June 3, 2026 • 36 mins
The Colorado GOP primary is heating up, and this episode of the Dan Caplis Show is a must-listen. Last night's debate was a wild ride, with Victor Marx's unorthodox campaign tactics leaving many viewers stunned. But what does it all mean for the future of the Republican Party in Colorado? Our host, Dan Caplis, breaks down the key takeaways from the debate and discusses the implications for the general election.
The debate saw Victor Marx, a former Marine and businessman, take center stage, but his unconventional approach has raised eyebrows among many in the party. Barb Kirkmeyer, a seasoned politician, also made a strong impression, showcasing her command of the issues and her ability to articulate a clear vision for the state. Meanwhile, Scott Bottoms' response to Marx's claims has left many wondering if he'll be able to back his fellow candidate in the general election.
As the primary heats up, the stakes are high, and the conversation is getting increasingly heated. Our guests, including Dick Wadhams, a seasoned campaign manager, and Chris, a conservative activist, weigh in on the debate and its implications for the party. They discuss the potential risks and rewards of Marx's unorthodox approach and the challenges that lie ahead for the Republican nominee.
Tune in to this episode to hear the full discussion and get a deeper understanding of the Colorado GOP primary. Will Marx's unconventional tactics pay off, or will they ultimately hurt the party's chances in the general election? Listen to find out.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is Dan Caplis and welcome to today's online podcast edition
of The Dan Caplis Show. Please be sure to give
us a five star rating if you'd be so kind,
and to subscribe, download and listen to the show every
single day on your favorite podcast platform. I'm back host.
It's the longest I have ever been off air, and
it was just an amazing trip. Thanks to everybody you
(00:22):
know who covered the show. Can't even say filled in
because each one of these people a superstar. Heidi Ganal,
Aaron Lee, Lindsey, Dadko, the Sheriff, Steve Reims, George Brockler,
John of course Caldera and Ryan, you know, just overseeing everything.
So thank you, thank you, thank you to everybody. It
takes a village to do great radio. And Zach behind
the glass today, Ryan allegedly off at jury duty. I
(00:45):
think what we will find out tomorrow Zach is that
as soon as they found out he was a talk
show host, they gave him the boot and he's probably
been out running around since ten this morning. But he
is the hardest working man in show business, so I
can't fault him too much. How you doing, I'm doing
well well. My theory is more on defendant than jury.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
But we'll see.
Speaker 3 (01:03):
Ryan.
Speaker 1 (01:04):
You think it's a cover story, I think so, ah wow,
Well if that is true, you can be sure that
he's going to be tweeting it out. Rights, he can't
say xing it out. But anyway, so thank you to everybody.
And I think Zach, tell me what you think is
Zach is a great young radio mind and talent. And
I really think this could be the next wave format
(01:27):
where you just have all these great people like hosting
different days. I don't know, I thought it was great.
You get a lot of different perspective, yes, yeah, and
all very high level, right, because you know, there are
a lot of people in the radio business and none
around here, but a lot of people in the radio
business they're going to miss. They just want the most
awful fill in they can get so their key card
still works and they come back.
Speaker 3 (01:48):
Right.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
But we go the other way. We go out to
find the elite of the elite radio talents, and all
of these people are fantastic. So just I listened to
a lot of radio and personally I would like that,
and I'd like hearing all these different, you know, kind
of great minds. And the thing about the folks who
did this show while I was gone is they're all
(02:09):
highly accomplished. These aren't just talkers, you know, yep, yep, yep, yep, yep.
You know you got the peacocks, and you know, they
may look good when you dress them up for TV
and they can talk, but they're not accomplished outside that world.
What you have with all these people is people who
are movers and shakers, you know, and they've proven it,
They've proven they can go out and win in their area.
(02:31):
And so really cool to have those people on Aaron.
Thanks to all of them, because selfishly, it was just
like one of the great trips of a lifetime. Our
boy was graduating from law school after working so hard
for three years, and celebrating our daughter making the decision
to go to law school, which we've really wanted because
she's just natural. She isn't natural and she's just gonna shine.
(02:53):
I mean, she's been in I think like twelve of
my last thirteen trials with me. She's just natural. So
we were celebrating all of that, and before we get
to obviously, I mean, I don't know that I've ever
looked forward to be on an air more than over
these next three weeks before this GOP primary, because I
don't think Colorado has ever seen anything like this one
(03:14):
or the debate last night, and you know, there are
so many different ways this thing can go. And we've
got a lot of sound from last night. If you
missed it, you'll love this sound. If you saw it,
you want to hear the sound again because you're probably
still going wt watt so. But just selfishly for a second,
you know, I just and you can relate to it,
right if you've had a kid who graduated, or if
(03:36):
you were a kid who graduated from some level of
school and your parents are there, but just the unbelievable,
just just pride of seeing one of your kids graduating,
and in Joe's case, really really hard working kids, you know,
a Cherry Creek grad like his mom. And then he
went off to Ole Miss and he just wanted a
whole different experience. And then he got himself into Harvard.
(03:59):
You know, it was it just on pure merit. He
got himself into Harvard Law and he went there and
my goodness, I mean he uh, you know, he ended
up Magna kum Laud, which you know is they only
have one Suma like in that law school, graduating class,
one kid whatever kid has the top grades in the class,
that one gets SUMA and then they've got a relative
(04:21):
handful of Magna. And he worked his tailoff for three years,
graduated magna. He was what they call an Ames Moot
Court Champion, which is a very big deal at that
school for good reason. You know, all the kids, including
the kids on his team, worked very very hard at that,
and then he won another big award and it's just
like wow, so y all right, as Zach, I'm sure
(04:43):
your parents are the same way. We all want our
kids to be better than us and way way better
than us, and Amy and I have been blessed with
that that our kids are better than us. And it's
just fun to watch three or three seven one, three eight,
two five five d an five seven seven three nine.
So what do you make of that? I know what
I think, but I'm I'm still trying to process a
(05:04):
lot of it. Even as I was replaying the debate
last night breaking down sound which that was kind enough
to pull for us, I was still like, Wow, what
do you make of it? We can start with the
easy stuff, well, or the typical stuff, I should say,
who won, who lost, what effect on the race, if any,
(05:25):
What does it mean for the general election, What does
it mean for a Colorado Republican Party going forward? And again,
I want to introduce something into this conversation because as
we look at this right now, we have to be
honest with ourselves. The Democrats are looking at this race
and they're not even thinking about twenty twenty six. I
(05:49):
mean the guys and gals who are running, Yeah, they
want to win, but the people who really run that
party and fund that party, they're not even thinking right
now about twenty twenty six x apt to the extent
it affects twenty twenty eight. This is for the Democrats,
I'm saying, this is all about twenty eight. They assume
(06:09):
they've won this race. They assume they've won every race
except the Attorney General's race in Colorado because they know
if Jenna griswolds their candidate, they're vulnerable. So all of
this now for them is about positioning for twenty twenty eight.
Why twenty twenty eight, because obviously we're going to have
a presidential and Colorado is going to be, at least
(06:29):
in theory back and play in that presidential Because you're
going to have probably a real strong GOP candidate, neither
Marco Rubio or jd Vance, and then the Democrats may
very well run a crazy and so everything the Democrats
do right now the people who run in fund is
about twenty twenty eight. So just factor that in as
(06:53):
we do our analysis. If you disagree with the premise,
happy to have that conversation as well as always, you know,
we don't sense or screen anybody. Three oh three seven
three eight two five five d an five seven seven
three nine. I don't even know where to start with
the great sound from last night, but let me just
(07:14):
pick one because I do think it goes to a
bigger dynamic. And this is one of the early questions,
of course, you know from the moderators, was Barb Kirkmeyer
on why she won't support Victor Marx. And Barb, by
the way, is going to join us in the show.
I'll double check the time. I think it's five oh six. Well,
let me spur Myers speak here.
Speaker 4 (07:35):
You've also said that you will not support mister Marx
if he's your party's nominee. Why not and what's that
going to mean for Republicans and down ballot races if
your party is visibly split over your nominee for governor, Well,
first of.
Speaker 5 (07:49):
All, thank you for the question. Our party is already
slit and it's already going to be an issue if
mister Marx is the nominee and on the ballot, I
think we'll lose every down ballot racer is With him
on there, I think will be It'll be a replay
of twenty ten, similar to Dan May's, and it could
be the extension of the Republican Party.
Speaker 1 (08:06):
But the reason I have said that.
Speaker 5 (08:07):
I will not support mister Marx is because one, I mean,
he is unqualified, but that's not really the reason.
Speaker 1 (08:14):
It's because he's unfit. By his own words, he has
said he's unfit.
Speaker 5 (08:17):
He talks about homicidal and suicidal tendencies, makes me a
little worried about, you know, being in rooms with him.
Speaker 1 (08:24):
That quite frankly, he's a fraud.
Speaker 5 (08:27):
He makes up these tall tales, these tall stories, and
I just don't believe them. And even when you have
asked him these questions directly, he just doesn't answer them.
Speaker 6 (08:35):
And lastly, if.
Speaker 5 (08:37):
You can't keep your word, to show up to a debate,
to show up to a forum, that you commit it to.
I'm thinking you can't keep your word on anything.
Speaker 1 (08:46):
And that's why I won't support you. You can't keep
your word. I can't trust you. You're unfit, you're unqualified.
Speaker 5 (08:53):
You think you're an outsider.
Speaker 1 (08:54):
You're not an outsider.
Speaker 5 (08:55):
You're a politician. You've bittered the ring right now, so
you're a politician. You don't get to keep claiming outside.
That's just your way of saying you don't know what
you're talking about.
Speaker 1 (09:03):
Wow, we've never seen anything like that. And we've seen
some vicious GOP primaries before, right, but we've never seen
anybody and we'll get to Scott Bottam's doing the same thing,
and of course Victor's response to both. We've never seen anybody,
especially somebody really credible. Because whether you like her or
not as a candidate, and you're going to vote for
her or not, any I think any reasonable person has
(09:23):
to acknowledge that Bob Barb Kirkmeyer's walk the talk. I mean,
she is viewed as a very intelligent, very credible, very
serious person and so for her to say those kind
of things, and I think you know what you heard
from her last night overall, and what you heard just
there in terms of her ability to think and articulate
(09:45):
and back her argument is that she has to be
one of the very most qualified people the GOP has
ever run for governor. And now that's in a traditional sense, right,
But that's one of the overarching questions that we're talking
about today is does that ma anymore it voters today?
We'll start with the GOP primary. I think it extends
beyond that. Voters today do they use traditional metrics to
(10:09):
evaluate a candidate or is there such a desire for
an outsider, such a desire to make a statement through
the candidate that hey, even an A plus traditional type
candidate at this point is going to be cast aside.
That's one of the big issues. When we come back,
we'll have Victor Marx response to Bark Kirkmeyer, will have
Scott Bottom's response to the same question, will he back
(10:33):
Victor Marx? And then we'll talk about does that mean
if Victor Marx is a nominee, and I think it's
widely believed that as of today he's in the lead,
does that mean at that point that he'll just be
sunk with the other two GOP candidates unwilling to back him.
In the general, you're on the Dankplas Show.
Speaker 2 (10:56):
And now back to the Dan Kaplass Show podcast.
Speaker 1 (11:00):
To this month, before that you beat primary and then
in the general three three seven, three two five, five,
five seven, seventh three nine, got some great text. I
want to go to those bark Kirkmeyer. By the way,
I'll join us at five oh six, got bottoms five
thirty six. Victor Marx was invited and declined. So let's
go to Charles Las Vegas, New Mexico. You're on the
(11:21):
Dan Kaplas. She'll welcome.
Speaker 6 (11:25):
Well, I'm the second luckiest man in the world. I
know you're about the first luckiest man in the world,
and welcome back, welcome back, and go rebels man.
Speaker 1 (11:35):
It Uh well, thank you for saying that, because that
was my toast to my wife on our wedding night.
Is I was paraphrasing lu gereg Today I feel like
the luckiest man on the face of the earth. But
I really do. Thank you, my friend. And you're referring
right to the old miss baseball team, which is, you know,
in the Super Regional this weekend. But Charles, what'd you
make of the debate last night?
Speaker 3 (11:56):
Wow?
Speaker 6 (11:57):
Dan, you know sometimes when I'm on the hull, I
have a little piece of paper and a pen, and
I think about a note or two I have been post.
I'm retiring, so I have a little more time than
the average to think about this stuff. But you know,
Marx and the dog and the prayer, it's unprecedented. I'm
(12:18):
probably a Bennett guy, even though I lean right. You know,
I lived in Denver thirty years. I don't live there now.
Down here in New Mexico. I had to retire, and
you know, Barb clearly won the debate. But you know,
you leave me. I take a question from you, I
(12:39):
don't know where to start.
Speaker 1 (12:41):
Well, I'm so glad. I'm so glad, Charles. You mentioned
the dog and the prayer. I think both were brilliant
on the part of Marx, and I think that his
campaign has done a lot of really smart things along
the way. Now I understand, we've talked. I've talked to
Victor about it on air, you know, as I said
a long time ago, and now some other people are
(13:01):
adopting it. You know, he's either the most interesting man
in the world or he's a fraud. And that is
I think the question on the table for voters. But
I think that both of those moves are brilliant. I'm
still anxious to hear from somebody how he was able
to get the dog out of the stage, But the
fact that he was able to do that, I think
(13:22):
was very effective for him. And I think the prayer
was very effective for him because you know, as I've
been saying on air for a long time, you know,
at the end of the day, if people vote their faith,
and I'm not talking about Christian faith over you know,
any other faith, but if people will just vote their faith,
which you would think they would because it's it's at
(13:44):
the center of who they are, you know, then at
that point the left is dead. So I think that
Victor closing with the prayer, I think was very smart.
Speaker 6 (13:54):
Well, clearly unprecedented.
Speaker 3 (13:56):
And I looked him up online.
Speaker 6 (13:58):
He's from Lafayette, Loucana. So they're called kuon Asses, respectfully,
and so it's really amazing the success he's made for
himself over I guess he's plus sixty years old. Yeah,
But like I said, I'm going to lean Bennett as
a farmer Denver Wright and he was my school board,
raised my kids and schools there. But I hope that
(14:21):
some of this can make inroads to Bennett. And that's
my last point. I feel like Bennett needs to know
that there's a lot of us out here that we
don't mind a dog on stage, and we don't mind
somebody that can't answer questions and all this formality. But
more importantly, I welcome you back to the air bro.
Speaker 3 (14:40):
Thank you being missed.
Speaker 1 (14:41):
Thank you very much. I sure appreciated Charles. Interesting. Charles
leads us to another great question, which is, okay, okay,
if you're somebody like me who wants to see that
the Republican prevail in races in Colorado because the Democrats
are so crazy and they're train in the state in
all the obvious ways, then who do you want to
(15:02):
see when the Democrat primary for governor? Do you want
to see Michael Bennett or do you want to see
Phil Wiser. I've got some strong and I think deep
thoughts on that I'll get to in a second with you,
Dick Wadhams, by the way, we'll join us at four
point thirty six. Anybody think I'm wrong about the dog thing?
I mean, listen, I think it was brilliant of Marx.
I don't know how he was able to pull it off.
(15:24):
You would think the other two campaigns would have said,
over my dead body, and then it would have gotten
really interesting. So I'm just dying to hear the story
of the dog. I thought the dog was awesome, loved
the dog, beautiful dog, and on command when it sat
up and it glared at I think it was Kyle
Clark who was moderating at that time. I mean, yeah,
(15:44):
credit to Victor Marx for being able to pull that off.
And again, the prayer would love your reaction that. I
know there are probably an awful lot of people who
were either uncomfortable with it or just kind of shocked.
Some might have been repelled, but I thought that was brilliant.
Three O three seOne three eight, two five, five five
seven seven three nine. I think, you know, if you
(16:06):
look at to the general, if Victor Marx is our nominee,
I think that the approach Victor is taken to the
primary will not work in the general and it will
be way worse than a loss if if in the
general Victor takes you know, the same approach of you know,
just at this point running kind of a front runners race,
(16:26):
which he's doing, and again, I think his campaign has
been brilliant in a lot of ways, and if he
is truly the front runner at this point, there's some
good reasons to believe that. Then Yeah, that may be
a very smart strategy. It would not work in the general.
It would not work. I don't think there's any question
about that. But hey, and this is the other key point,
(16:47):
which is, Okay, there's been a lot of time that's
passed in this campaign right now, and my sense is
that Victor Marx is a head right now, probably solid ahead.
But I think two thirds of the campaign is left
in terms of impact on outcome, at least two thirds
(17:08):
of it is left. What's going to happen over these
next few weeks when most voters start paying attention. Listen,
you listen to a show like this, which I'm grateful
for obviously, But you listen to a show like this,
you're really plugged in. You care about this stuff deeply,
You're you're following it all the time. But we all
know the vast majority of GOP primary voters, let alone
(17:29):
state wide voters, are not and so what unfolds over
the next you know, three weeks is going to be
absolutely key and The biggest stuff is yet to come
in terms of these outside groups. Okay, we know that,
and you know independent committees let's call them. But the
big money that comes in from the outside because as
(17:51):
you know the candidates, you know, there are these you know,
low maximums on donations people can make to state gubernatorial
campaigns in Colorado. So the big money comes in through
these independent groups. He super packs. Well, we know Bart
Kirkmeyer has one because they've started running spots. That we
don't know is how much money they have and how
much money others are willing to continue to put in.
(18:14):
We know Victor has one because the poll was released
by what appears to me to be Victor's independent committee.
And when I say has won the campaign by law,
Canton doesn't control him. There's one for him. I don't
know about Scott. So big variable now that we're just
going to start to see spots. Okay, how much money
do these independent committees have and how wisely will they
(18:38):
spend it? And then on top of that, the big
question what's the left going to do? They're almost certain
to spend in the primary to try to elect the
Republican they think they can be the worst. What are
they going to do.
Speaker 2 (18:57):
You're listening to the Dan Kaplis Show podcast.
Speaker 1 (19:00):
Talking about that Cam just called a debate, just that
surreal event last night and what it's going to mean
for the GOP primary and beyond. Dick Wadham's kind enough
to join us if you're new to the area or
the planet. Dick ran the last successful campaign for governor
in Colorado. He was Bill Owens campaign manager. Dick, Welcome
(19:20):
back to the show. I know we talked a little
earlier in the day, but can't wait to do it
on air. So let's start with who won?
Speaker 3 (19:28):
Oh, Dan, I think it was very clear that of
the three candidates, only one candidate demonstrated that she could
be a competitive candidate in the general election, which is
what this is all about. And Barbara Kirkmeyer, I thought,
demonstrated the command of the issues. She laid out her agenda,
and while the other two candidates wallowed and extremism and
(19:52):
demonstrated they not only would lose to the Democrats in November,
they would take down other Republicans with them.
Speaker 1 (20:00):
What effect do you think last night had on the
primary race?
Speaker 3 (20:05):
Well, I think collectively with you, if you take a
look at the interview that Victor Marx did with Channel
nine last week and then the debate last night, I
think the race is a different race today. I would
agree with you. I just heard you describe the race
as Victor Marx as the front runner, and I agree
(20:26):
with you on that, but I don't think he's as
big a front runner as he was last week. And
I think that people are now just turning tuning into
this race and they're taking a look at the candidates.
And frankly, unless you're just a total sick ofcent of
Victor Mars, the last night's debate I think was not
(20:47):
only concerning, but probably shocking for a lot of people,
A lot of people who have not really thought about
this race who did tune in, I think they saw
something they had no idea existed, which is two people,
two candidates who are way out of the mainstream of Colorado,
and that would really drive the Republican Party into a
deeper hole than it is right now.
Speaker 1 (21:10):
Guess what do you think the outcome of the general
is If Barb Kirkmeyer is the candidate.
Speaker 3 (21:18):
Well, I'm not saying she would be a sure winner
in November, believe me, Dan, I mean and the fact
is that this is still a blue state. Donald Trump
is still very unpopular in Colorado, and that drags down
Republican candidates. But I would say this that I think
a lot of voters who have voted against Republicans for
(21:40):
the last eight years are very concerned about how far
this state has swept and how deeply how unaffordable it is,
how unsafe it is, and I think that those voters
want to give a Republican a look, and I think
that makes us, It would make the nominee competitor at least,
(22:01):
and would be an asset to Republican candidates for Congress
like Gabe Evans and Jeff Crank and Jeff Hurd, and
for a bunch of really strong Republican candidates and competitive
districts for the Legislature, they would be They would be
helped by a Kirkmeyer tendency in November because she would
(22:21):
be she would be taking on the Democrat in a
very positive, effective way, and that helps them. But I
will tell you that this campaign will be defined by
constant stories about pedophile sectorings at the Capitol and how
many people did you kill and all the crazy things
that have come out about the marks and the bottoms.
(22:46):
It's just it's stuff that we've ever seen in a
campaign before. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (22:50):
That's the wild thing, right, is just when you think
you've seen it all, we've never seen this dynamic. Because
obviously Victor has a lot of appeal to people, whether
it's Victor and hey listen, I think his looks help
him in this campaign. You know, he's he's attractive, he
looks like a strong person. I think the story surrounding
(23:12):
Victor that and I think the public impression of those
who haven't really dialed in is, hey, here's a guy
who has been rescuing children around the world, you know,
former marine. The idea of Victor Marx, I think is
very appealing to a lot of people. So the question,
I think then becomes how many actually start to get
into the details and then make a decision based on
(23:34):
that or is it more just based on the appearance
and the idea.
Speaker 3 (23:38):
Well, then, I know one thing, he might be able
to get their away with this in the primary, because
they're they're four weeks last. He might he just might
pull that off, But I guarantee you will he will
not pull it off in a general election. He will
be he has this is the thing. He has no
idea about the rigors and the challenge of running in
(24:02):
a general election campaign against a well funded Democratic Party
and a well funded Democratic nominee for governor. And you've
got two very accomplished at candidates, and with Phil Weiser
and Michael Bennett, one as a US senator, the other's
Attorney general. Those are two very prominent, capable people. There's
(24:23):
not two guys I would ever vote for. But you
cannot take that away from him. He has no idea
about the buzzsaw he is about to get into if
he wins this nomination, and he cannot get away with
these crazy stories that he cannot back up. He's had
opportunity after opportunity, including last week and last night, and
he refuses to come clean on what is the truth
(24:46):
about his background. Nobody knows. He couldn't even answer the
question have you how many people have you killed? I
mean many? How many elected officials and candidates? But first
of all, would it ever be posed to much less?
Could they would be able to they would be able
to answer it equivocally zero. He couldn't answer the question
how is that going to plan a general election with
(25:08):
a lecturer that is fifty one affiliated.
Speaker 1 (25:11):
It's not going to I can believe me. I understand.
We've talked about it. I've talked about our error. I
understand the the risks, the enormous risks if if the
voters decide that victors are fraud I understand the upside
if voters decide that, oh no, that that's all real,
and you know, we need somebody like that. But here
here's my question to you. What what if he doesn't
(25:35):
have any intention of engaging in the general in any
kind of traditional way because he is not in the primary,
and so far it's working out pretty well. For what if, Well,
what if the general looked like the primary, where you know,
he speaks where he wants to speak, and and you know,
with the groups he wants to speak with, and then
the chips fall where they may.
Speaker 3 (25:57):
Oh, I had no idea, I have no doubt, then
he will probably pursue the same kind of of concealed
strategy in the general that he would in a prime
that he has in the primary. Like I said earlier, Dan,
he can't get away with that. In the general election,
the media scrutiny will be much more intense. The money
and the sophistication of the Democratic campaign against him will
(26:19):
be remarkable, and that's another reason why it was. I
think it's very shortsighted to just basically stay there this compound,
down a car at the springs and not really engage
in anything but well scripted events in front of his
own passionate supporters. When you do something like that, you
really are not prepared for the rigors of a general election. Dan,
(26:42):
I've been through this, as you well know, and I
got to tell you, I can't even imagine running like
a campaign like he's doing in the primary and thinking
that campaign and that candidate would be ready to take
on Democrats in November. It has always been tough to
win in Colorado. This guy is no more. He is
not in the league of Bill the Owens or Nayne
Allard or Corey Gardner. He is he is, he is
(27:06):
even he can't mentioned in the same steps as those guys.
Speaker 1 (27:13):
Dick Quodham's our guest, and Dick, what I expect, if
your time allows, is over these next three plus crazy weeks,
I'd love to have you in studio a lot. I'd
love to have a lot of different people in studio
a lot talking about all this because truly we have
never seen anything like it. And as I sit here
right now, despite thirty years of doing this on air,
(27:34):
I can't look in the eye and say I know
how this thing's going to end up. But let me
leave you with this one question, and that is is
obviously you know, Barbe said it last night, Scott said it.
You have a lot of people saying it openly, a
lot of people who think victors of fraud. On the
other hand, you have a lot of people who think
he's the real deal, and they're passionately devoted to him.
(27:55):
But what about this argument? What about the argument that
wait a second, if he is willing to and wants
to subject himself to the microscope, which is going to
be the general election in the incredibly well funded and
ruthless Democrats locally and nationally who are waiting for him,
(28:16):
what about the argument that he must be very confident
that he's not a fraud because if he is, it's
going to get proven in a general Well.
Speaker 3 (28:28):
I think he has I think he thinks he can
get away with it. I mean that's my opinion. I
think I think he thinks that he's going to he's
getting away with it so far in the in this primary,
although I think that has changed in the last week
or so with these interviews in this debate. But then
it won't happen. I mean, I got this guy. He
(28:50):
has no idea what he will get into if he
wins this nomination. In fact, I would say probably the
best thing for Victor Marx is if he lost the primary,
as they will spare him the exposure and the of
his real record and in general election and it won't
be pretty. I don't think it would be pretty. Well.
Speaker 1 (29:12):
Dick, really appreciate the time, and obviously you've been in
the middle of some of the biggest, tough at toughest
font races in Colorado and elsewhere and won some really
big ones. So appreciate the perspective and look forward to
getting together. Thank you, Dan, Thank you my friend. Take
care of that is at Dick Quantums three h three
seven one three eight two five five d An five
seven seven three nine You're on the Dan Capla Show.
Speaker 2 (29:39):
And now back to the Dan Kaplas Show podcast.
Speaker 1 (29:42):
I know it sounds perverse, and if you're at DEA,
don't hate me for this, but I'm seeing how there
are a bunch of flights delayed by thunderstorms. I'm just
so grateful there's rain now. And when I was coming
in from DA yesterday day before whatever it was, and
we were in a driving hell storm, I just said,
thank you God. You know it's been so dry. Great
to see a green Huh. Well, if you just joined
(30:04):
us for sure? Oh man, Zach, Yeah, have you been
up in the mounts now yet? I'm hopefully getting down
in August, but not as much as I've wanted to.
Yees the same with us. I'm just wondering if it's
if they're getting any of this moisture up there. I
hope that they are. But hey, we're talking obviously about
the debate last night, because nobody alive has ever seen
anything like that in Colorado. And so what is it
(30:25):
going to mean? Who's going to win the GOP primary?
And then what does that mean? And as I started
the show with, make no mistake, Democrats right now, Democrats
aren't even thinking about twenty six. For Democrats, you know,
unless you're a candidate Democrat, candidate in this race, it's
all about twenty eight. It's all about positioning for twenty eight.
The presidential in twenty eight, when Colorado could be back
(30:46):
in play. And then as well, there's going to be
a big Senate race in Colorado in twenty eight, because
you know, you're not gonna have Bennett's in that seat anymore,
no matter what happens in this race. So the Democrats
are looking that probably a lot of a lot of
very vicious cannibalism within that Democratic Party because you've got
(31:07):
all these you know, old guys who talk all the
DEI talk, but then they freeze out all of these
you know, talented younger people, including women and people of color.
When I say talented, I mean political skills. Their ideas
are wacko, psycho crazy. But yeah, they're gonna have a
blood bath in that Democratic Party. But their focus now
(31:28):
is twenty eight. They believe they've already got twenty six
to one. Now for them, it's just about trying to
win all the way down ballot, figure out which GOP
candidate for governor gives them the best chance to do that,
and then start to pour their money into that candidate.
And I expect we'll see that happen very soon. Let's
go up to beautiful Weld County. Talked to Chris you're
on the Dan Kaplis Show.
Speaker 7 (31:49):
Welcome Hi, Dan, welcome back, thank you, say oh Man
the best, thank you, Yeah, Heidi and John Caldera, Jared
Lindsay the sheriffs.
Speaker 8 (32:02):
Interesting perspective on this.
Speaker 1 (32:05):
I got recruited by the.
Speaker 8 (32:06):
College Republicans in nineteen eighty four to volunteer on the
most important campaign for Congress in the country that year.
It was b One, Bob Dornan, and Jerry Patterson. They
were both freshman congressman. In nineteen seventy six, Bob Dornan
got jerrymandered. Ronald Reagan convinced Bob Dornen to move to
(32:30):
Orange County. He's called the Carpetbagger and run against Jery Patterson.
And so I know all about the scrutiny. I mean,
I was neck deep in that campaign. I do have
a business degree and a minor in theology from a
Christian university, so I'm half a preacher. I guess you
(32:52):
could say I'd never chosen to run for office because
I know all the scrutiny. I do have my own business,
and my wife and I have the luxury of working
for packs here in Colorado, which we've been doing since
twenty nineteen. We've knocked on tens of thousands of doors.
(33:16):
Right now, we're signature gathering for some conservative issues, but
we will be knocking on doors come August. And I've
got a good pulse about the voters.
Speaker 1 (33:29):
What do you think. What scares the the.
Speaker 8 (33:32):
GB's out of me is there's a primary and what
the unaffiliators are going to do, and there's no way
to predict it. There's no way to predict. And I
called John last week because he was like, well, I'm
unaffiliated and what should I do? Should I vote for
the lesser of the two evils, Bennett or Kirkmeyer? And
I said, well, I said Kirkmeyer.
Speaker 6 (33:55):
One.
Speaker 8 (33:56):
I'm never going to be unaffiliated. I was raised a
Republican in my blood. Victor Marx scares me because he
won't answer questions. And I agree with you, he's the
biggest fraud in the world.
Speaker 1 (34:11):
Chris, I just have to step there. Sorry to interrupt.
I have not declared him yet. I have absolutely not
declared him yet. I'm Switzerland in this primary. I'm raising issues,
providing analysis, providing a forum for everybody. What I've said
for a long time, which I think nails it. Is
he's either one of the most interesting men in the
world or he's a fraud.
Speaker 8 (34:31):
He's one of the time with you, I agree with you,
but what he's very interesting, don't get me wrong. And
I know I have friends and family that are supporting him, but.
Speaker 1 (34:44):
He's not an AA Ask why are they supporting him?
Because I've got some friends who are supporting I've got
a number of people I have tremendous respect for. They've
been very active in politics at a very high level
and a very high donor level, and they're supporting him.
Why are your friends supporting.
Speaker 8 (35:01):
I couldn't tell you. Maybe because of a space. I'm
a voting end Christian and I really didn't think the
prayer at the end was a good call because I
think it probably offended a lot of unaffiliated voters who
(35:25):
aren't Christian. Sure it made all the evangelicals really happy,
but can.
Speaker 1 (35:33):
I take that on for a second, christ And you're
a fascinating caller. Here's and I'm sorry we're at the
end of the segment. Let me spin off Chris's point.
Barb Kirkmeyer next, The reason that I think a lot
of people who were uncomfortable with the prayer would still
be impressed with Victor, for it is because it was different,
(35:56):
it was unusual, it took some guts, and so I
think it was effective. I think a lot of people
who disagree with people on some issues can respect that
This is Dan Caplis and welcome to today's online podcast edition
of The Dan Caplis Show. Please be sure to give
us a five star rating if you'd be so kind,
and to subscribe, download and listen to the show every
single day on your favorite podcast platform. I'm back host.
It's the longest I have ever been off air, and
it was just an amazing trip. Thanks to everybody you
(00:22):
know who covered the show. Can't even say filled in
because each one of these people a superstar. Heidi Ganal,
Aaron Lee, Lindsey, Dadko, the Sheriff, Steve Reims, George Brockler,
John of course Caldera and Ryan, you know, just overseeing everything.
So thank you, thank you, thank you to everybody. It
takes a village to do great radio. And Zach behind
the glass today, Ryan allegedly off at jury duty. I
(00:45):
think what we will find out tomorrow Zach is that
as soon as they found out he was a talk
show host, they gave him the boot and he's probably
been out running around since ten this morning. But he
is the hardest working man in show business, so I
can't fault him too much. How you doing, I'm doing
well well. My theory is more on defendant than jury.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
But we'll see.
Speaker 3 (01:03):
Ryan.
Speaker 1 (01:04):
You think it's a cover story, I think so, ah wow,
Well if that is true, you can be sure that
he's going to be tweeting it out. Rights, he can't
say xing it out. But anyway, so thank you to everybody.
And I think Zach, tell me what you think is
Zach is a great young radio mind and talent. And
I really think this could be the next wave format
(01:27):
where you just have all these great people like hosting
different days. I don't know, I thought it was great.
You get a lot of different perspective, yes, yeah, and
all very high level, right, because you know, there are
a lot of people in the radio business and none
around here, but a lot of people in the radio
business they're going to miss. They just want the most
awful fill in they can get so their key card
still works and they come back.
Speaker 3 (01:48):
Right.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
But we go the other way. We go out to
find the elite of the elite radio talents, and all
of these people are fantastic. So just I listened to
a lot of radio and personally I would like that,
and I'd like hearing all these different, you know, kind
of great minds. And the thing about the folks who
did this show while I was gone is they're all
(02:09):
highly accomplished. These aren't just talkers, you know, yep, yep, yep, yep, yep.
You know you got the peacocks, and you know, they
may look good when you dress them up for TV
and they can talk, but they're not accomplished outside that world.
What you have with all these people is people who
are movers and shakers, you know, and they've proven it,
They've proven they can go out and win in their area.
(02:31):
And so really cool to have those people on Aaron.
Thanks to all of them, because selfishly, it was just
like one of the great trips of a lifetime. Our
boy was graduating from law school after working so hard
for three years, and celebrating our daughter making the decision
to go to law school, which we've really wanted because
she's just natural. She isn't natural and she's just gonna shine.
(02:53):
I mean, she's been in I think like twelve of
my last thirteen trials with me. She's just natural. So
we were celebrating all of that, and before we get
to obviously, I mean, I don't know that I've ever
looked forward to be on an air more than over
these next three weeks before this GOP primary, because I
don't think Colorado has ever seen anything like this one
(03:14):
or the debate last night, and you know, there are
so many different ways this thing can go. And we've
got a lot of sound from last night. If you
missed it, you'll love this sound. If you saw it,
you want to hear the sound again because you're probably
still going wt watt so. But just selfishly for a second,
you know, I just and you can relate to it,
right if you've had a kid who graduated, or if
(03:36):
you were a kid who graduated from some level of
school and your parents are there, but just the unbelievable,
just just pride of seeing one of your kids graduating,
and in Joe's case, really really hard working kids, you know,
a Cherry Creek grad like his mom. And then he
went off to Ole Miss and he just wanted a
whole different experience. And then he got himself into Harvard.
(03:59):
You know, it was it just on pure merit. He
got himself into Harvard Law and he went there and
my goodness, I mean he uh, you know, he ended
up Magna kum Laud, which you know is they only
have one Suma like in that law school, graduating class,
one kid whatever kid has the top grades in the class,
that one gets SUMA and then they've got a relative
(04:21):
handful of Magna. And he worked his tailoff for three years,
graduated magna. He was what they call an Ames Moot
Court Champion, which is a very big deal at that
school for good reason. You know, all the kids, including
the kids on his team, worked very very hard at that,
and then he won another big award and it's just
like wow, so y all right, as Zach, I'm sure
(04:43):
your parents are the same way. We all want our
kids to be better than us and way way better
than us, and Amy and I have been blessed with
that that our kids are better than us. And it's
just fun to watch three or three seven one, three eight,
two five five d an five seven seven three nine.
So what do you make of that? I know what
I think, but I'm I'm still trying to process a
(05:04):
lot of it. Even as I was replaying the debate
last night breaking down sound which that was kind enough
to pull for us, I was still like, Wow, what
do you make of it? We can start with the
easy stuff, well, or the typical stuff, I should say,
who won, who lost, what effect on the race, if any,
(05:25):
What does it mean for the general election, What does
it mean for a Colorado Republican Party going forward? And again,
I want to introduce something into this conversation because as
we look at this right now, we have to be
honest with ourselves. The Democrats are looking at this race
and they're not even thinking about twenty twenty six. I
(05:49):
mean the guys and gals who are running, Yeah, they
want to win, but the people who really run that
party and fund that party, they're not even thinking right
now about twenty twenty six x apt to the extent
it affects twenty twenty eight. This is for the Democrats,
I'm saying, this is all about twenty eight. They assume
(06:09):
they've won this race. They assume they've won every race
except the Attorney General's race in Colorado because they know
if Jenna griswolds their candidate, they're vulnerable. So all of
this now for them is about positioning for twenty twenty eight.
Why twenty twenty eight, because obviously we're going to have
a presidential and Colorado is going to be, at least
(06:29):
in theory back and play in that presidential Because you're
going to have probably a real strong GOP candidate, neither
Marco Rubio or jd Vance, and then the Democrats may
very well run a crazy and so everything the Democrats
do right now the people who run in fund is
about twenty twenty eight. So just factor that in as
(06:53):
we do our analysis. If you disagree with the premise,
happy to have that conversation as well as always, you know,
we don't sense or screen anybody. Three oh three seven
three eight two five five d an five seven seven
three nine. I don't even know where to start with
the great sound from last night, but let me just
(07:14):
pick one because I do think it goes to a
bigger dynamic. And this is one of the early questions,
of course, you know from the moderators, was Barb Kirkmeyer
on why she won't support Victor Marx. And Barb, by
the way, is going to join us in the show.
I'll double check the time. I think it's five oh six. Well,
let me spur Myers speak here.
Speaker 4 (07:35):
You've also said that you will not support mister Marx
if he's your party's nominee. Why not and what's that
going to mean for Republicans and down ballot races if
your party is visibly split over your nominee for governor, Well,
first of.
Speaker 5 (07:49):
All, thank you for the question. Our party is already
slit and it's already going to be an issue if
mister Marx is the nominee and on the ballot, I
think we'll lose every down ballot racer is With him
on there, I think will be It'll be a replay
of twenty ten, similar to Dan May's, and it could
be the extension of the Republican Party.
Speaker 1 (08:06):
But the reason I have said that.
Speaker 5 (08:07):
I will not support mister Marx is because one, I mean,
he is unqualified, but that's not really the reason.
Speaker 1 (08:14):
It's because he's unfit. By his own words, he has
said he's unfit.
Speaker 5 (08:17):
He talks about homicidal and suicidal tendencies, makes me a
little worried about, you know, being in rooms with him.
Speaker 1 (08:24):
That quite frankly, he's a fraud.
Speaker 5 (08:27):
He makes up these tall tales, these tall stories, and
I just don't believe them. And even when you have
asked him these questions directly, he just doesn't answer them.
Speaker 6 (08:35):
And lastly, if.
Speaker 5 (08:37):
You can't keep your word, to show up to a debate,
to show up to a forum, that you commit it to.
I'm thinking you can't keep your word on anything.
Speaker 1 (08:46):
And that's why I won't support you. You can't keep
your word. I can't trust you. You're unfit, you're unqualified.
Speaker 5 (08:53):
You think you're an outsider.
Speaker 1 (08:54):
You're not an outsider.
Speaker 5 (08:55):
You're a politician. You've bittered the ring right now, so
you're a politician. You don't get to keep claiming outside.
That's just your way of saying you don't know what
you're talking about.
Speaker 1 (09:03):
Wow, we've never seen anything like that. And we've seen
some vicious GOP primaries before, right, but we've never seen
anybody and we'll get to Scott Bottam's doing the same thing,
and of course Victor's response to both. We've never seen anybody,
especially somebody really credible. Because whether you like her or
not as a candidate, and you're going to vote for
her or not, any I think any reasonable person has
(09:23):
to acknowledge that Bob Barb Kirkmeyer's walk the talk. I mean,
she is viewed as a very intelligent, very credible, very
serious person and so for her to say those kind
of things, and I think you know what you heard
from her last night overall, and what you heard just
there in terms of her ability to think and articulate
(09:45):
and back her argument is that she has to be
one of the very most qualified people the GOP has
ever run for governor. And now that's in a traditional sense, right,
But that's one of the overarching questions that we're talking
about today is does that ma anymore it voters today?
We'll start with the GOP primary. I think it extends
beyond that. Voters today do they use traditional metrics to
(10:09):
evaluate a candidate or is there such a desire for
an outsider, such a desire to make a statement through
the candidate that hey, even an A plus traditional type
candidate at this point is going to be cast aside.
That's one of the big issues. When we come back,
we'll have Victor Marx response to Bark Kirkmeyer, will have
Scott Bottom's response to the same question, will he back
(10:33):
Victor Marx? And then we'll talk about does that mean
if Victor Marx is a nominee, and I think it's
widely believed that as of today he's in the lead,
does that mean at that point that he'll just be
sunk with the other two GOP candidates unwilling to back him.
In the general, you're on the Dankplas Show.
Speaker 2 (10:56):
And now back to the Dan Kaplass Show podcast.
Speaker 1 (11:00):
To this month, before that you beat primary and then
in the general three three seven, three two five, five,
five seven, seventh three nine, got some great text. I
want to go to those bark Kirkmeyer. By the way,
I'll join us at five oh six, got bottoms five
thirty six. Victor Marx was invited and declined. So let's
go to Charles Las Vegas, New Mexico. You're on the
(11:21):
Dan Kaplas. She'll welcome.
Speaker 6 (11:25):
Well, I'm the second luckiest man in the world. I
know you're about the first luckiest man in the world,
and welcome back, welcome back, and go rebels man.
Speaker 1 (11:35):
It Uh well, thank you for saying that, because that
was my toast to my wife on our wedding night.
Is I was paraphrasing lu gereg Today I feel like
the luckiest man on the face of the earth. But
I really do. Thank you, my friend. And you're referring
right to the old miss baseball team, which is, you know,
in the Super Regional this weekend. But Charles, what'd you
make of the debate last night?
Speaker 3 (11:56):
Wow?
Speaker 6 (11:57):
Dan, you know sometimes when I'm on the hull, I
have a little piece of paper and a pen, and
I think about a note or two I have been post.
I'm retiring, so I have a little more time than
the average to think about this stuff. But you know,
Marx and the dog and the prayer, it's unprecedented. I'm
(12:18):
probably a Bennett guy, even though I lean right. You know,
I lived in Denver thirty years. I don't live there now.
Down here in New Mexico. I had to retire, and
you know, Barb clearly won the debate. But you know,
you leave me. I take a question from you, I
(12:39):
don't know where to start.
Speaker 1 (12:41):
Well, I'm so glad. I'm so glad, Charles. You mentioned
the dog and the prayer. I think both were brilliant
on the part of Marx, and I think that his
campaign has done a lot of really smart things along
the way. Now I understand, we've talked. I've talked to
Victor about it on air, you know, as I said
a long time ago, and now some other people are
(13:01):
adopting it. You know, he's either the most interesting man
in the world or he's a fraud. And that is
I think the question on the table for voters. But
I think that both of those moves are brilliant. I'm
still anxious to hear from somebody how he was able
to get the dog out of the stage, But the
fact that he was able to do that, I think
(13:22):
was very effective for him. And I think the prayer
was very effective for him because you know, as I've
been saying on air for a long time, you know,
at the end of the day, if people vote their faith,
and I'm not talking about Christian faith over you know,
any other faith, but if people will just vote their faith,
which you would think they would because it's it's at
(13:44):
the center of who they are, you know, then at
that point the left is dead. So I think that
Victor closing with the prayer, I think was very smart.
Speaker 6 (13:54):
Well, clearly unprecedented.
Speaker 3 (13:56):
And I looked him up online.
Speaker 6 (13:58):
He's from Lafayette, Loucana. So they're called kuon Asses, respectfully,
and so it's really amazing the success he's made for
himself over I guess he's plus sixty years old. Yeah,
But like I said, I'm going to lean Bennett as
a farmer Denver Wright and he was my school board,
raised my kids and schools there. But I hope that
(14:21):
some of this can make inroads to Bennett. And that's
my last point. I feel like Bennett needs to know
that there's a lot of us out here that we
don't mind a dog on stage, and we don't mind
somebody that can't answer questions and all this formality. But
more importantly, I welcome you back to the air bro.
Speaker 3 (14:40):
Thank you being missed.
Speaker 1 (14:41):
Thank you very much. I sure appreciated Charles. Interesting. Charles
leads us to another great question, which is, okay, okay,
if you're somebody like me who wants to see that
the Republican prevail in races in Colorado because the Democrats
are so crazy and they're train in the state in
all the obvious ways, then who do you want to
(15:02):
see when the Democrat primary for governor? Do you want
to see Michael Bennett or do you want to see
Phil Wiser. I've got some strong and I think deep
thoughts on that I'll get to in a second with you,
Dick Wadhams, by the way, we'll join us at four
point thirty six. Anybody think I'm wrong about the dog thing?
I mean, listen, I think it was brilliant of Marx.
I don't know how he was able to pull it off.
(15:24):
You would think the other two campaigns would have said,
over my dead body, and then it would have gotten
really interesting. So I'm just dying to hear the story
of the dog. I thought the dog was awesome, loved
the dog, beautiful dog, and on command when it sat
up and it glared at I think it was Kyle
Clark who was moderating at that time. I mean, yeah,
(15:44):
credit to Victor Marx for being able to pull that off.
And again, the prayer would love your reaction that. I
know there are probably an awful lot of people who
were either uncomfortable with it or just kind of shocked.
Some might have been repelled, but I thought that was brilliant.
Three O three seOne three eight, two five, five five
seven seven three nine. I think, you know, if you
(16:06):
look at to the general, if Victor Marx is our nominee,
I think that the approach Victor is taken to the
primary will not work in the general and it will
be way worse than a loss if if in the
general Victor takes you know, the same approach of you know,
just at this point running kind of a front runners race,
(16:26):
which he's doing, and again, I think his campaign has
been brilliant in a lot of ways, and if he
is truly the front runner at this point, there's some
good reasons to believe that. Then Yeah, that may be
a very smart strategy. It would not work in the general.
It would not work. I don't think there's any question
about that. But hey, and this is the other key point,
(16:47):
which is, Okay, there's been a lot of time that's
passed in this campaign right now, and my sense is
that Victor Marx is a head right now, probably solid ahead.
But I think two thirds of the campaign is left
in terms of impact on outcome, at least two thirds
(17:08):
of it is left. What's going to happen over these
next few weeks when most voters start paying attention. Listen,
you listen to a show like this, which I'm grateful
for obviously, But you listen to a show like this,
you're really plugged in. You care about this stuff deeply,
You're you're following it all the time. But we all
know the vast majority of GOP primary voters, let alone
(17:29):
state wide voters, are not and so what unfolds over
the next you know, three weeks is going to be
absolutely key and The biggest stuff is yet to come
in terms of these outside groups. Okay, we know that,
and you know independent committees let's call them. But the
big money that comes in from the outside because as
(17:51):
you know the candidates, you know, there are these you know,
low maximums on donations people can make to state gubernatorial
campaigns in Colorado. So the big money comes in through
these independent groups. He super packs. Well, we know Bart
Kirkmeyer has one because they've started running spots. That we
don't know is how much money they have and how
much money others are willing to continue to put in.
(18:14):
We know Victor has one because the poll was released
by what appears to me to be Victor's independent committee.
And when I say has won the campaign by law,
Canton doesn't control him. There's one for him. I don't
know about Scott. So big variable now that we're just
going to start to see spots. Okay, how much money
do these independent committees have and how wisely will they
(18:38):
spend it? And then on top of that, the big
question what's the left going to do? They're almost certain
to spend in the primary to try to elect the
Republican they think they can be the worst. What are
they going to do.
Speaker 2 (18:57):
You're listening to the Dan Kaplis Show podcast.
Speaker 1 (19:00):
Talking about that Cam just called a debate, just that
surreal event last night and what it's going to mean
for the GOP primary and beyond. Dick Wadham's kind enough
to join us if you're new to the area or
the planet. Dick ran the last successful campaign for governor
in Colorado. He was Bill Owens campaign manager. Dick, Welcome
(19:20):
back to the show. I know we talked a little
earlier in the day, but can't wait to do it
on air. So let's start with who won?
Speaker 3 (19:28):
Oh, Dan, I think it was very clear that of
the three candidates, only one candidate demonstrated that she could
be a competitive candidate in the general election, which is
what this is all about. And Barbara Kirkmeyer, I thought,
demonstrated the command of the issues. She laid out her agenda,
and while the other two candidates wallowed and extremism and
(19:52):
demonstrated they not only would lose to the Democrats in November,
they would take down other Republicans with them.
Speaker 1 (20:00):
What effect do you think last night had on the
primary race?
Speaker 3 (20:05):
Well, I think collectively with you, if you take a
look at the interview that Victor Marx did with Channel
nine last week and then the debate last night, I
think the race is a different race today. I would
agree with you. I just heard you describe the race
as Victor Marx as the front runner, and I agree
(20:26):
with you on that, but I don't think he's as
big a front runner as he was last week. And
I think that people are now just turning tuning into
this race and they're taking a look at the candidates.
And frankly, unless you're just a total sick ofcent of
Victor Mars, the last night's debate I think was not
(20:47):
only concerning, but probably shocking for a lot of people,
A lot of people who have not really thought about
this race who did tune in, I think they saw
something they had no idea existed, which is two people,
two candidates who are way out of the mainstream of Colorado,
and that would really drive the Republican Party into a
deeper hole than it is right now.
Speaker 1 (21:10):
Guess what do you think the outcome of the general
is If Barb Kirkmeyer is the candidate.
Speaker 3 (21:18):
Well, I'm not saying she would be a sure winner
in November, believe me, Dan, I mean and the fact
is that this is still a blue state. Donald Trump
is still very unpopular in Colorado, and that drags down
Republican candidates. But I would say this that I think
a lot of voters who have voted against Republicans for
(21:40):
the last eight years are very concerned about how far
this state has swept and how deeply how unaffordable it is,
how unsafe it is, and I think that those voters
want to give a Republican a look, and I think
that makes us, It would make the nominee competitor at least,
(22:01):
and would be an asset to Republican candidates for Congress
like Gabe Evans and Jeff Crank and Jeff Hurd, and
for a bunch of really strong Republican candidates and competitive
districts for the Legislature, they would be They would be
helped by a Kirkmeyer tendency in November because she would
(22:21):
be she would be taking on the Democrat in a
very positive, effective way, and that helps them. But I
will tell you that this campaign will be defined by
constant stories about pedophile sectorings at the Capitol and how
many people did you kill and all the crazy things
that have come out about the marks and the bottoms.
(22:46):
It's just it's stuff that we've ever seen in a
campaign before. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (22:50):
That's the wild thing, right, is just when you think
you've seen it all, we've never seen this dynamic. Because
obviously Victor has a lot of appeal to people, whether
it's Victor and hey listen, I think his looks help
him in this campaign. You know, he's he's attractive, he
looks like a strong person. I think the story surrounding
(23:12):
Victor that and I think the public impression of those
who haven't really dialed in is, hey, here's a guy
who has been rescuing children around the world, you know,
former marine. The idea of Victor Marx, I think is
very appealing to a lot of people. So the question,
I think then becomes how many actually start to get
into the details and then make a decision based on
(23:34):
that or is it more just based on the appearance
and the idea.
Speaker 3 (23:38):
Well, then, I know one thing, he might be able
to get their away with this in the primary, because
they're they're four weeks last. He might he just might
pull that off, But I guarantee you will he will
not pull it off in a general election. He will
be he has this is the thing. He has no
idea about the rigors and the challenge of running in
(24:02):
a general election campaign against a well funded Democratic Party
and a well funded Democratic nominee for governor. And you've
got two very accomplished at candidates, and with Phil Weiser
and Michael Bennett, one as a US senator, the other's
Attorney general. Those are two very prominent, capable people. There's
(24:23):
not two guys I would ever vote for. But you
cannot take that away from him. He has no idea
about the buzzsaw he is about to get into if
he wins this nomination, and he cannot get away with
these crazy stories that he cannot back up. He's had
opportunity after opportunity, including last week and last night, and
he refuses to come clean on what is the truth
(24:46):
about his background. Nobody knows. He couldn't even answer the
question have you how many people have you killed? I
mean many? How many elected officials and candidates? But first
of all, would it ever be posed to much less?
Could they would be able to they would be able
to answer it equivocally zero. He couldn't answer the question
how is that going to plan a general election with
(25:08):
a lecturer that is fifty one affiliated.
Speaker 1 (25:11):
It's not going to I can believe me. I understand.
We've talked about it. I've talked about our error. I
understand the the risks, the enormous risks if if the
voters decide that victors are fraud I understand the upside
if voters decide that, oh no, that that's all real,
and you know, we need somebody like that. But here
here's my question to you. What what if he doesn't
(25:35):
have any intention of engaging in the general in any
kind of traditional way because he is not in the primary,
and so far it's working out pretty well. For what if, Well,
what if the general looked like the primary, where you know,
he speaks where he wants to speak, and and you know,
with the groups he wants to speak with, and then
the chips fall where they may.
Speaker 3 (25:57):
Oh, I had no idea, I have no doubt, then
he will probably pursue the same kind of of concealed
strategy in the general that he would in a prime
that he has in the primary. Like I said earlier, Dan,
he can't get away with that. In the general election,
the media scrutiny will be much more intense. The money
and the sophistication of the Democratic campaign against him will
(26:19):
be remarkable, and that's another reason why it was. I
think it's very shortsighted to just basically stay there this compound,
down a car at the springs and not really engage
in anything but well scripted events in front of his
own passionate supporters. When you do something like that, you
really are not prepared for the rigors of a general election. Dan,
(26:42):
I've been through this, as you well know, and I
got to tell you, I can't even imagine running like
a campaign like he's doing in the primary and thinking
that campaign and that candidate would be ready to take
on Democrats in November. It has always been tough to
win in Colorado. This guy is no more. He is
not in the league of Bill the Owens or Nayne
Allard or Corey Gardner. He is he is, he is
(27:06):
even he can't mentioned in the same steps as those guys.
Speaker 1 (27:13):
Dick Quodham's our guest, and Dick, what I expect, if
your time allows, is over these next three plus crazy weeks,
I'd love to have you in studio a lot. I'd
love to have a lot of different people in studio
a lot talking about all this because truly we have
never seen anything like it. And as I sit here
right now, despite thirty years of doing this on air,
(27:34):
I can't look in the eye and say I know
how this thing's going to end up. But let me
leave you with this one question, and that is is
obviously you know, Barbe said it last night, Scott said it.
You have a lot of people saying it openly, a
lot of people who think victors of fraud. On the
other hand, you have a lot of people who think
he's the real deal, and they're passionately devoted to him.
(27:55):
But what about this argument? What about the argument that
wait a second, if he is willing to and wants
to subject himself to the microscope, which is going to
be the general election in the incredibly well funded and
ruthless Democrats locally and nationally who are waiting for him,
(28:16):
what about the argument that he must be very confident
that he's not a fraud because if he is, it's
going to get proven in a general Well.
Speaker 3 (28:28):
I think he has I think he thinks he can
get away with it. I mean that's my opinion. I
think I think he thinks that he's going to he's
getting away with it so far in the in this primary,
although I think that has changed in the last week
or so with these interviews in this debate. But then
it won't happen. I mean, I got this guy. He
(28:50):
has no idea what he will get into if he
wins this nomination. In fact, I would say probably the
best thing for Victor Marx is if he lost the primary,
as they will spare him the exposure and the of
his real record and in general election and it won't
be pretty. I don't think it would be pretty. Well.
Speaker 1 (29:12):
Dick, really appreciate the time, and obviously you've been in
the middle of some of the biggest, tough at toughest
font races in Colorado and elsewhere and won some really
big ones. So appreciate the perspective and look forward to
getting together. Thank you, Dan, Thank you my friend. Take
care of that is at Dick Quantums three h three
seven one three eight two five five d An five
seven seven three nine You're on the Dan Capla Show.
Speaker 2 (29:39):
And now back to the Dan Kaplas Show podcast.
Speaker 1 (29:42):
I know it sounds perverse, and if you're at DEA,
don't hate me for this, but I'm seeing how there
are a bunch of flights delayed by thunderstorms. I'm just
so grateful there's rain now. And when I was coming
in from DA yesterday day before whatever it was, and
we were in a driving hell storm, I just said,
thank you God. You know it's been so dry. Great
to see a green Huh. Well, if you just joined
(30:04):
us for sure? Oh man, Zach, Yeah, have you been
up in the mounts now yet? I'm hopefully getting down
in August, but not as much as I've wanted to.
Yees the same with us. I'm just wondering if it's
if they're getting any of this moisture up there. I
hope that they are. But hey, we're talking obviously about
the debate last night, because nobody alive has ever seen
anything like that in Colorado. And so what is it
(30:25):
going to mean? Who's going to win the GOP primary?
And then what does that mean? And as I started
the show with, make no mistake, Democrats right now, Democrats
aren't even thinking about twenty six. For Democrats, you know,
unless you're a candidate Democrat, candidate in this race, it's
all about twenty eight. It's all about positioning for twenty eight.
The presidential in twenty eight, when Colorado could be back
(30:46):
in play. And then as well, there's going to be
a big Senate race in Colorado in twenty eight, because
you know, you're not gonna have Bennett's in that seat anymore,
no matter what happens in this race. So the Democrats
are looking that probably a lot of a lot of
very vicious cannibalism within that Democratic Party because you've got
(31:07):
all these you know, old guys who talk all the
DEI talk, but then they freeze out all of these
you know, talented younger people, including women and people of color.
When I say talented, I mean political skills. Their ideas
are wacko, psycho crazy. But yeah, they're gonna have a
blood bath in that Democratic Party. But their focus now
(31:28):
is twenty eight. They believe they've already got twenty six
to one. Now for them, it's just about trying to
win all the way down ballot, figure out which GOP
candidate for governor gives them the best chance to do that,
and then start to pour their money into that candidate.
And I expect we'll see that happen very soon. Let's
go up to beautiful Weld County. Talked to Chris you're
on the Dan Kaplis Show.
Speaker 7 (31:49):
Welcome Hi, Dan, welcome back, thank you, say oh Man
the best, thank you, Yeah, Heidi and John Caldera, Jared
Lindsay the sheriffs.
Speaker 8 (32:02):
Interesting perspective on this.
Speaker 1 (32:05):
I got recruited by the.
Speaker 8 (32:06):
College Republicans in nineteen eighty four to volunteer on the
most important campaign for Congress in the country that year.
It was b One, Bob Dornan, and Jerry Patterson. They
were both freshman congressman. In nineteen seventy six, Bob Dornan
got jerrymandered. Ronald Reagan convinced Bob Dornen to move to
(32:30):
Orange County. He's called the Carpetbagger and run against Jery Patterson.
And so I know all about the scrutiny. I mean,
I was neck deep in that campaign. I do have
a business degree and a minor in theology from a
Christian university, so I'm half a preacher. I guess you
(32:52):
could say I'd never chosen to run for office because
I know all the scrutiny. I do have my own business,
and my wife and I have the luxury of working
for packs here in Colorado, which we've been doing since
twenty nineteen. We've knocked on tens of thousands of doors.
(33:16):
Right now, we're signature gathering for some conservative issues, but
we will be knocking on doors come August. And I've
got a good pulse about the voters.
Speaker 1 (33:29):
What do you think. What scares the the.
Speaker 8 (33:32):
GB's out of me is there's a primary and what
the unaffiliators are going to do, and there's no way
to predict it. There's no way to predict. And I
called John last week because he was like, well, I'm
unaffiliated and what should I do? Should I vote for
the lesser of the two evils, Bennett or Kirkmeyer? And
I said, well, I said Kirkmeyer.
Speaker 6 (33:55):
One.
Speaker 8 (33:56):
I'm never going to be unaffiliated. I was raised a
Republican in my blood. Victor Marx scares me because he
won't answer questions. And I agree with you, he's the
biggest fraud in the world.
Speaker 1 (34:11):
Chris, I just have to step there. Sorry to interrupt.
I have not declared him yet. I have absolutely not
declared him yet. I'm Switzerland in this primary. I'm raising issues,
providing analysis, providing a forum for everybody. What I've said
for a long time, which I think nails it. Is
he's either one of the most interesting men in the
world or he's a fraud.
Speaker 8 (34:31):
He's one of the time with you, I agree with you,
but what he's very interesting, don't get me wrong. And
I know I have friends and family that are supporting him, but.
Speaker 1 (34:44):
He's not an AA Ask why are they supporting him?
Because I've got some friends who are supporting I've got
a number of people I have tremendous respect for. They've
been very active in politics at a very high level
and a very high donor level, and they're supporting him.
Why are your friends supporting.
Speaker 8 (35:01):
I couldn't tell you. Maybe because of a space. I'm
a voting end Christian and I really didn't think the
prayer at the end was a good call because I
think it probably offended a lot of unaffiliated voters who
(35:25):
aren't Christian. Sure it made all the evangelicals really happy,
but can.
Speaker 1 (35:33):
I take that on for a second, christ And you're
a fascinating caller. Here's and I'm sorry we're at the
end of the segment. Let me spin off Chris's point.
Barb Kirkmeyer next, The reason that I think a lot
of people who were uncomfortable with the prayer would still
be impressed with Victor, for it is because it was different,
(35:56):
it was unusual, it took some guts, and so I
think it was effective. I think a lot of people
who disagree with people on some issues can respect that
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