Name-calling inside the GOP is helping Democrats win

By Shirley Bauer | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice

For Review: What Is a “Shirley’s Swirly”? 

“Shirley’s Swirly” (noun): An action using water to symbolically swirl bad thinking down a drain. It applies to a person, ideology, or organization that needs their “stinkin’ thinkin’” adjusted. No physical harm to any human or animal is ever involved. 

Why This Swirly Exists 

I started “Shirley’s Swirly” because of the growing attacks on Republicans in office. Those attacks haven’t slowed — they’ve intensified. Groups like RINO Watch, along with people calling themselves “Republicans” seem to enjoy smearing fellow Republicans more than focusing on winning against the Democrats. So today’s “Shirley’s Swirly” goes to the name-calling culture that has taken root inside our own  party. 

How the Word “RINO” Lost Its Meaning 

The word RINO tops the list of insults thrown at incumbents. It stands for “Republican In Name  Only.” It used to have a clear meaning back in the 1990s: If a Republican supported a tax hike or  gun-control measure, they were seen as a Democrat in a red tie. It was about ideological purity. But the definition has drifted so far that the RINO of the 1990s has nothing in common with the RINO  label of 2026. Recently, it’s been used to attack center-leaning Republicans or to “purge” what some  believe is the old guard. The target keeps moving and today, it has morphed into something even more  sinister. And when “RINO” isn’t enough, some add words like traitor, swamp rat, turd, or ass-wipe,  or cussing at folks — anything to sling mud. 

The saddest part? People who have never met the targeted Republican — and who haven’t done a shred of research — swallow this emotional drivel as if it were fact. It’s malicious gossip dressed up as truth.

The Reagan Rule vs. The Modern Purge 

Ronald Reagan famously had an Eleventh Commandment: “Thou shalt not speak ill of any fellow  Republican.” If someone agreed with him 80% of the time, they were an 80% friend — not a 20%  traitor. That rule seems dead today. 

Being labeled a RINO is no longer about voting records. It’s about vibes, feelings, and loyalty to  specific personalities. Here in Colorado, it’s even worse. If you don’t agree with the beliefs of the  self-described “grassroots” far-right faction, the former chair, or the anonymous voices behind RINO  Watch, you get the RINO label slapped on your forehead before you even know what happened. 

You can have a 100% conservative voting record on abortion, taxes, deregulation, and the Second  Amendment — but disagree once, and suddenly you’re a RINO. 

The goalposts aren’t just moving — they’re on wheels and traveling at warp speed. 

The Telephone Game of Politics 

Remember the telephone game we played as kids? One person whispers a sentence, it gets passed  around the circle, and by the time it reaches the last person, it’s completely distorted. 

That’s exactly what’s happening now — except the consequences are real, and the people being  slandered are hardworking Republicans trying to serve their constituents. 

When the Loudest Accusers Look Like the Real RINOs 

Yes, there may be a few true RINOs out there. But from what I’m seeing, the people doing the loudest  accusing may be the ones closest to the definition. 

Take Ian Escalante of Rocky Mountain Gun Owners. He went after two Republican members of our  Colorado State House and Senate, over a single bill he claimed was anti-gun — except it wasn’t. HE  was the one who labeled it that way, then pushed for someone to run against a Republican  Representative who happened to be a sponsor of the bill, who is ex-military and strongly pro-gun. His  excuse? “We don’t care if there’s an R or a D behind the name.” “If a legislator doesn’t agree with  Rocky Mountain Gun Owner’s 100%, we will find someone to primary them.”  

That behavior mirrors the tactics of the Democrats they claim to oppose. And it risks losing seats  we cannot afford to lose. 

When Losing Candidates Throw Tantrums 

It’s also ironic — and troubling — to see candidates who call themselves Republicans challenge  incumbents, lose, and then: 

• Lash out 

• Leave the party 

• Run third-party 

• Or encourage people to vote against the Republican nominee

Ron Hanks did it four years ago when he encouraged people to vote for the Libertarian after losing the  Senate primary. Sean Pond didn’t make the ballot this year and immediately blamed Republicans for  not picking HIM. Locally, Daryl Reed left the party and became a write-in candidate after failing to  make the ballot, also blaming Republicans for his failure to win enough votes to make it onto the ballot. 

These actions do not reflect Republican values. They reflect personal ambition over party unity. 

Colorado’s Numbers Should Be a Wake-Up Call 

Republicans are outnumbered in Colorado: 

• State Senate: 23 Democrats to 12 Republicans 

• State House: 43 Democrats to 22 Republicans 

Colorado State House layout illustration at right:  

To put it plainly: It’s like trying to play football with half a team! 

So why on earth would anyone go after incumbents when we desperately need more Republicans elected? 

Feelings Over Facts: The RINO Watch Problem 

We’ve entered a culture where feelings matter more than facts. 

RINO Watch has labeled more Republicans as RINOs than any group I’ve ever seen — and I  doubt any of them fit the true definition. They even labeled Congresswoman Lauren Boebert a RINO, which tells you everything you need to know as anyone who knows Congresswoman Boebert knows that is not true.

And who are these anonymous people behind RINO Watch? Why trust anyone who hides behind a curtain? For all we know, they may be the real RINOs — or at least hypocrites. Or as I like to call them:  

Hippo-crites. 

 

As the old saying goes: When you point one finger at someone, four point back at you. 

Maybe it’s worse. Maybe they’re part of a political Trojan Horse?  

After the Assembly: More Division, Not Less 

Since the Republican Assembly in April, the name-calling and smearing of incumbents, and even of  the candidates who won the highest percentage of votes to get on the ballot, has increased.

The same people pushing for an opt-out this year claim that only Assembly-chosen candidates are “true Republicans.” Meanwhile, incumbents in CD4 and CD8 won their ballot spots with over 80% support — yet RINO Watch still slapped the label of RINO on them in their RINO list. Even the new State  GOP Chairman who was just elected, is on the list. Are your eyes open yet?  

Congressman Jeff Hurd even rearranged his packed schedule to speak at the CD3 Assembly, and he still gets targeted. Ron Hanks jumping in two days before the Assembly to run against Hurd was not the  action of someone who wants Republicans to win in November. It is of an Opportunist. And as I’ve  said before, when Hanks lost the Senate primary in 2022, he told people to vote for the Libertarian. 

I haven’t forgotten. 

Final Thought 

My final thought is simple: if this name-calling faction of our party doesn’t stop, it will continue  to weaken us from the inside and cost Republicans dearly in the fall. We cannot afford that. Not  now. Not with the challenges we face in Colorado.  

I like to quote my pastor who always reminds us: “Keep every thought captive and only use  language to build someone up and not tear them down.” (Very good advice but not easy to do.)  

We must stand behind the winners of our Primary and put egos aside. Unity isn’t optional — it’s  the only path forward if we want to restore balance in our state government. 

Those who choose to “go their own way” because they believe they are better than the candidate  chosen by Republicans are not helping the cause. They are splitting the vote, just as we’ve seen in the past. (Remember when Tom Tancredo jumped in as a third option because he didn’t like the  candidate Republicans selected?) 

We cannot keep repeating the same mistakes and expect a different outcome. 

So I’m asking you — as a fellow Republican, as a neighbor, and as someone who cares deeply  about this state — to look past the noise, ignore the anonymous smear campaigns, and focus on  what truly matters. 

Support the Republican candidates who earn their place on the ballot. Stand together. And  no matter what, vote red in November. Our future depends on it. Thank you.  

Shirley Bauer, a Colorado native raised in Moffat County, has become a driving force for grassroots conservatism on the Western Slope. After a career in nursing and a move to Cedaredge in 2012, she shifted from political newcomer to key organizer in the Delta County GOP, coordinating visits from statewide candidates and legislators, recruiting new party leaders, and leading community education on political engagement. Known for her generosity of time and resources, Bauer has championed parental rights, notably helping local schools push back against the state’s name-change law for minors. Her rural upbringing instilled values of hard work, integrity, and community service—principles she’s carried into years of advocacy that earned her the 2025 Rocky Mountain Voice Trailblazer Award for grassroots leadership and legislative advocacy on education issues.

Editor’s note: Opinions expressed in commentary pieces are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the management of the Rocky Mountain Voice, but even so we support the constitutional right of the author to express those opinions.