Caption This Photo: What Me, AFP?

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by: Colorado Pols

As readers know, a state of more or less open war exists today between the Colorado Republican Party and the conservative advocacy group Americans For Prosperity over the latter’s recent Republican primary endorsements: in the Republican presidential primary of the now-vanquished Nikki Haley, but more importantly for local consumption AFP’s endorsement of Jeff Crank in the CO-05 GOP primary over Colorado GOP chairman Dave “Let’s Go Brandon” Williams. This led to Williams kicking his abuse of party resources into high gear, with the Colorado GOP labeling AFP “Never-Trump phony hypocrites” in official communications and urging Republican voters to “not be fooled” by the group’s endorsements.

But as we’ve pointed out several times while covering this schism, Williams’ strident bashing of Americans For Prosperity, to the extent that it takes hold among Republican voters generally, is a big problem for what should be the Colorado GOP’s highest priority in 2024: the highly competitive CO-08 race pitting incumbent Rep. Yadira Caraveo against freshman Rep. “Gabbin'” Gabe Evans.

And folks, that is the face of a man who knows he’s got a problem! It could be one of the most reluctant-looking endorsement photos ever taken.

Although Americans For Prosperity cut off support for Haley prior to her exit from the presidential race, the group has continued to slam Trump’s return to power in the GOP, saying flat-out “The last three election cycles have painted a very clear picture of what we can expect from voters who consistently rejected Donald Trump and his impact on the Republican party brand.” Of course, there’s every possibility that AFP will join the rest of the Republican Party in forsaking their conscience and bending a knee to Trump–but if they don’t, their support is something Gabe Evans is going to have to reconcile with his Republican base.

While the Republican primaries in CO-05 and CO-04 have been about candidates racing to define themselves as the MAGA-est rock-ribbed conservative in the field, Evans has been able to squeak by so far without having to engage on the issues dividing Republicans elsewhere–or at least dividing Republicans from the rest of the country. As the presumed Republican nominee in one of the nation’s most even-divided congressional districts, that can’t last forever, and at some point Evans will be forced to explain why the state party’s attacks on AFP and candidates they support do not apply to him.

Either way, this is the race Colorado Republicans should be caring about the most. And it’s clear that party leadership has its attention focused elsewhere.

7 thoughts on “Caption This Photo: What Me, AFP?”

davebarnes says:

March 22, 2024 at 3:12 pm

Americans For Prosperity Action
should be
The Koch Brothers (even the dead one)

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1. bullshit! says:
  
  March 22, 2024 at 3:46 pm
  
  Right about now
  The dead Koch Brother
  Check it out now
  The dead Koch Brother
  
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bullshit! says:

March 22, 2024 at 3:44 pm

Gabe Evans is AFP in the streets and MAGA between the sheets.

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JohnInDenver says:

March 22, 2024 at 4:17 pm

Maybe I've missed out … but is Evans going to be pushed on any of the issues that wedge between AFP and CoGOP? I haven't gone looking, but there really is nothing in my head when it comes to his opponent, Janak Joshi

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1. Lauren Boebert is a Worthless POS says:
  
  March 22, 2024 at 4:58 pm
  
  AFP is pro-free trade. CO GOP, as a wholely-owneed subsidiary of MAGA, Inc., is protectionist.
  
  But if he is ever cornered on the issue, he can always pivot and scream about the "crisis at the border," or where transgender folks defecate, or Hunter Biden's laptop.
  
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doremi says:

March 25, 2024 at 1:45 pm

WRT “And it’s clear that party leadership has its attention focused elsewhere.”

Well, Dave WIlliams and his minions haven’t been doing candidate recruitment for the legislative races.

As of yesterday:

Of the 65 contests for a House seat, Republicans have NO ONE running in 29 of the races.

It is even worse in the state Senate. For the 18 contests, Republicans have NO ONE running in 10 of the races.

No way they are taking back either the House or Senate with this lackluster lineup.

R’s currently hold 12 seats in the Senate, 2 are term-limited. They have to WIN all the 8 races they are in to regain the senate majority. One is well quite unlikely, another 3 are no strolls in the park.

Yes. The party may find people to hold up their hand to run, but these are unlikely to be people who really have the deep desire to serve and aren’t likely to get out there and work for the seat.

BTW: Dems have NO ONE running in 9 House races and 2 Senate races. All those 11 districts are deeply red.

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1. Lauren Boebert is a Worthless POS says:
  
  March 25, 2024 at 2:33 pm
  
  You should not be able to call yourself a major political party unless you have a credible candidate – even a paper candidate – running in every district.
  
  I joke around and pick on people like Ike McCorkle and the various people who run in CD-5 every two years but all kidding aside, those people do us a service by putting their names on the ballot and showing up for the free media events. Even though they have the proverbial snowball's chance in Hell of actually winning, they maintain the Democratic Party's credibility.
  
  There was a time when the GOP could find someone to run in Denver and Boulder legislative districts. Hell, I'm old enough to remember when people like Dottie Wham and Jeanne Fatz could actually get elected as Republicans in Denver. Now, they can't even find people to run.
  
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