January 07, 2019 02:23 PM UTC

Arapahoe Tea Party to Address Gardner and "The Problem of the Circular Firing Squad"

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• by: Jason Salzman

(Good luck with that – Promoted by Colorado Pols)

At a meeting Tuesday, Arapahoe County Tea Party members will discuss ways to win (and lose) elections in Colorado, including the “problems of a circular firing squad,” according to the group’s Facebook page.

Republicans have been lashing out at U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner (R-CO) this week, in circular-firing-squad fashion, after Gardner called for passing legislation to open the federal government, without providing funds for a border wall.

In the political context, the term “circular firing squad” refers to members of a political party attacking members of their own party, inflicting damage and inciting intra-party anger.

Such firing squads can lead partisan activists to skip voting altogether for a controversial candidate.

After taking shots from a GOP circular firing squad, Gardner might be seen as lacking principles, which is a recurrent complaint of GOP Tea Party activists about Gardner, whom a prominent Republican recently called a “total [whore] for the Chamber of Commerce,” a “Mitch McConnell stooge,” and, “just like” U.S. Rep. Mike Coffman, a “traitor to every [position] he held in 2010.”

In Colorado, with so many Unaffiliated voters who appear hostile to the Republicans, a GOP candidate can ill afford to lose GOP votes and hope to win statewide, say pollsters.

GOP activist Gary Kirkland will lead the discussion about the firing squad and Gardner. Kirkland wrote on Facebook that “Cory Gardner will be one of the topics” of discussion at the Tues. meeting, which takes place at 9195 E. Mineral Ave. in Centennial from 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Also at the Jan. 8 meeting, failed GOP congressional candidate Casper Stockham will discuss “his message for a winning strategy.”

State Rep. Susan Beckman (R-Littleton), who’s rumored to be running for GOP state party chair, will offer an “in-depth look at the Democrat playbook that was used to turn Colorado.”