October 10, 2014 08:00 AM UTC

If "Dr. Chaps" Is "Center Right," We Are All Screwed

•  
• by: Colorado Pols

FRIDAY UPDATE: We can't explain the Gazette's milquetoast profile (below) of Gordon "Dr. Chaps" Klingenschmitt, but reporter Megan Schrader has reported quite a bit of Klingenschmitt's craziness over the last few months–and posted this latest one late yesterday:

Gordon Klingenschmitt, a Colorado Springs state House candidate who has gotten attention from making controversial statements, told three members of the Colorado Springs lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community he would only meet with them after the election and only if his "security staff" screened the attendees first to determine whether or not it would be a "safe meeting."

Who would be unsafe here, exactly? And are we the only ones who consider it a little freaky that a guy like Klingenschmitt has, you know, "security staff?"

—–

The Colorado Springs Gazette published a profile of the HD-15 race today, which as our readers know is a longshot bid by Democrat Lois Fornander against the winner of the GOP primary to succeed Rep. Mark Waller in this heavily GOP district, Gordon "Dr. Chaps" Klingenschmitt. Even before, but especially since winning his primary, Klingenschmitt has made national press for over-the-top extreme views expressed on his Youtube video program–such as his belief that Obamacare "causes cancer," and the FCC is allowing "demonic spirits" to "visually rape your children." Most recently, Klingenschmitt's claim that Rep. Jared Polis was about to "join ISIS in beheading Christians" provoked condemnation from both sides of the aisle–but no push from Republicans for Klingenschmitt to exit the HD-15 race.

From the read of today's Gazette profile, it looks like the plan is now to sanitize Klingenschmitt, not push him out:

The competition for Colorado House of Representatives District 15 features two newcomers who say their opponent is too extreme…

"He does not represent this district," [Fornander] added. "I don't understand how people can support him."

Voter support, however, looks to be in favor of her challenger [Pols emphasis] for the seat now held by Rep. Mark Waller, a Republican who is not seeking re-election.

…Klingenschmitt, an Air Force Academy graduate, believes his views represent the district, which includes eastern Colorado Springs and Peterson Air Force Base.

He believes local control in education, lower taxes and less regulation for businesses and a protection of constitutional rights are the biggest issues in the upcoming election.

"My opponent is far more extreme on the left than I am in the center right," Klingenschmitt said. [Pols emphasis]

The profile does mention in passing Klingenschmitt's remarks about Rep. Polis, but nothing else from the long list of other objectively crazy things "Dr. Chaps" has said on his show. It's very difficult to take Klingenschmitt's claim that he is part of the "center right" seriously if you know the things he very routinely says. But short of a detailed exposure in the media of those statements before the election, it's just as hard to imagine how Lois Fornander can win in a district with more than twice as many registered Republicans as Democrats.

If that's how it plays out, the real disaster for Republicans may be when "Dr." Chaps is sworn in as Representative Chaps next January.