October 17, 2017 04:47 PM UTC

The Colorado GOP's circular firing squad, 2017 edition

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• by: Jason Salzman

(Promoted by Colorado Pols)

Republican gubernatorial candidate Doug Robinson, who’s Mitt Romney’s nephew, told KNUS’ Dan Caplis Monday that he and four other Republican candidates agreed at a forum that they won’t “do the circular firing squad,” and, instead, they’ll “try to be supportive” of one another.

Possibly thinking of Both-Ways Bob or national GOP attacks on Tom Tancredo in 2014, Caplis responded with relief, saying when Republicans “put a circular firing squad together, we don’t miss.”

It looks, however, like the firing squad is already in place.

Robinson himself has been repeatedly pummeled by his fellow Republicans for being Mitt Romney’s nephew, as has candidate Walker Stapleton for being George H.W. Bush’s cousin.

Gubernatorial candidate Steve Barlock, who was the chair of the Denver Trump Campaign, said the family ties of Robinson and Stapleton were a prime reason for his gubernatorial run: “I am interested [in running for governor] because I want to stop a Bush and stop a Romney,” Barlock told Fox 31 Denver’s Joe St. George.

Likewise, in one radio interview, gubernatorial candidate George Brauchler took a side swipe at Robinson and Stapleton for their family connections. “I am related to George Brauchler, Senior, and so, I got that, from Queens,” said Brauchler, in response to a comment about establishment Republicans running for governor.

Firing from across the circle in April, Victor Mitchell, a Republican businessman running for governor, had some harsh things to say about Brauchler: “It’s clear that the Capitol-insider establishment and road lawyer-lobbyists already have fellow lawyer Brauchler in their pockets. Just say ‘No thanks!, I’ll take a real businessman instead.’” Mitchell has said no attorney should “in any way be running for governor.”

Just this past Friday, Stapleton spokesman Michael Fortney, in a prickly Twitter exchange with Brauchler, ridiculed Brauchler, who, in turn, lashed out at Stapleton for missing candidate forums. Brauchler and GOP political operative Greg Brophy seem to want to launch a #WheresWalker! hashtag.

The most damage Colorado Republicans have inflicted on themselves in the past couple decades was probably done by Republican Marc Holtzman, in labeling Bob Beauprez “Both Ways Bob” in the 2006 GOP gubernatorial primary. Beauprez went on to lose to Bill Ritter and has been unable to shake the “Both Ways Bob” moniker to this day.