October 14, 2016 11:26 AM UTC

Get More Smarter on Friday (October 14)

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• by: Colorado Pols

By this time next week, many Colorado voters will have already cast their ballots in the 2016 election; we’re almost home, folks. It’s time to Get More Smarter with Colorado Pols. If you think we missed something important, please include the link in the comments below (here’s a good example). If you are more of a visual learner, check out The Get More Smarter Show.

TOP OF MIND TODAY…

► Presidential candidate Donald Trump managed to convince almost 20 whole Republican legislators to publicly support his candidacy…though that’s still less than half of the entire Republican legislative delegation. The following GOP lawmakers signed their names to a pledge of support for Trump made public on Thursday:

Jon Becker – State Representative, District 65
J. Paul Brown – State Representative, District 59
Perry Buck – State Representative, District 49
Polly Lawrence – State Representative, District 39
Tim Leonard – State Representative, District 25
Paul Lundeen – State Representative, District 19
Patrick Neville – State Representative, District 45
Dan Nordberg – State Representative, District 14
Bob Rankin – State Representative, , District 57
Lori Saine – State Representative, District 63
Jim Wilson – State Representative, District 60
Joann Windholz – State Representative, District 30
John Cooke – State Senator, District 13
Kent Lambert – State Senator, District 9
Vicki Marble – State Senator, District 23
Tim Neville – State Senator, District 16
Ray Scott – State Senator, District 7
Jerry Sonnenberg – State Senator, District 1
Laura Woods – State Senator, District 19

Pueblo Rep. Clarice Navarro is a notable omission on this list, though she later clarified to several news outlets that she remains a loyal Trump supporter. Trump may not be able to generate more public support from GOP lawmakers in Colorado, but Republicans remain absolutely terrified of angering loyal Trump backers throughout the state.

► Trump will be back in Colorado on Tuesday, making campaign stops in Colorado Springs and Grand Junction. As David O. Williams writes for the Rocky Mountain Post, Trump’s visit probably isn’t going to be helpful to embattled Republican Rep. Scott Tipton:

“In western and southern Colorado, we vote our values,” Democratic challenger Gail Schwartz said in a press release. “This is a moderate district of hard-working families with strong morals that won’t be compromised. This is my bottom line, and it should be Scott Tipton’s. We’ve seen time and time again that Donald Trump is not someone who reflects the values of the 3rd Congressional District. If Tipton won’t stand up for us, we deserve to know why.”

Tipton last weekend issued a statement condemning Trump’s recently released 2005 video-tape comments in which the reality TV star and New York businessman says his celebrity status allows him to sexually assault women. But Tipton refused to pull his support for the embattled GOP candidate. A spokesman for Tipton’s campaign on Thursday did not respond to a request for additional comment on Schwartz’s latest press release.

► The Aurora Sentinel backs Democrat Morgan Carroll in CD-6 with some pointed words for incumbent Rep. Mike Coffman. Carroll and Coffman participated in a debate moderated by CBS4 and Colorado Public Television that will air tonight; if you just can’t wait, you can watch the 30-minute debate online or read through our Debate Diary.

Get even more smarter after the jump…

IN CASE YOU ARE STANDING NEAR A WATER COOLER…

► A Republican-aligned leadership PAC is spending $1.3 million to help Rep. Scott Tipton (R-Cortez) hold his seat in CO-3.

► Former Jefferson County School Board member Julie Williams, who was infamously ousted from office in a recall election last November, offers her full support of Donald Trump while citing the steamy romance novel “50 Shades of Grey.”

► Congressman Ken Buck (R-Greeley) may not be able to comprehend both Climate Change and national security at the same time, but journalism students at the University of Colorado don’t seem to have any trouble doing both:

Buck’s statement that climate change is a distraction does not align with the Defense Department’s stance on the issue. According to department reports dating back to 2006, climate change is one of the biggest threats to the military and to national security…

…Climate change will affect the military in two fundamental ways, according to the 2010 Quadrennial Defense Review, which says that climate change will “shape the operating environment, roles, and missions that we undertake,” and that Defense “will need to adjust to the impacts of climate change on our facilities and military capabilities.” The Climate Security Consensus Project, a nonpartisan group of 25 military and national security leaders, reiterated this point, stating that climate change presents a “significant risk” to national security.

► Republican Senate candidate Darryl Glenn finally decided to release a home exercise video television commercial in his bid to unseat Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet.

► A Trojan Horse can make for a nice visual in a political stunt, but what do you do with a 10-foot replica horse once the cameras are turned off?

► KDVR in Denver provides a list of important links for voters as mail ballots prepare to flood Colorado neighborhoods.

► Donald Trump may go down hard in November, but he won’t be alone. As Politico reports, House Speaker Paul Ryan might be among the Trump campaign’s casualties:

With GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump cratering in the polls and the House Republican majority at serious risk, Ryan’s post-election career could take a number of different turns after Nov. 8 — none of them especially attractive. And as Ryan goes, so will Washington governance over the next few years.

► There may not be enough days left in the 2016 election to detail all of the lewd allegations accusing Donald Trump of some sort of creepy behavior.

► Donald Trump is in real danger of losing to Hillary Clinton in the state of Utah. Yes, Utah. 

OTHER LINKS YOU SHOULD CLICK

► You might not recognize the name of Michael Dunaway, a candidate running for Eagle County Commissioner, but you’re probably familiar with the famous house he lost to foreclosure in 2010.

► Save the butterflies.

ICYMI

► This was not a good week for the Denver Broncos. The good news: They don’t play again until Monday, October 24th.

Don’t forget to check out The Get More Smarter Show. You can also Get More Smarter by liking Colorado Pols on Facebook!