Stapleton Makes Hard Right Turn, As Colorado GOP Boots Most Moderate Candidate

The Colorado Republicans’ general assembly delivered a clear and unambiguous message. Right-wing extremism is its guiding light and even the slightest moderation will get you the boot.
Cynthia Coffman suffered a “devastating defeat” managing to muster only six percent of the vote after the Republican base questioned whether she was sufficiently conservative enough to be the nominee. It was a repudiation of anything close to resembling moderate politics, as she ended up with fewer votes than first-time candidate Barry Farah who has only been in the race less than a month.
Walker Stapleton, who is weathering a massive petition fraud scandal, and questions about his record and personal history. He relied on an endorsement from noted conspiracy theorist and current defender of a white nationalist group, VDARE, Tom Tancredo, to get him over the finish line. In fact, he has left the door open to selecting Tancredo as a potential LG candidate.
“Colorado Republicans showed they will accept nothing less than a full endorsement of their far-right agenda in order for a candidate to win the nomination,” said Deputy Communications Director David Turner. “Cynthia Coffman took positions antithetical to that and it ended her career. Walker Stapleton embraced one of the leaders of the far right and won. Whoever wins the primary will be attached to an agenda that caters to right-wing extremists and ignores the values of everyone else.”

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