January 21, 2021 09:56 AM UTC

The Old Ken Buck Is Back

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• by: Colorado Pols

Rep. Ken Buck, outgoing chairman of the Colorado Republican Party, angered a broad swath of party faithful by acknowledging Joe Biden’s victory over Donald Trump after the Electoral College did its thing on December 14, and going to significant lengths to debunk the baseless allegations about Colorado’s election system that also underpinned Trump’s bogus claims the election was stolen. Buck proved willing to accept the election results, albeit grudgingly and only after joining the ill-fated Texas v. Pennsylvania lawsuit to overturn them.

But in case you were wondering whether Buck is actually turning over some kind of new leaf here, maybe positioning for a bid for statewide office despite Colorado’s steady leftward march since he lost the 2010 U.S. Senate race, you needn’t:

The country is struggling with a pandemic and President Biden is focused on helping biological men compete in women’s sports. https://t.co/AURlzpaMGc

— Congressman Ken Buck (@RepKenBuck) January 21, 2021

Because Buck is the same meanspirited culture warrior he always was, and Colorado stopped electing such people to statewide office a long time ago. Buck’s willingness to accept the 2020 election results doesn’t entitle him to any special deference in a state Biden won by over 13 points. And as Buck is happy to demonstrate any time, his views are far more repellent to a majority of Colorado voters than the last Republican elected to a major statewide office, ex-Sen. Cory Gardner, ever were. Gardner won his office by pretending not to be all the things Buck owns up to with a smile.

Buck’s career ceiling is his safe GOP seat in Congress, and he won’t try to fake otherwise.

It’s just not who he is.