September 02, 2011 10:46 PM UTC

Colorado GOP Brass Backs Romney, While "Tea Party" Declares War

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• by: Colorado Pols

We noted on Tuesday that GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney will attend a fundraiser in Denver next week, co-hosted by much of the top-level Colorado Republican brass. Their support stands in contrast to polling that shows Romney is rapidly losing ground in this state to Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who was in Aspen recently collecting big checks at a fundraiser featuring former gubernatorial primary candidates Marc Holtzman and Scott McInnis.

As our friends at the Washington Post report, the “Tea Party” is in the process of making their choice for President too–but for now, their view seems to be “anybody but Romney.”

Romney, despite his slip from frontrunner status since Texas Gov. Rick Perry entered the GOP race, remains a formidable candidate with the most money and the deepest organization and fundraising network of anyone in the field. His weaknesses among conservatives – most notably his support for a health-care overhaul in Massachusetts that became the basis for Obama’s health care plan – are overlooked in favor of his business acumen and moderation on social issues by those who view electability over Obama is paramount.

That hasn’t stopped some tea party leaders from launching an anyone-but-Romney campaign that will include protesting during his appearances at conservative functions and working to counter his organization in crucial states, [Pols emphasis] such as Florida and Ohio, that come after the earliest primaries next year. The idea is to establish a broader narrative that Romney is unacceptable. The risk, if they fail, is that they undermine the political influence that the movement has worked tirelessly for two years to build.

Matt Kibbe, president of the national organization FreedomWorks, said it’s a risk worth taking.

“I think the message from the tea party in New Hampshire is, “We’re not useful idiots,'” Kibbe said, repeating a phrase that has popped up increasingly in recent days to remind activists not to capitulate to the Republican establishment. “There’s this long tradition in the Republican Party to simply elect the next guy in line. That’s how we got John McCain, and that’s how we got Mitt Romney. If somebody says that early and often, you have a better potential to see if somebody can emerge as a true competitor to Romney.”

It’s instructive to remember: FreedomWorks is the same organization that emerged as an early backer of Weld County DA Ken Buck in the 2010 GOP Senate primary against the “establishment” candidate, former Lt. Gov. Jane Norton. Buck’s strong support from the “Tea Party” against Norton was instrumental in his razor-thin primary victory last year.

Most of the Colorado GOP establishment last year backed Jane Norton. As it turns out, they were wise to do so–given Buck’s massive loss to Michael Bennet with women, but very narrow loss overall…we aren’t saying with 100% certainty that Norton would be Senator Norton today had she won the primary, but it’s very clear in hindsight who the more electable candidate was.

And now FreedomWorks has a new “establishment favorite” to bust down the way they busted down Jane Norton–with or without the permission of local GOP bigwigs. Mitt Romney.