Rocky Mountain Voice

Tag: Republican Party

Garbo: Sheriff Darren Weekly is the exception that proves the GOP’s problem
Rocky Mountain Voice, Approved, Commentary, Local, Top Stories

Garbo: Sheriff Darren Weekly is the exception that proves the GOP’s problem

By C. J. Garbo | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice In 2022, Darren Weekly wasn’t supposed to win. At least not according to the self-appointed gatekeepers of Republican purity in Douglas County. Branded a “RINO,” derided as “Tony 2.0,” and accused of being soft on Second Amendment rights due to the endorsement of outgoing Sheriff Tony Spurlock, Weekly was the target of aggressive intra-party attacks. The purist wing of the GOP put its full weight behind John Anderson, another outstanding, articulate, and Constitution-minded candidate whose campaign centered on resisting the Red Flag law and defending liberty.  I was among Anderson’s vocal supporters - endorsing, donating, campaigning, and even hosting events on his behalf. But Weekly won. By just over one percentag...
Garbo: Let the purists prune—a thought exercise in Republican renewal
Rocky Mountain Voice, Approved, Commentary, State, Top Stories

Garbo: Let the purists prune—a thought exercise in Republican renewal

By C. J. Garbo | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice The below op-ed is a thought exercise - a structured hypothetical meant to test assumptions, reveal contradictions, and sharpen our understanding by playing out ideas to their logical end. It is not a forecast or a policy proposal. It’s a lens designed to examine the mindset, strategy, and consequences of a particular ideological posture within the Republican Party. Specifically, I explore what happens when purist Republicans are given full authority to define and reshape the party without reasonable question or resistance. No opposition, no internal debate, no moderating voices - just a blank check to purge, label, and remake the GOP according to their uncompromising standards.  Rather than argue with them, I follow the...
Garbo: The optics of ‘reason’ are working—and Republicans keep helping
Rocky Mountain Voice, Approved, Commentary, State, Top Stories

Garbo: The optics of ‘reason’ are working—and Republicans keep helping

By C. J. Garbo | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice Outside of the state legislature in the world of the average voter, Colorado Democrats have deftly positioned themselves as the calm, steady voice in a chaotic political environment. Their latest press release condemning the Douglas County Home Rule initiative - from CDP Chair Shad Murib and County Democrat Chair Meg Furlow - follows a long, deliberate pattern: contrast Republicans’ chaos with Democrats’ reason.  It’s politics distilled for those unversed or fatigued by ideology. A Seasoned Pause Amid Schoolyard Chaos Remember the rancor surrounding the school board meetings in Douglas County? Heated rhetoric. Personal attacks. Ostracism of dissenters. In that frenzied atmosphere, Democrats stepped in as the adults in...
Garbo: Fear Is Not a Strategy And It’s Killing the Republican Party
Approved, Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice, State, Top Stories

Garbo: Fear Is Not a Strategy And It’s Killing the Republican Party

By C. J. Garbo | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice There’s a growing tone in parts of the Republican Party - loud, bitter, and angry. It presents itself as strength, as boldness, as "fighting back." But listen closely, and you’ll hear something else beneath it: fear. You see it in the endless purity tests. In the public shaming of fellow Republicans. In the weaponized use of the word “RINO.” In the obsession with rooting people out instead of bringing people in. This isn't what strength looks like. It’s what fear looks like when it’s dressed in patriotism and broadcast through a megaphone. When Anger Becomes a Crutch Anger has become a default setting for some in our party, not because they’re wrong to feel concern about our country, but because they’ve lost fa...
Joondeph: Trump’s new base isn’t who the media told you it was
Approved, National, Rasmussen Reports

Joondeph: Trump’s new base isn’t who the media told you it was

By Dr. Brian C. Joondeph | Commentary, Rasmussen Reports Conventional wisdom, meaning corporate media, portrays President Donald Trump’s supporters as white supremacists, xenophobes, and racists. They are extras in the movie Deliverance, with two teeth and a below room temperature IQ. Yet Trump won reelection easily last November, gaining support from more than just the Billy Bobs in Appalachia. Where does Trump’s support stand now that he has been president for three months, allowing everyone to see his presidential agenda clearly? Instead of examining legacy media’s commissioned polls, which aim more to shape public opinion than to reflect it, let’s refer to Rasmussen Reports, one of the most accurate polling organizations. In late April, as Trump’s second quarter i...
Mesa County Republican Women’s Lincoln Day Dinner to Feature Congresswoman Harriet Hageman
Approved, Local, Rocky Mountain Voice, Top Stories

Mesa County Republican Women’s Lincoln Day Dinner to Feature Congresswoman Harriet Hageman

By Rocky Mountain Voice Staff GRAND JUNCTION, CO – The Mesa County Republican Women (MCRW) are set to host their highly anticipated Lincoln Day Dinner on Saturday, March 22, 2025, at the Clifton Community Center. This year’s keynote speaker is none other than Congresswoman Harriet Hageman, Wyoming’s sole representative in the U.S. House and a staunch advocate for conservative values and policies. Congresswoman Hageman, known for her commitment to constitutional rights and government accountability, recently co-sponsored a bill aimed at permanently relocating the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) headquarters to Grand Junction—a move widely supported by Western conservatives who believe in local governance over federal overreach. Joining her at the ...
Richard Holtorf, retired Army colonel, former state House whip and cattle rancher, will seek Colorado GOP chair
Approved, Rocky Mountain Voice, State, Top Stories

Richard Holtorf, retired Army colonel, former state House whip and cattle rancher, will seek Colorado GOP chair

By Brian Porter | Rocky Mountain Voice Richard Holtorf, a former state representative and the chairman of the Washington County Republican Party, announced Saturday in an exclusive interview with Rocky Mountain Voice his intention to seek the chairmanship of the Colorado Republican Party. "As a longtime Republican in the state of Colorado, knowing the dire straights the party is in due to a failed strategic plan by previous leadership and the enormous infighting because of that," Holtorf said, "and analyzing the field of candidates, I felt Colorado Republicans deserved the best candidate possible." After attending Akron High School in a small Eastern Colorado town where he still resides, some would argue Holtorf had three successful careers, and this could be his fourth. He ser...
‘We’re freedom-loving Americans,’ former Sen. Lundberg said after Larimer Co. GOP meeting protested
Approved, Local, Rocky Mountain Voice

‘We’re freedom-loving Americans,’ former Sen. Lundberg said after Larimer Co. GOP meeting protested

By Brian Porter | Rocky Mountain Voice It quite possibly is the strangest conversation former Colorado Sen. Kevin Lundberg has had in a while. As he walked into the Larimer County Republican Party monthly meeting last week, Lundberg briefly stopped at the door to engage with protesters to the meeting he was about to attend. "There were 8-10 people holding signs," he said, retelling the story during his weekly call with grassroots conservatives. "I greeted them pleasantly." One protester was holding a sign which read, "please support the Constitution," which struck Lundberg as odd. The protestors were being allowed their First Amendment freedom to assemble at the entry to the meeting. He responded to that protester that he agreed, and it was a reason he was going in to do the...
Rosen: Voters paved path forward for Trump, GOP majority
Approved, Commentary, completecolorado.com

Rosen: Voters paved path forward for Trump, GOP majority

By Mike Rosen | Commentary, Complete Colorado Two years ago, I predicted that Joe Biden wouldn’t be on the presidential ballot by November 2024.  After Kamala Harris secured the nomination, my rosy scenario was a Trump victory riding a red wave.  (It’s true I picked Dewey over Truman in 1948, but I was only three-years-old then.) Now, all the usual Democrat suspects, the liberal media, and other assorted sore losers are up in arms over President-elect Trump’s announced selections for cabinet posts and other leadership positions in his incoming administration.  Really, Rachel Maddow and the crew of lefty wackos at MSNBC are outraged?  Isn’t that too bad?  Trump’s appropriate response should echo the eloquent words of President Barack Obama when he met with def...
Colorado Federation of Republican Women hear from Legere, Fidura at fall meeting
Approved, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Colorado Federation of Republican Women hear from Legere, Fidura at fall meeting

By Juliann McPadden | Special to the Rocky Mountain Voice The 86th annual Colorado Federation of Republican Women’s fall meeting recently concluded in Glenwood Springs. The Leadership Institute provided an informative "Get Out the Vote" and grassroots lobbying workshop. A new club, the Garfield County Republican Women, were also welcomed. Lorie Legere, the National Federation of Republican Women's regional director, provided an informative talk on activities at the national level on Saturday. Members also participated in the formal Inaugural Ball during the event on Saturday. On Sunday, Republican National Committeewoman Christy "Ruckus" Fidura addressed members and provided an update on her activities. The president of the Colorado Federation of Republican Women is Judith Jerg...