August 05, 2022 12:12 PM UTC

New Dark Money Group Targets Polis with Violent Rhetoric

•  
• by: Colorado Pols

FRIDAY UPDATE #2: Attorney General Phil Weiser calls for this video to be pulled down and for candidates on both sides to condemn its violent rhetoric:

Political ads suggesting gun violence have no place in Colorado or our political discourse. This out-of-state dark money group should pull this ad down. I urge elected officials and candidates in Colorado to condemn this dangerous and disturbing rhetoric. https://t.co/0xiltcBjCg

— Phil Weiser (@pweiser) August 5, 2022

—–

FRIDAY UPDATE: In a press release, the Colorado Democratic Party calls on Republican gubernatorial candidate Hiedi Heidi Ganahl to condemn this language:

A new dark money group supporting Heidi Ganahl’s weak run for governor released a video saying they wanted to “put lead on the target” this election cycle, referring to Governor Polis.

Colorado Democratic Party Chair Morgan Carroll released the following statement in response:

“In a state that has experienced multiple, horrific mass shootings, this kind of language is not acceptable. The use of violence, even as a metaphor, cannot be a part of normal political discourse. I am appalled at the levels Republicans will sink for political gain. Heidi Ganahl needs to condemn this ad and the group behind it immediately.”

—–

[Original post: August 4, 2022 at 2:48 PM MDT]

[mantra-pullquote align=”right” textalign=”left” width=”40%”]“‘Restore the Rockies’ is the best way to put lead on the target and keep it there until November 8.”[/mantra-pullquote]

We got word about a new Independent Expenditure Committee (IEC) that popped up today in Colorado called “Restore the Rockies” that plans to run advertisements and other electioneering communications attacking Gov. Jared Polis and supporting Republican gubernatorial candidate Hiedi Heidi Ganahl.

This particular IEC lists an official address as a UPS store in Highlands Ranch and appears to be organized by a Utah-based group called McCauley and Associates PC. A quick online search led us to a video that seems to be an advertisement for potential donors who might be interested in contributing to “Restore the Rockies” and the lost cause of a Republican campaign for Governor in Colorado.

Judging from the video, these apparent Ganahl allies are at least as incompetent as the candidate herself — but with a much more sinister tone. We uploaded the video to our own YouTube channel because “Restore the Rockies” will probably try to change the script as soon as someone realizes how terrible it sounds. You can see the entire video at the end of this post; here’s the relevant part and a transcription that follows:

“Restore the Rockies” is the best way to put lead on the target and keep it there until November 8. [Pols emphasis]

“Join us in the fight. We can defeat Polis together. Help us restore the Rockies.”

“Put lead on the target” is absolutely disgusting rhetoric. Full stop.

There have been at least 337 mass shootings in the United States in 2022 alone. This sort of violent rhetoric is completely unacceptable in any political campaign and should be immediately condemned by Ganahl herself. We’re not saying Ganahl is responsible for the content here, but no candidate for public office can stay quiet on this subject.

As for “Restore the Rockies,” they might as well just pack up shop and forget about trying to be involved in the 2022 election cycle. Once you use violent, threatening rhetoric about another candidate, anything else you say thereafter is meaningless; you will forever be known as the organization that metaphorically suggested shooting a politician.

The full video can be viewed after the jump below, along with the committee registration information for “Restore the Rockies.”

There are other problems with the rest of the video, including this weird sentence:

“Independent, non-affiliated voters make up a large population of Colorado and will play a key role in this election.”

Maybe it is common in Utah to refer to a subsection of the electorate as “non-affiliated voters,” but in Colorado we refer to these folks as “Unaffiliated voters.”

Here’s the full promo video for “Restore the Rockies”: