaking out as you would expect, though his rhetoric is kind of all over the place. Check out this amusing subject line from an email to supporters:

 

As Dana Milbank writes for The Washington Post, the response from Republicans to Trump’s indictment was expected, but was nevertheless weirdly compatible with the Big Orange Guy’s screeching:

It’s no surprise that House Republicans leaped to Donald Trump’s defense after news of his indictment broke late Thursday. What was striking, though, was how many elected GOP officials now sound like Trump.

“Political Persecution,” Trump alleged in his statement.

“Political persecution,” parroted Reps. Diana Harshbarger (Tenn.), Josh Brecheen (Okla.), Claudia Tenney (N.Y.), and Paul Gosar (Ariz.).

“Blatant Election Interference,” Trump announced.

“This is unprecedented election interference,” echoed GOP conference chair Elise Stefanik (N.Y.).

“An attempt to interfere in our Presidential election,” echoed House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (Calif.).

“Witch hunt,” complained Trump.

“Witch hunt,” repeated Reps. George Santos (N.Y.), Lauren Boebert (Colo.), Ralph Norman (S.C.), Matt Gaetz (Fla.) and more, including House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (Minn.).

A few months ago, Republicans seemed almost able to finally pull away from Trump once and for all. But after escaping Trump’s demolition derby, Republicans have instead just hopped back in the car for another round.

In a separate story, The Washington Post answers your questions about what happens next.

 

► Colorado Public Radio has more on reaction to Trump’s indictment from Colorado elected officials:

Via Colorado Public Radio

 

 

► As Colorado Newsline reports, Colorado officials are sounding more hopeful about the state holding on to Space Command HQ after new information about the former President’s decision-making on a move to Alabama:

Many officials, including outgoing Republican Colorado Springs Mayor John Suthers, expressed concern that Trump’s decision to relocate Space Command to Alabama, which voted for Trump in 2020, was politically motivated. Suthers wrote a letter this month to Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall detailing conversations Suthers had with Trump about how he planned to make the decision after he saw the results of the 2020 election.

“When I once again made my pitch to President Trump, he asked me if I was a Republican mayor,” Suthers wrote in the letter. “When I replied that I was, he asked what his chances were of carrying Colorado in the November election. When I said they were ‘uncertain’ he seemed perturbed.”

Suthers said Trump then asked a high-ranking Space Force officer if Colorado Springs is where the headquarters should be, to which the officer replied, “Absolutely, Mr. President.” Trump then reiterated that he wanted to see how the elections turned out before deciding, according to Suthers’ letter.

“He gave me a clue early on that he was probably going to wait until after the election, and made it very clear in my February conversation with him that he wanted to see how the election turned out before he made the decision,” Suthers told Newsline. “I don’t think anything could have been more indicative of the fact that it was a political decision.”

Suthers said Hickenlooper was the one who encouraged him to write the letter after hearing about their conversations.

Donald Trump making decisions based solely on how they could help him politically? Get out of town!

 

Click below to keep learning things…

 

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Radio Host Who Left the GOP Because She Didn’t Want To Be in Trump’s ‘Cult’ Will Vote For Trump

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  by: Jason Salzman March 31, 2023 at 11:24 AM MDT

(Promoted by Colorado Pols)

A Colorado talk radio host, who got lots of backslaps from alienated Republicans when she announced she left the Republican Party earlier this month, is now saying she would “probably” vote for Trump if he’s the GOP nominee.

Connell

“As much as I hold conservative ideals and values in many, many ways. I will not be a part of the cult of Trump anymore,” Mandy Connell said on her KOA radio show March 13. “I don’t want people to say, ‘Why is your party doing this?’ I don’t want people to look at me and say, ‘What is wrong with your party?’ It’s not my party. It’s the party of Donald Trump in Colorado. And I don’t know if you realize this, Donald Trump is not popular in Colorado.”

Citing Connell, Denver Post columnist Krista Kafer wrote, “Some Republicans have determined that there is no place for the sane [in Colorado’s Republican Party], and they do not want to be associated with the lunatic fringe.”

Connell made her announcement two days after Colorado Republicans elected former state Rep.Dave Williams, a pro-Trump election denier, as their new party Chair.

But it turns out Trump doesn’t bother Connell all that much because she’d “probably” vote for Trump if he’s the nominee — because she hates Democrats so much.

“I don’t want to have to make that choice,” Connell told KHOW talk radio host Dan Caplis March 15 when asked if she’d vote for Trump if the former president got the GOP nomination.

“Would you hold your nose and vote for Trump?” asked Caplis.

“When the rubber meets the road, I probably will,” she replied.

“I don’t want to have to choose ointment or suppositories once again. Okay,” said Connell.

In an email exchange with this reporter, Connell declined to tell the Colorado Times Recorder why she’d leave the Republican Party over its cult-like devotion to Trump and yet vote for Trump if he’s the nominee.

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Friday Open Thread

9
  by: Colorado Pols March 31, 2023 at 8:02 AM MDT

“Justice cannot be for one side alone, but must be for both.”

–Eleanor Roosevelt

BREAKING: Trump Indicted In Porn Star Hush Money Case

63
  by: Colorado Pols March 30, 2023 at 4:45 PM MDT

UPDATE #2: Former President Donald Trump confirms via TruthSocial that he has been “indicated.”

Remember, Trump doesn’t fix typos, he “covfefes” them! We have to call being indicted “getting indicated” now.

We don’t make these rules.

—–

UPDATE: Rep. Diana DeGette of Denver is understandably stoked:

While Rep. Jason Crow reminds us of the historic sadness of this moment:

—–

As the New York Times reports, Stormy Daniels will have her revenge:

Donald J. Trump was indicted in Manhattan on Thursday for his role in paying hush money to a porn star, according to five people with knowledge of the matter, a historic development that will shake up the 2024 presidential race and forever mark him as the nation’s first former president to face criminal charges. [Pols emphasis]

In the coming days, prosecutors working for the district attorney, Alvin L. Bragg, will likely ask Mr. Trump to surrender and to face arraignment. The specific charges will be announced when he is arraigned…

Donald J. Trump responded to the news that he had been indicted in a statement, calling the Manhattan grand jury vote “political Persecution and Election Interference at the highest level in history.”

Mr. Trump’s statement echoed what has been an extraordinary and blistering effort to try to prevent the Manhattan district attorney, Alvin L. Bragg, from indicting him.

Rep. Lauren Boebert shrieks at the heavens:

It’s the moment former President Donald Trump warned would result in “death and destruction,” calling on his supporters to “PROTEST PROTEST PROTEST.” It’s since been explained to us that these two statements were not expressly related, and Trump attorney Joseph Tacopina conceded Trump was “ill-advised” to have threatened violence.

We’ll update with reactions from all sides as they come in.

Abolishing The Department of Education, Again and Again

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  by: Colorado Pols March 30, 2023 at 12:12 PM MDT

Rep. Lauren Boebert don’t need no (Department of) Education.

As the Grand Junction Sentinel’s Nathan Deal reports, Colorado’s queen of the far-right rodeo (better that than the chef) Rep. Lauren Boebert voted this week for a failed amendment to a Republican education bill with itself little chance of passing the Democratic U.S. Senate. Sixty Republican members joined with Democrats to reject the amendment that would fancifully declare the U.S. Department of Education will stop existing at the end of this year:

The amendment aimed to “add a sense of congress that the authority of the Department of Education and the secretary of Education to operate or administer any office or program related to elementary or secondary education should be terminated on or before Dec. 31, 2023.”

The amendment failed by a 265-161 vote, with 60 Republicans opposing it along with all 205 Democrats. After the vote, Boebert posted a video to her Twitter account elaborating on her stance.

“Our public schools should have local control, not a centralized federal government pushing curriculum that’s way, way far away from reading, writing and arithmetic,” Boebert said. “One hundred and 61 Republicans voted to get rid of the Department of Education, but we still had 60 Republicans join every Democrat to defeat that amendment. The unfortunate reality is that our federal government is going to continue to have a big say on pushing drag shows, gender ideology, Critical Race Theory and all this other woke BS.”

Rather than simply taking Boebert’s word for what the federal Department of Education does, Deal brought the question before local officials at Mesa County’s School District 51. And the reality is, as you already know from the countless times we’ve heard this solution in search of a problem proposed by Republicans, far less controversial:

According to [District 51 Chief Financial Officer Melanie] Trujillo, about 15% of revenue the district receives each fiscal year comes from federal funds…

“Fifteen percent of our revenue is significant and the needs wouldn’t really change. We would still need to provide meals for our students, we would still need additional interventions for our students that are at-risk, and we would still have the special education services that we’re required to provide,” Trujillo said.

Trujillo added that the district currently does not have a solidified contingency plan in place yet should the U.S. Department of Education be shut down in the coming years because of how heavily the district depends on those dollars for programs like Title I and special education. [Pols emphasis]

Much like Boebert doesn’t understand the difference between federal law enforcement and the New York prosecutor working on ex-President Donald Trump’s hush money case, Boebert doesn’t realize that decisions about “pushing drag shows” or other such topics are decided at the local level. That’s why Colorado, the state Boebert represents in Congress, has robust anti-discrimination laws. That’s also how Boebert’s native state of Florida has been able to transform their public school system into a hostile environment for any kid who doesn’t fit with Gov. Ron DeSantis’ 1950s-era moral code.

The real losers if the Department of Education were eliminated, as your own local district will be happy to explain if you ask, would be poor and special-needs students. The gap in public perception and reality encouraged by Boebert’s gross misrepresentation of what the Department of Education does has been exploited by a long line of Colorado Republican candidates, including 2022 Senate loser Joe O’Dea.

It’s considered consequence-free red meat to throw to the Republican base, but under scrutiny it’s a terrible idea. The consequences are very real, and not “woke” in any respect.

“Advancing Death for No Other Purpose Than to Advance Death”

3
  by: Heidi Beedle March 30, 2023 at 11:27 AM MDT

(Promoted by Colorado Pols)

As the Colorado Democrats’ “Safe Access to Protected Health Care” package of legislation moves to House for consideration, Republicans have taken to talk radio to share their views on the proposed bills that target the marketing practices of anti-abortion centers and their use of an unproven pill to reverse an abortion, expand legal protections for patients and providers seeking reproductive and gender-affirming health care, and expand insurance coverage for those seeking reproductive health care.

“What we are doing here in Colorado is really just advancing death for no other purpose than to advance death,” said Rep. Stephanie Luck (R-Penrose) during an appearance on the Dan Caplis Show last Thursday. “I don’t believe that [Democrats] see it in those terms. I think that they see it as their moral imperative to provide women in these situations with this opportunity and with this choice. I think that they have framed it in their minds as the righteous cause.”

Republicans aren’t just taking issues with the protections for abortion, but also those for gender-affirming health care. “I think we should all be very concerned, and I think we stop terming it abortion and call it infanticide because it’s really the murder of babies,” said Rep. Brandi Bradley (R-Littleton) during her Thursday appearance on the Kim Monson Show. “The first one, [Senate Bill] 188, is forcing doctors and insurance companies to accept gender-affirming care, which involves sterilization and abortion. They have to do it. They don’t get a religious exemption.”

Bradley during a protest against a Highlands Ranch drag event.

According to the Colorado House Democrats, the bill, which passed out of the House Judiciary Committee yesterday, works to protect health care providers and patients from overreaching interstate criminal and civil threats. “Across the country and even here in Colorado, our fundamental freedoms are under attack from harmful transphobic rhetoric, anti-trans bills, and egregious attempts to limit who we are,” said Rep. Brianna Titone (D-Arvada) in a news release. “Our legislation protects those seeking gender-affirming and reproductive health care from politically-motivated, legal overreach by other states. For many people, having access to gender-affirming care is not only validating, but life-saving. This bill prioritizes patients and providers, protects our privacy and upholds your fundamental rights to reproductive and gender-affirming health care.”

Republicans also took issue with Senate BIll 23-190, which targets the use of deceptive marketing practices by anti-abortion centers. “I do believe that this bill will come after pregnancy centers, they’ll come after them by saying that their advertising is a violation and that it’s removing a choice that the woman can have and that they need to be abolished,” said Rep. Mary Bradfield (R-Fountain), during a Monday appearance on the Centennial Institute’s Frontier Freedom Hour. “Which is a shame because, as I see it, the pregnancy centers do not take anything away. They allow the couple to make their own choices. Either way, if they make the choice for life and really need counseling, help with prenatal care and doctors, and especially after the baby is born, all those care things that can be offered are offered through the centers.”

Democrats argue that anti-abortion centers prevent patients from receiving the appropriate care in a timely manner. “In Colorado and across America, maternal outcomes are declining, and anti-abortion centers that use deceptive advertising to draw in vulnerable people seeking care and misleading them with biased and inaccurate information about abortions and contraceptives are only making the problem worse,” said Sen. Janice Marchman (D-Loveland) in a news release. “People who go to these centers looking for help are often misled and stigmatized – the exact opposite of the safe and essential care we are beholden to protect as elected officials. Our bill will crack down on deceptive practices used by some of these bad actors, and is a proactive step we can take towards a future where Coloradans’ freedom to access essential and affirming reproductive health care is truly protected.”

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Who is Gonna Win in Denver’s Slow Turnout Election?

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  by: Colorado Pols March 29, 2023 at 1:58 PM MDT

The race for Denver Mayor — and other municipal offices — is down to its final days. Election Day is on Tuesday, April 4, which means that if you still have a ballot sitting on your counter at home, DO NOT put it in the mail at this point (CLICK HERE for more information on where to return your ballot).

Ballot returns thus far in Denver are still not great. Of the 453,512 ballots sent out in Denver, just 40,826 had been returned as of today — a rate of about 9 percent. As you can see from the map below via the Denver Elections Division, Denver voters seem to be holding onto the ballots no matter where they live:

The darker the color, the higher the rate of ballot returns.

 

 

We’ve told you how we think the race for Denver Mayor might play out. With so many votes still up for grabs, campaigns with strong field programs look to have a massive advantage heading into the final weekend of the race.

If you’re already tired of this race, the good news is that 14 of the candidates for Denver Mayor will be done on Tuesday. The bad news is that the top two vote getters will move to a June 6 runoff election.

Anyway, it’s time for another poll! As always with our totally non-scientific polls, we want to know who you THINK is most likely to happen. We don’t want to know who you support or might prefer as a candidate — we want your informed political opinion to help us predict which candidates everyone will be talking about one week from today:

 

Who is MOST LIKELY to Make the Runoff Election for Denver Mayor?

View Results

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Ken Buck’s Theater of the AR-bsurd on CNN

19
  by: Colorado Pols March 29, 2023 at 11:34 AM MDT

 

Rep. Ken Buck (R) daring Joe Biden to take his AR-15.

Yesterday afternoon, senior White House correspondent for CNN Phil Mattingly recorded a segment with Colorado’s Rep. Ken Buck on the subject of gun control laws generally and the AR-15 rifle in particular–the latter being the overwhelming weapon of choice in American mass shootings, and also a personal trophy hanging on the wall of Rep. Buck’s congressional office, one that Buck recently dared Democrats to “come and take.”

The conversation began with a discussion of “red flag” laws like Colorado’s, which Buck asserts would not have prevented the most recent school shooting in Nashville, since it “hasn’t stopped gun violence in Colorado and it won’t.”

Phil Mattingly [00:01:51] But I think this kind of gets to my question because I wasn’t asking about the guns specifically here. This was an individual that had known mental health issues, was seeing a doctor for those mental health issues and yet was able to get access to guns to use. And you’re saying red flag laws in Colorado- You’ve opposed red flag laws generally, particularly on a national scale in the past- wouldn’t work. So those things don’t necessarily net out. What’s your answer here, then?

Buck: Well, my answer is I don’t know what the law is in Tennessee. If you’re telling me there’s no red flag law.

Mattingly: There’s not.

Buck: I don’t oppose red flag laws that give defendants, in this case, the gun owner, the right to appear in court and defend themselves. The problem, the gun, the red flag law in Colorado is there is no due process… [Pols emphasis]

As anyone who knows how Colorado’s “red flag” law works already knows, Buck is straight-up lying when he claims there is “no due process.” A temporary extreme risk protection order (ERPO) requires a hearing and a judge’s order, and the one-year ERPO comes only after a second hearing. It’s not the first time we’ve marveled at this former prosecutor’s seeming total ignorance about laws he is professionally charged with understanding.

From there, the interview turned to Ken Buck’s beloved piece of wall art–since the bolt of the weapon allegedly isn’t present, as the D.C. District Attorney’s office learned to their chagrin, it’s not a fully illegal assault rifle. But with AR-15s just like Buck’s continuing to cause disproportionate harm in mass shootings happening almost daily, it’s certainly fair to ask Buck whether he stands by his previous bravado.

And that’s where things took a turn for the weird:

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Dave Williams’ GOP Gets To Work Wrecking Itself

19
  by: Colorado Pols March 29, 2023 at 9:53 AM MDT

Colorado GOP chairman Dave Williams.

As Colorado Public Radio’s Caitlyn Kim reports today, with the Colorado Republican Party now firmly under the control of far-right chairman Dave “Let’s Go Brandon” Williams, one of the first orders of business is the long-sought goal of closing the Republican primary to insufficiently “America First” unaffiliated voters:

“The Colorado Republican Committee wishes to explore a lawsuit against the State of Colorado, which would challenge the constitutionality of Proposition 108,” stated the letter, written on behalf of the party by attorneys with Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck. The legal fund would defray the costs of legal action.

In 2016, Colorado voters approved Proposition 108, which allowed unaffiliated voters, now the state’s largest bloc, to vote in either the Republican or Democratic primary. The law does have a provision allowing a party to opt out of the open primary system and instead pick its candidates through a caucus process, but 75 percent of the members of the state central committee must support the move…

“We must work to close the primaries so that only Republicans choose our Republican nominees,” he said. “We cannot afford to let Democrats become unaffiliated so that they then can meddle in our primaries, like they did with (Rep.) Lauren Boebert. We must defend and protect our caucus assembly.”

Williams’ choice of Rep. Lauren Boebert as an example of the supposed harm of semi-open primaries is on the one hand ridiculous, since whatever attempt mounted last year by Democrats in CD-3 to tip the GOP primary to Don Coram failed miserably based on the results. On the other hand, examples Williams didn’t cite of who would benefit from closing the party’s primaries are much more telling: close allies like former Rep. Ron Hanks, who dominated the state assembly before going on to lose to Joe O’Dea. Former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters likewise won the top line at the 2022 GOP assembly. Not to mention Williams’ own dismally failed run against Rep. Doug Lamborn. These are the candidates who would directly, perhaps decisively benefit from excluding unaffiliated voters from the primary. None of them can win a primary under the current rules, and last year none of them did. But after the “establishment” Republican picks all went down in November of 2022, they feel perversely vindicated.

The intent of the proponents of 2016’s Proposition 108 was to encourage “moderation” in both parties by allowing presumably neutral unaffiliated voters to take part in the primary process. But for the ideologically strident far-right activists in control of the Colorado GOP today, that’s the exact opposite of how they want primaries decided, and a threat to their newfound control. At the same time, pursuing a legal challenge against the law instead of simply taking advantage of the existing provision to close the primary with a 75% vote of the central committee is a clear sign that Williams doesn’t have the support he needs to go the simpler route.

Make no mistake: as much as the Colorado GOP leadership elections themselves, the weighty decision of whether to close off the party from unaffiliated input in their primaries is a crucial inflection point for the party’s immediate and long-term future. Closing the primary would insulate and empower far-right candidates like Hanks and Peters, but then those candidates would have to stand in the general election where they would face certain annihilation at the hands of Colorado’s leftward-trending electorate. There has rarely been a clearer proposition for short-term gain and long-term pain.

If Republicans are more interested now in ideological purity than victory, and that seems to be Dave Williams’ bent, closing the primary makes sense. It’s catastrophic to anyone who wants Republicans to be competitive in future Colorado elections.

Maybe there really aren’t any left.

Wednesday Open Thread

7
  by: Colorado Pols March 29, 2023 at 8:08 AM MDT

“We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.”

–Albert Einstein

Oltmann Hosts John Tiegen’s Election Pre-Denial Crew

8
  by: Colorado Pols March 28, 2023 at 3:45 PM MDT

Colorado Springs Mayor candidate John Tiegen.

This evening, Colorado’s premiere election conspiracy theorist and would-be mass political hangman Joe Oltmann is hosting a panel of nether-right election denialists, pastor Matthew Trewhella famous for calling violence against abortion providers “justifiable homicide,” and Colorado Springs mayoral candidate John “Tig” Tiegen to talk about being big bad tough guys who “stand in the gap” against…

In the case of discredited New Mexico professor David Clements, as the Washington Post reported last fall, the “gap” is local elections officials.

Clements’s strategy is to target his message locally: to county commissioners and clerks, jobs that are lower profile but that wield an outsize role in administering America’s decentralized election system. If local jurisdictions fail to certify their votes, it could throw the outcome of an election into chaos, raising doubt about the results and giving ammunition to losing candidates who refuse to accept their defeats.

Clements is one among a tightknit circle of Trump supporters who travel the country as self-appointed election fraud evangelists. [Pols emphasis] They embrace the instructions of leaders like former Trump adviser turned podcaster Stephen K. Bannon, who has urged election deniers to run for local races and sign up to be poll workers in what he calls his “precinct-by-precinct” takeover strategy.

It’s easy to laugh at what appears to be a traveling sideshow cashing in on lingering doubts among Republicans despite any evidence that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from Donald Trump. But keep in mind how both the Colorado Republican Party and the local El Paso County GOP have been taken over by far-right activists who wholeheartedly agree. Clements’ “precinct-by-precinct” takeover looks very much the strategy adopted in Colorado by grassroots activists led by new chairman Dave “Let’s Go Brandon” Williams.”

Similarly, last summer NPR profiled Clements’ friend and frequent speaking tour circuit companion Seth Keshel:

On a quiet Tuesday night in Howard County, Md., dozens of people gather in a community center and listen to Seth Keshel’s 10-point plan.

“Captain K,” as he’s known in election fraud circles, is a former U.S. Army intelligence officer, and he is walking through his go-to presentation: comparisons of vote totals from the past few election cycles, which he falsely claims prove President Biden’s win in 2020 was illegitimate. His 10-point plan to “true election integrity” includes banning all early voting and requiring all American voters to re-register.

In short, on a stage in Colorado Springs you’ve got two devoted nationally-prominent election deniers, a pastor who says killing abortion providers is justifiable, and the local gun store owner who personally invented the Dominion Voting Systems conspiracy theory and fantasizes about building “gallows all the way from Washington, D.C., to California” to hang politicians in both parties he doesn’t like.

And a candidate for Mayor of Colorado Springs.

If this doesn’t make you at least a little worried about how militia commander John “Tig” Tiegen might respond to his likely defeat in next month’s city election, consider paying closer attention.

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