October 07, 2010 07:40 AM UTC

Republicans effectively told to vote for Tom Tancredo

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• by: Donald Johnson

(I also think Tanc has a credible chance – promoted by DavidThi808)

Vote Tom Tancredo. Protect the GOP’s power to reGerrymander the state.

That’s the message I think that Dick Wadhams and Mike Coffman are sending to Republicans. They’ve released Republicans to vote for the only viable conservative and Republican candidate, Tancredo.

At the same time, intentionally or otherwise, Dan Maes signaled his backers that he’s done. He did so by disclosing his supposedly “unproductive:” meeting with Tancredo. All Maes’ backers can conclude is that their guy has had it and that it’s time to go home to the real GOP candidate, Tancredo.

This will be a problem for Hickenlooper. He only leads Tanc 43% to 35% or more. Tanc probably can pickup 8 to 10 of Maes’ 15-16 points, and that would make him governor.

Ironically, Democrats, I think, helped this happen. They did so by making a big issue of the laws that would make the GOP a minor party if Maes got less than 10% of the votes.

I’ve dismissed that as a problem. And today, Wadhams, the chair of the Colorado GOP, did so in two ways. He talked to the press, and he sent an email to district captains saying that it would be no problem if Maes got less than 10% of the votes, according to reports.

So Republicans no longer have any excuses to vote for Maes and against Tanc.

And, indeed, in the last week most Republicans and Tea Party folks have come to the same conclusion.

I attended the Tea Party event for Tanc on Saturday. He was welcomed with a standing ovation. And the crowd of some 150 frequently cheered his applause lines. That convinced me that Tanc has taken the TP from Maes, and Maes knows it.

So on with the gov’s race. I think it will be fun to watch and cover.

Full Disclosure: I’ve supported Tancredo since he announced.