To the naked eye, it boggles the mind. The demise of Republicans as a viable, even dominant, statewide force in Colorado has been nothing short of stunning.
Flash back just two decades. Heading into the 2004 election, Republicans held the Colorado governor’s office; controlled both legislative chambers; both U.S. Senate seats; and five of the state’s seven congressional seats. Democrats held sway in Denver and Boulder…and very few places beyond.
In 20 years, the situation has been turned upside down. Actually, the turnaround required far less time than that. Moreover, for the past several election cycles, most races haven’t even been close. Cory Gardner, an incumbent Republican senator, lost his reelection bid by a full nine points. This past cycle, Democratic candidates won every statewide race by double-digit margins.
To be sure, there are multiple reasons for this turnaround. Demographics and in-migration are a part of it. Other factors include large Democratic donors to go along with superior political infrastructure. The takeover of the GOP by Donald Trump, never resonant in Colorado, expanded the margins and sent the Republican tailspin into overdrive.
But no analysis is complete without mention of Republican complicity. Simply put, those long on the fringes of the GOP moved into the driver’s seat over recent years.
The antics of Dave Williams and Lauren Boebert should be a sideshow. But in today’s Colorado Republican Party, such extreme figures occupy center stage. Many – too many – in their ranks prefer to run the show in a minority party, ever more drowning, than to broaden the coalition and make a serious attempt at renewed viability.
I’ll close with one name: Ken Buck. The former congressman first came onto the scene as a Tea Party favorite. He is as philosophically conservative as they come. But for having the temerity to respect the Constitution and stand up for traditional conservative doctrine, he became persona non grata in GOP ranks.
The shame belongs not to Buck, but to those who ex-communicated him as part of the party’s downward spiral.
