# Republicans vs. Tea Party 1st shot fired in Colorado **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [July 23, 2010, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republicans-vs-tea-party-1st-shot-fired-in-colorado/547684 "2010-07-23T04:40:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2010, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republicans-vs-tea-party-1st-shot-fired-in-colorado/547684/21 "2010-07-27T23:42:47Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > 9-12 activists? Is that a formatting issue or a real group? [It’s Glenn Beck’s baby.](http://www.the912project.com/) ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2010, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republicans-vs-tea-party-1st-shot-fired-in-colorado/547684/22 "2010-07-27T23:44:41Z")
> [@Frank](#): > > > [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](#): > > > > I’ll bet that it’s a nominating convention. > > They already had it. That determined that Maes and McInnis would be in the primary. > > If after the primary the winner drops out, a new nominee would be selected by a vacancy comittee, and that is what Tancredo would like to see. His name has been mentioned as a possible substitute. Tancredo could never win a state-wide race, but if he runs as a third-party candidate, he could certainly ensure that Hickenlooper wins. > > I am vastly amused by this whole thing. The next edition of the dictionary will offer this story as the definition of circular firing squad. Interesting. So this is just a clusterfuck. ---
**Author:** ![Kolga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e56c9b/32.png) [@Kolga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolga)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2010, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republicans-vs-tea-party-1st-shot-fired-in-colorado/547684/23 "2010-07-27T23:52:53Z")
> [@Frank](#): > > Tancredo will definitely draw more votes that Goss would have. His votes will also ensure that Hickenlooper is elected. I think at this point it’s almost a foregone conclusion that Hick will win. Tancredo, even if he pulled out (which his ego won’t allow), will confuzzle the Republicans enough to freak everybody out, and McInnis’ continued stubborn insistence that plagiarism isn’t a big deal isn’t going to help him at all. > [@Frank](#): > > I’ll be very interested in seeing how this shakes out down-ticket. If I were Romanoff, I’d sell my house if that’s what it took to win the Senate nomination against Bennet. I don’t know if you were kidding or not, but that’s exactly what Romanoff just did - sold his house and lent $325,000 to his own campaign 😃 > [@Frank](#): > > It could also help Betsy Markey in the 4th district if it discourages regular Republicans from voting in a district that, given a sound candidate, I would expect to return to Republican. Dick Wadhams has intimated, and other political watchers have said outright, that this is what Tancredo’s going to do, if he already hasn’t done it - disgust so many Republicans with his antics that they’ll just stay home. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2010, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republicans-vs-tea-party-1st-shot-fired-in-colorado/547684/24 "2010-07-27T23:55:50Z")
> [@Kolga](#): > > This is more fun than a barrel of monkeys. Atomic-testing mutant monkeys, with rabies, on an LSD-methedrine speedball. ---
**Author:** ![Kolga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e56c9b/32.png) [@Kolga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolga)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2010, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republicans-vs-tea-party-1st-shot-fired-in-colorado/547684/25 "2010-07-27T23:57:16Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > > [@Kolga](#): > > > > This is more fun than a barrel of monkeys. > > Atomic-testing mutant monkeys, with rabies, on an LSD-methedrine speedball. Listen to the link I gave of the two of them squaring off on talk radio on Monday, and once the host (Peter Boyles, a raving loon if there ever was one) gets involved, it does kinda sound like your description. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2010, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republicans-vs-tea-party-1st-shot-fired-in-colorado/547684/26 "2010-07-28T00:16:41Z")
> [@Kolga](#): > > I don’t know if you were kidding or not, but that’s exactly what Romanoff just did - sold his house and lent $325,000 to his own campaign 😃 Yeppers. Saw the headline, but didn’t read the article. If he loses, I can recommend a not too bad dive on Capitol Hill where I used to live for cheap. ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2010, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republicans-vs-tea-party-1st-shot-fired-in-colorado/547684/27 "2010-07-28T00:26:08Z")
I think Romanoff’s going to beat Bennet. I don’t know anyone who really likes Bennet, and even the party leadership sounds really tepid in their support. It sounds like they are hedging their bets - privately hoping that Romanoff wins, while sticking to the party line of supporting the incumbent. Romanoff’s been all over the media, while Bennet is only seen and heard from in commercials. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2010, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republicans-vs-tea-party-1st-shot-fired-in-colorado/547684/28 "2010-07-28T00:33:36Z")
> [@Lamar\_Mundane](#): > > I don’t know anyone who really likes Bennet, and even the party leadership sounds really tepid in their support. It sounds like they are hedging their bets - privately hoping that Romanoff wins, while sticking to the party line of supporting the incumbent. That’s also the impression I get from a distance. You’re in the 4th district aren’t you? What are Gardner’s chances looking like? ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2010, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republicans-vs-tea-party-1st-shot-fired-in-colorado/547684/29 "2010-07-28T00:59:13Z")
> [@Lamar\_Mundane](#): > > Let there be no mistake about it: Regardless of who our nominee is for governor after the primary, if Tom Tancredo carries through on his threat to run as a third party candidate, he will be responsible for the election of Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper as governor Your description of the Republicans makes it sound like neither of them is a good bet to win anyway, even if Tancredo disappears or had never been involved. ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2010, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republicans-vs-tea-party-1st-shot-fired-in-colorado/547684/30 "2010-07-28T01:09:20Z")
> [@Frank](#): > > > [@Lamar\_Mundane](#): > > > > I don’t know anyone who really likes Bennet, and even the party leadership sounds really tepid in their support. It sounds like they are hedging their bets - privately hoping that Romanoff wins, while sticking to the party line of supporting the incumbent. > > That’s also the impression I get from a distance. > > You’re in the 4th district aren’t you? What are Gardner’s chances looking like? You must be thinking of someone else. I’m in the Boulder area. No idea who Gardner is. ---
**Author:** ![DanBlather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@DanBlather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DanBlather)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2010, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republicans-vs-tea-party-1st-shot-fired-in-colorado/547684/31 "2010-07-28T03:57:45Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > What’s so bad about Tancredo running? If, as you say, the Tea Partier is a liar about his success, and the Republican is a plagiarist, then the Democrat would have an easy enough time beating either or both of them. From what you say, Tancredo is the only conservative with a realistic chance of winning. I mean, it’s not his fault that the other guys are sabotaging his ideology’s success. That’s my take. Should he let one of the two buffoons win instead? ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2010, 10:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republicans-vs-tea-party-1st-shot-fired-in-colorado/547684/32 "2010-07-28T10:20:42Z")
> [@Lamar\_Mundane](#): > > You must be thinking of someone else. I must be; I thought you were in Sterling. Gardner is the Republican candidate for the 4th district, running against Markey. ---
**Author:** ![MizTina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MizTina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MizTina)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2010, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republicans-vs-tea-party-1st-shot-fired-in-colorado/547684/33 "2010-07-28T14:31:57Z")
My new favorite political commercial has been of accused plagiarist Scott McInniss holding up a pen, and declaring it will be the pen he will use to slash taxes and create new jobs. I always ask him (or rather the image on tv) if that’s the pen he used for the alleged plagiarism. And then I just crack up. I really think whoever thought that spot up wasn’t thinking properly. ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2010, 7:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republicans-vs-tea-party-1st-shot-fired-in-colorado/547684/34 "2010-07-30T07:23:07Z")
> [@Lamar\_Mundane](#): > > The American Constitution Party’s platform calls for the elimination of congressional salaries and pensions. I assume when Tom Tancredo becomes that minor party’s nominee, he will forego his own congressional pension and will reimburse American taxpayers for the ten years of congressional salary he drew. I understand that ACP’s platform only calls for the elimination of congressional pensions, not salaries. Be that as it may, I can’t see anything wrong with Tancredo keeping the pay package that he agreed to when elected Congressman. Personally, I think the Republican Party should be dismantled – any party that claims to have a budget alternative that inspection shows has **not a single budget item or estimate** [deserves to be laughed out of the room.](http://delong.typepad.com/sdj/2009/03/republicans-the-stupid-party.html) OTOH, I see that the Constitution Party seems to believe that 16th Amendment was never legally ratified; they appear to be in touch with their inner crank. They may very well lay claim to a substantial fraction of tea partiers. Good for them. It would be even better if the Republican candidate could explain why they make no sense. > [@Frank](#): > > Gardner is the Republican candidate for the 4th district, running against Markey. Gardner’s ACP opponent is Doug Aden. [http://www.adenforcongress.com/](http://www.adenforcongress.com/) ---
**Author:** ![New\_Deal\_Democrat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/9d8465/32.png) [@New\_Deal\_Democrat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/New_Deal_Democrat)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2010, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republicans-vs-tea-party-1st-shot-fired-in-colorado/547684/35 "2010-07-30T11:46:25Z")
> [@Zebra](#): > > > [@Ludovic](#): > > > > 9-12 activists? Is that a formatting issue or a real group? > > That is a real group. They want America to be like we were on 9/12/2001. United, and terribly depressed and in deep shock. That attitude will not come back. The Bush administration exploited those sentiments to invade Iraq while cutting taxes. ---
**Author:** ![New\_Deal\_Democrat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/9d8465/32.png) [@New\_Deal\_Democrat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/New_Deal_Democrat)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2010, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republicans-vs-tea-party-1st-shot-fired-in-colorado/547684/36 "2010-07-30T11:49:24Z")
> [@Lamar\_Mundane](#): > > Let there be no mistake about it: Regardless of who our nominee is for governor after the primary, if Tom Tancredo carries through on his threat to run as a third party candidate, he will be responsible for the election of Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper as governor and for other races that will be imperiled as well. I welcome disunity on the right. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![The\_Facts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bb73d2/32.png) [@The\_Facts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Facts)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2010, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republicans-vs-tea-party-1st-shot-fired-in-colorado/547684/37 "2010-07-30T12:18:39Z")
You know, every time I see this thread title, I wish it was litterally true… ---
**Author:** ![descamisado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@descamisado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/descamisado)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2010, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republicans-vs-tea-party-1st-shot-fired-in-colorado/547684/38 "2010-07-30T16:30:40Z")
> [@The\_Facts](#): > > You know, every time I see this thread title, I wish it was **litterally** true… Perhaps they’ll be firing minié balls. ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2010, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republicans-vs-tea-party-1st-shot-fired-in-colorado/547684/39 "2010-08-01T22:45:10Z")
> [@Frank](#): > > > [@Lamar\_Mundane](#): > > > > I don’t know anyone who really likes Bennet, and even the party leadership sounds really tepid in their support. It sounds like they are hedging their bets - privately hoping that Romanoff wins, while sticking to the party line of supporting the incumbent. > > That’s also the impression I get from a distance. > > You’re in the 4th district aren’t you? What are Gardner’s chances looking like? Pretty stunning poll in the Denver Post today. [Romanoff has pulled ahead of Bennet, 48-45.](http://www.denverpost.com/election2010/ci_15650614) Stunning because Bennet was the White House’s chosen candidate, is the incumbent, and has eight times as much money as Romanoff. He was also 17 points ahead a month and a half ago. ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2010, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republicans-vs-tea-party-1st-shot-fired-in-colorado/547684/40 "2010-08-02T01:56:40Z")
> [@Lamar\_Mundane](#): > > Pretty stunning poll in the Denver Post today. [Romanoff has pulled ahead of Bennet, 48-45.](http://www.denverpost.com/election2010/ci_15650614) > > Stunning because Bennet was the White House’s chosen candidate, is the incumbent, and has eight times as much money as Romanoff. He was also 17 points ahead a month and a half ago. Well the sample size is 536 (smallish) and that’s just one poll by Zata3, an outfit that I’ve never heard of.[1] Here’s how the poll tracks: [http://polltracker.talkingpointsmemo.com/contests/2010-co-sen-d](http://polltracker.talkingpointsmemo.com/contests/2010-co-sen-d) Calling it “Stunning” may be premature. Until a second poll comes out or an independent statistician weighs in, I’d characterize the results as “Interesting if true”. [1] But the article says the poll was done by SurveyUSA, which I _have_ heard of. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republicans-vs-tea-party-1st-shot-fired-in-colorado/547684.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republicans-vs-tea-party-1st-shot-fired-in-colorado/547684.md?page=3)