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You Have Options In These Elections — Choose Wisely
The 2022 midterm election is in progress in Colorado, with ballots distributed and early in-person voting underway.
Our Colorado midterms have been the subject of national news in recent weeks, with Secretary Jena Griswold “accidentally” sending 31,000 registration invitations to ineligible voters. Many have forgotten: She did the same thing prior to the 2020 election, though she defended the action two years ago. Now they now call it a mistake.
Secretary of State — The Denver Post gave a strong endorsement of Secretary Griswold’s opponent, former Jefferson County Clerk and Recorder Pam Anderson, who is also the former Director of the Colorado County Clerks Association and the Executive Director of Mark Zuckerberg’s Center for Tech and Civil Life. She is currently on leave from CTCL to run for Secretary of State.
The Post endorsement tells you everything you need to know about the Secretary of State race: A vote for either major party candidate in this race is effectively a vote for the fraud-denying establishment. Soros (Griswold) or Zuckerberg (Anderson) — that’s the “choice.”
The uniparty wants you to believe these are your only choices, though the American Constitution Party has put up Amanda Campbell and the Libertarians are running Bennett Rutledge. Either is a vote for change.
U.S. Senate — In the Senate race, it’s incumbent Michael Bennett, or Pro-Choice, Never Trumper Joe O’Dea. President Trump came out against Joe O’Dea in October in response to the candidate’s recent attacks against 45.
Pro-Life Libertarian Brian Peotter is also running for Senate in Colorado, and he is the top polling Libertarian in America. Despite Peotter’s popularity, he is being restricted from debating, an obvious attempt to limit his exposure to the people.
Attorney General — For Attorney General, arguably the most important statewide race this election, incumbent Democrat Phil Weiser is facing off against Republican John Kellner, sitting District Attorney for Colorado’s largest judicial district.
Both Weiser and Kellner view the role of AG as protecting the legal interests of the state — based on their actions. For example, Weiser has defended Griswold in litigation between her and other elected officials in the state. Kellner, despite receiving multitudes of reports, petitions, affidavits, and evidence of election fraud in his jurisdiction, has thus far refused to pursue the leads.
During the Republican Assembly and Convention in the spring, former Republican Stanley Thorne won a spot on the primary ballot for AG, but the Republican establishment — led by Kristi Burton Brown, George Brauchler, and Kellner himself — kept Thorne off the ballot. Thorne has qualified for “write-in” status, and voters can simply write “THORNE” into the space indicated on their ballot.
Stanley Thorne is distinct in this race as he has openly committed to prosecute government corruption and credible claims of election fraud. In a state were nearly 45% of voters are disillusioned with the two parties and unaffiliated, this vote seems like a no-brainer.
Governor
Then of course, there is the Governor race, where incumbent Democrat Jared Polis is facing off against Republican CU Regent Heidi Ganahl. There is zero excitement for either candidate across the state.
The American Constitution Party is running Danielle Neuschwanger in this race. Remember, the Governor’s results determine major or minor party status in Colorado, and voters need another party choice in our state. Bonus points for banishing the Republicans to minor status with less than 10%.
This is usually the point where I get screamed at: “You’ll split the vote!”
When either party runs terrible candidates, that’s the argument. “You MUST vote D or R or you’re handing the election to the other party!”
As the 2010 gubernatorial race proved, independent and third party candidates are more popular in our state than Republicans. By more than 200% in 2010 — and Republican popularity has nose-dived since.
You Have Options — Election day turnout breaks their algorithm so be sure to cast your vote in person on election day — not via mail or drop box.
The parties want you to think you have no choice. All D and R statewide candidates are unpopular, so they rely on fear of “splitting the vote” to convince you that you have no choice.
But you do. You have options when it comes to your representation. Choose wisely.
Ashe Epp is a writer and election integrity activist. Read her work at asheinamerica.com and follow her on Telegram and other socials @asheinamerica.
Mail-In Ballots, Voting On Election Day, And The Party Of Stupid
There is an old saying in politics that there are two major parties in America and one is the party of evil and the other is the party of stupid. The Republican Party is viewed as the party of stupid and that is particularly true in Colorado. The Republican Party in 2001 was on a roll looking like it would be the dominant party in the state. The Democrats then began changing the election rules to their benefit.
First, they put on the ballot a requirement for all mail-in ballots, which was overwhelmingly rejected by the voters in 2002. But then, with the help of the Republican Secretary of State, no excuse absentee balloting was instituted in 2004. In 2013 with Democrats in control of the Governor’s office, the Senate, and the House, they adopted all mail-in balloting even though the voters had previously rejected it. Did the Republicans then put on the ballot a rejection again of all mail-in balloting? No, of course not. Then in 2016 they had the voters approve semi-open primaries where independents could vote in either major party primary (although not in both).
By 2018, the Democrats and gubernatorial candidate Jared Polis began widespread ballot harvesting, and no Republican has since won any statewide election. It is well known that ballot harvesting is an invitation to voter fraud. What is more shocking is what is allowed with ballot harvesting. Did Colorado Republicans then go to court like in Delaware which found it unconstitutional? No. Did the party support closing its primary by ballot or by the courts? No. Did they support a ballot initiative to outlaw ballot harvesting? No.
Instead the changes have resulted in primaries where independent voters choose semi-Democrats as Republican standard bearers like Joe O’Dea for U.S. Senate and Pam Anderson for Secretary of State. Conversely, Democrats often have single person primaries, and their candidates tend to appeal to their base of voters.
Jon Caldara, The One-Eyed Man in the Party of the Blind
Republicans, like former state party chair and Congressman Ken Buck, call the Colorado system the “gold standard.” Former Republican Secretary of State Wayne Williams goes on television in an ad, paid for by the taxpayers’ COVID-19 funds praising the system, and the spot acted as a political advertisement for Democrat Jena Griswold for Secretary of State.
What have Republicans done to protest the clearly one-sided political system? They have told all their voters to wait until election day and vote in person. Brilliant! It guarantees a lower turnout by Republicans and Republican leaning independents, as with only one day to vote, all type of emergencies can develop preventing even the most ardent person from voting that day.
Conversely, the Democrats urged their voters to vote as soon as possible and give their ballots to trusted Democrat ballot harvesters. Thus, Democrats have a three week Get Out the Vote (GOTV) to get their voters to the polls. Essentially the Republicans have no GOTV as they can’t canvass recalcitrant Republican voters who say they intend to vote in person.
Republicans think ballot harvesting stinks and so they won’t do it. Jon Caldara, head of the Independence Institute, a free market think tank, is at least a one-eyed man in the party of the blind. He wrote a column for the Colorado Gazette (which is controlled like the Independence Institute, by Phil Anschutz) titled “Embrace a Vote Harvesting System.” He makes the obvious point that if one side ballot harvests and the other doesn’t, the one that doesn’t will lose.
But the head of the Colorado Republican Party Kristi Burton Brown doesn’t get it. She has done nothing with ballot harvest or GOTV, at least nothing that is in any manner effective.
Watching elections in Colorado is like watching a heavyweight boxing fight with the Republican Party voluntarily tying one hand behind its back and getting pummeled.
It’s looking more and more like there will be a red wave nationally. But we don’t think it will wash up through the Colorado Rockies. With probably the dumbest state Republican Party in the country, Republicans will likely at most make some minor gains and perhaps win the new 8th Congressional District. It has been said that if Republicans can’t make major gains in Colorado in 2022 it probably will never do so. When you let your opponents write all the rules in their favor and then call it “the gold standard,” you probably don’t deserve to win.
- Editorial Board
