I am a “good” Republican. Last election cycle I was the executive director of the El Paso County Republican Party, and I worked hard for a candidate (John McCain) who was definitely not my first choice as the nominee for President.
I am proud that in spite of my personal reservations, our Republican team managed to put together the largest rally for McCain/Palin west of the Mississippi with more than 14,000 attendees. I worked tirelessly for our ticket, and I continue to pour out my energy and resources to inspire and enable my Republican family.
This year, I – like many others – am faced with a singularly difficult decision. Will I vote for Dan Maes or Tom Tancredo for Governor?
As a small business owner, I am a results-oriented person and I’m deeply concerned about Dan’s professional track record. Maes’ personal and business records show $19,202 for 2005, $20,340 for 2006, $51,678 for 2007, and $11,000 for 2008. At this time, he’s declined to release his 2009 records. By any objective standard, Maes was unable to successfully launch his business. That’s not a personal attack, it’s a merely a pragmatic measurement and it calls into question his capabilities.
To date Maes has raised $304,000; from those funds he has paid himself or family members $71,658 and has been penalized $20,750 in campaign finance fines. Regardless of his explanations, the fact remains that these are the hard-earned dollars of donors, and it seems unlikely that they prefer that nearly 40 percent of the money he raised, instead of creating an effective campaign against Mayor Hickenlooper, has been used for other purposes.
Additionally, if you Google “Dan Maes” and read the news coverage, there are repeated examples of other concerns including whether Maes has accurately (from the inception of his campaign) described his resume, and whether he knowingly violated campaign finance laws. They also cite some issues such as: a heretofore unknown bankruptcy, significant problems with his mortgage/HOA, a lien being placed on his house, and Dan’s claim – unsubstantiated by his superiors and the paper-trail – that he worked undercover for the Colorado Bureau of Investigation.
If you are a social conservative, then Maes’ flip-flop on abortion is significant. Initially Maes stated that “Roe v. Wade is the law of the land… (and) I would not try to undo that.” And then he said said “I am pro-life and disagree with Roe vs. Wade.”
His shift on the Second Amendment? First he said “no to a Vermont style conceal carry law and no on the repeal of the Brady background check.” But later he flips and said he “will support a conceal carry law similar to Vermont’s if the people of Colorado ask for it.”
Finally there is the issue of prominent community activists, from the grassroots to political leaders, who previously endorsed Maes, but have withdrawn their support. This list includes a the Western Slope Conservative Alliance, a Southern Colorado Tea Party organization, Josh Penry, Bob Beauprez, Hank Brown, John Andrews, Ted Harvey, Marsha Looper, Mike Coffman, and our candidate for U.S. Senate, Ken Buck. Even Gov. Haley Barbour, chairman of the Republican Governors Association, has withdrawn all RGA money from the Colorado race.
Tom Tancredo has his foibles. I didn’t support his presidential bid, nor did I support him after the Primary; I publicly endorsed Dan Maes. However, Tancredo is a known quantity with a conservative track record and a history of building coalitions. Upon entering the race, he coalesced support with an eye towards “big tent” Republican ideals and a strategic plan against Hickenlooper. He is a trusted conservative.
Just since his late entry in the race, Tancredo has raised more than $700,000; he has a strong team and a significant state-wide media campaign.
Tancredo, a long-time Republican leader, had to switch party affiliation to the American Constitutional Party to run. He got in the race late and looked like he was simply going to play the spoiler. The pundits assumed he would take 12-14 percent of the vote, and thereby hand the race to Hickenlooper.
And that is where the pragmatic rubber hits the proverbial road.
According to all of the most recent 3rd party polling, Maes is trending down from his high-water mark of 32 percent to where he sits now: 10 percent among likely voters. And Tancredo? He is trending upwards and has already exceeded Maes’ best poll number. He is now at 40 percent.
Hickenlooper? With Tancredo’s TV/Radio push against him, the latest poll shows 45 percent and falling.
With Tancredo at 40 percent and rising, and Hickenlooper at 45 percent, the most viable conservative choice appears to be Tom Tancredo. That assessment might not make me popular among some of my Republican family, but it is reality; if some percent of Maes supporters and some percent of undecided voters choose Tancredo, then the Republican’s worst fears of redistricting under a Democrat governor might not be realized.
As someone who has always voted a straight Republican ticket, I am now faced with an interesting decision. Will I throw away my vote with what may become only 6 or 8% percent of the electorate who support Dan Maes, or will I cast my ballot for a conservative Tom Tancredo who – pragmatically and objectively – stands the best shot at defeating Hickenlooper?
Nathan Fisk of Monument is a political and business consultant based in Colorado. He is a member of his local Republican Executive Committee, the Republican State Central Committee and is the former executive director of the El Paso County Republicans, the 3rd largest Republican county in the U.S. EDITOR’S NOTE: This is an online-only column and has not been edited.
