Colorado Republican Tom Tancredo doesn’t think the Democratic or Republican parties in Colorado have much influence on elections, due to the overwhelming power and money of other political groups.
But, still, he doesn’t think Colorado Republicans have the right man in Steve House to run the day-to-day operations of the Republican Party.
Tancredo told KNUS’ Peter Boyles this morning that House opposed Trump in the 2016 primary and is a “reflection” of establishment Republicans who don’t like Trump to this day.
House has repeatedly denied he ever opposed Trump.
“[Steve House] is part of that establishment, and he was picked because he is part of that establishment,” said Tancredo on air. “What has he done that you could look back on and say, ‘Oh look, this is a great leader.’ Even the money he was raising. I think they picked him because he’s part of the establishment, and that’s the way this this whole party is going and why it goes down the tubes.”
“He made all these promises to the liberty side of the party about who he was going to put in,” said Tancredo, citing an alleged promise to install former Republican lawmaker Ted Harvey as the party’s executive director.
“The Republican Party has destroyed itself,” replied Boyles.
“Yes, absolutely,” said Tanc.
“Why were there so many mailings [in the last election]?” asked Tancredo, “because the [GOP] consultants who were working for the candidates were also getting a cut from the mailings. So therefore, you got households who had voted Republican, every person in them in all the elections, end up getting hundreds of mailings from Republicans. It was a waste of money. The whole thing was a waste of money, except the money that went into the pockets of these consultants.
“And where are they? Are they getting thrown under the bus? Did anyone stand up and say at the assembly and say, ‘Never again. These people are never going to get a dime of the Republican Party money. We’re not going to do this.’ No! No! They are all still working somewhat under the radar. But they are all still there.”
“I expect nothing of these [Republicans],” said Boyles. “And I expect less than nothing. In all of Colorado, the finest example of a candidate we could find was Walker Stapleton, we got more than big problems.”
On the air yesterday, KNUS’ Julie Hayden, a former Fox 31 Denver reporter, tried to be more optimistic about the new state Republican leadership.
“It was insanity there!” said Hayden, referring to the GOP Central Committee meeting Saturday. “If the Republicans don’t get their act together – and have a great deal of luck and smarts, combined – this is just the beginning […] of the end of the State, as we know it, and like it.”
“If they turn around and they hire Clear Creek Strategies, and they say, ‘Well, they’re going to try harder this time!’ then all they’re doing is giving it away,” said Hayden. “I’m hopeful, rather than confident, that they’re going to carry it out.”
Cohost Chuck Bonniwell had a much darker view, more in line with Tancredo’s.
“I don’t think the new guys will — they never challenge anything. you know?” said Bonniwell. “And it’s the same old, same old.
“Clear Creek Strategies will do something like “purple strategies’ — which is just them and Kelly Maher acting as the kind of a person who can be the front for it,” said Bonniwell. “And if they do that, they’ve lost. I mean, they’ve just lost.”
“We just had somebody, who is kind of an insider, text me,” said Hayden on air. “And I don’t want to say his name becausee they haven’t said I could — but they said, you know, they’re kind of laughing at our being hopeful — they said, ‘Ken and Steve already brought Ryan Call back.That’s a disaster. Andy George and Michael Fortney–who own Clear Creek Strategies– popped champagne on Saturday night.'”