Gino Campana Buys Up Kellyanne Conway To Land Trump Nod

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by: Colorado Pols

Kellyanne Conway.

As Ernest Luning of the Colorado Springs Gazette’s political blog reports, of the whole pack of minor candidates trying to self-fund and rabblerouse themselves to prominence in the Republican U.S. Senate primary, wealthy businessrando Gino Campana has worked harder than any of them to publicly align himself with Donald Trump—trumpeting the MAGA world luminaries who have endorsed Campana’s campaign, and hosting Trump officials to give MAGA pep talks at campaign events.

Today, Campana announced the hire of one of biggest names in Trump’s closest circle to serve as a “senior advisor” to the campaign, none other than former Trump advisor Kellyanne Conway of “alternative facts” infamy:

Kellyanne Conway, a longtime senior adviser to former President Donald Trump, is signing on to Colorado Republican Gino Campana’s campaign for the U.S. Senate seat held by Democrat Michael Bennet, a Campana spokesman said Thursday.

Conway, the veteran pollster and political strategist who managed Trump’s winning 2016 presidential campaign, worked at the White House from 2017 to 2020 as senior counselor to the president. She’ll be a senior advisor to Campana, one of eight Republicans challenging Bennet’s bid for a third term.

Calling Campana “a strong leader who will fight for the people and not be part of the status quo in Washington,” Conway said in a written statement that she looks forward to helping the former Fort Collins city councilman’s campaign.

Gino Campana (R).

Kellyanne Conway is one of the most polarizing figures from the Trump administration, whose willingness to state and maintain absurd positions issued by the White House with a straight face made her a hero among the faithful and the butt of jokes for late-night television for four years. Attempting to defend the ridiculous claim by then-Press Secretary Sean Spicer that Trump’s first inauguration was the biggest public event since Woodstock, Conway coined the term “alternative facts” that has been used to lampoon residents of the Trump misinformation bubble ever since. Most recently, Conway was sacked from the Air Force Academy advisory board to which she had received a patronage appointment in the final days of Trump’s administration. Were it not that Trump still holds his iron grip on the Republican Party, Conway would already find herself in the Dick Morris netherworld of zero credibility.

At this point, it’s clear that Gino Campana has not thought beyond the June 28th Republican primary–because currying favor with the Trump world is only useful to Campana up to that time, after which it becomes a huge liability. In 2018, Walker Stapleton ran hard on his support for Trump in the primary only to be brutalized by anti-Trump sentiment in the general election. Trump wasn’t on the ballot either that year or this year, but in both cases Republicans running in Colorado are wilfully placing themselves in Trump’s shadow. In 2018, it helped cost Stapleton the race. In 2022, Campana seems to be making the right transactions to obtain Trump’s endorsement in the primary. But how much will that endorsement cost Campana in November?

Looks like Gino Campana will shake that Etch-a-Sketch if and when he comes to it.

12 thoughts on “Gino Campana Buys Up Kellyanne Conway To Land Trump Nod”

RepealAndReplace says:

February 3, 2022 at 2:33 pm

The photo of Kellyanne Conway should read, "I'll get you and your little dog, too!"

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harrydoby says:

February 3, 2022 at 3:01 pm

Alva, I’m pretty sure you meant to say Sean Spicer, the well known celebrity dancing clown.😉

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Moderatus says:

February 3, 2022 at 4:21 pm

Campana seems to be the candidate to beat. Colorado Pols coming after him with the usual guilt by association proves you’re worried about him.

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1. Matt A. Harry says:
  
  February 3, 2022 at 4:32 pm
  
  My dog is polling better than Gino.
  
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2. MichaelBowman says:
  
  February 3, 2022 at 6:07 pm
  
  The only person here worried about guilt by association is Gino and the certain kiss of death that is your hearty endorsement.
  
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3. Diogenesdemar says:
  
  February 3, 2022 at 6:35 pm
  
  Jeez, Fluffy, I dunno’ . . .
  
  . . . I thought you had us down as still being afraid of Governor Coffman?
  
  (. . . and all the rest of Team Kleenex?)
  
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4. spaceman2021 says:
  
  February 4, 2022 at 9:34 am
  
  Yawn. You ascribe so much to us. Gino Campana worry? Nah. In fact, not much worry at all about the slate of miscreants on the nazi side of the aisle
  
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ElliotFladen says:

February 4, 2022 at 6:35 am

(Replying to Moderatus) It’s a tricky question as to who is doing best. Having watched the debates and attended one (still need to watch recorded Weld debate), Gino has the best organization. But you can’t trust the results of the straw polls as you can skew who wins by simply having your campaign buy up tons of seats. And I’ve seen some stuff suggesting that sort of shenanigans is going on.

That said, I agree that Gino is doing well. He gives very strong opening statements in all debates and as mentioned above has the best campaign organization presence. But once you get past opening statements Gino tends to falter; he blends right back into the crowd.

This is where Eli (disclosure: he is as mentioned before an old friend of mine so I am quite biased) has his angle. Basically Gino is only as good as his advisors can prep him (better version of O’Dea). But Eli is able to repeatedly nail questions for the GOP base on tough issues. He presents a plan to flip the script in the general on the environment, voting, and trans issues. And the base laps up his answers from what I have seen. At least when he stays on point…like all new candidates he has room for improvement in his answers. Plus Eli has better endorsements.

So I really see it as a Gino vs Eli race. Can Gino’s superior organization and openings keep preventing Eli from catching fire? Or can Eli finally make not two or three baskets in a row but a bunch to go on a run? I see either as possible making this a fun race to watch.

To add to the interest even further is the O’Dea factor. A guy with an absolutely massive war chest – but who otherwise has no real ability as a candidate – running a vanity campaign that his advisors can get quite rich whispering sweet nothings into his ear. He will spend boat loads to petition on making it possibly a three way fight for non-insanity between him, Eli, and Gino (I don’t think other candidates are going anywhere unless Flora’s “Awakening not Awokening” line finally works on the 200th time she says it). And if that happens it isn’t Eli or Gino that will be the nominee. Or O’Dea. It will be Ron Hanks in a scenario like the 2016 GOP presidential primary (where Rubio and Cruz knocked each other out and Trump snuck in).

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1. Duke Cox says:
  
  February 4, 2022 at 7:20 am
  
  Thanks for that informed analysis, Elliot. Interesting. It's why people come here.
  
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  1. Conserv. Head Banger says:
    
    February 4, 2022 at 7:26 am
    
    I agree with Duke (surprise !!).
    
    I need to check out Eli's campaign website.
    
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    1. Diogenesdemar says:
      
      February 4, 2022 at 9:29 am
      
      I took a look at Eli’s site, and although I would certainly never consider myself the “intended audience,” I also honestly have to admit . . .
      
      . . . you probably are.
      
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2. The realist says:
  
  February 4, 2022 at 7:39 am
  
  I’m not sure anyone needs to knock anyone out. The extremists of the Party will go for Hanks in the Primary, unless Hanks ends up shooting himself in the foot – figuratively or literally.
  
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