January 6, 2026 • 34 mins
Longtime political consultant, and former Colorado GOP chair, Dick Wadhams joins Dan for two segments breaking down the state's governor's race with Greg Lopez now running as an independent, as well as his latest column on why Colorado unaffiliated voters are up for grabs in 2026.
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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.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (00:15):
In the American way is we protect our children? Let
twenty twenty six be the year that lots of eyes
get opened in Colorado to the massive mistake that was
legalization of marijuana. We got conned, we got sold a bill,
and we can.
Speaker 4 (00:29):
Fix this mistake.
Speaker 3 (00:30):
So hey, we had a great conversation the first couple
of segments with Lick Nick.
Speaker 4 (00:37):
Ryan.
Speaker 3 (00:38):
Why do I struggle with this name? He's one of
the nicest guys in the face of the earth. He
does a tremendous job with Sam. I've been saying hard
names well on air for thirty years, but I've got
a mental block to Luke Nifferodos. It shouldn't be that
hard a name, should it. Do you have some mental
trick I can use for this? I don't think does.
(01:01):
See it is a tough name anyway. The guy's brilliant.
The guy's brilliant. He's with a group smart approaches to marijuana.
That's doing tremendous work out there. I hope you check
out their website. A lot of great resources there, But
the bottom line is it's not worth it. Legalized weed
is not worth it. It's not even close. And unfortunately,
(01:22):
we've got so much evidence now in Colorado from all
these years of harm that I do think the people
would repeal Amendment sixty four if there was enough money
to fund a proper campaign, and that campaign, how much
would it take. It would might take a hundred million dollars.
I mean, that campaign needs enough money to be able
(01:43):
to get the truths everybody, because the people aren't getting
the truths from most of the media, because most of
the media had a vested interest in legalization of drugs,
if nothing else, trying to get some of that money.
And for the Left, legalization of drugs is one of
their key pages from the playbook, because a drugged population
is more dependent on government. So get the truth to
(02:06):
the people. And at that point, I do think sixty
four would be repealed. So we're talking about that, but
so much more.
Speaker 4 (02:13):
Thanks to George Brockler.
Speaker 3 (02:14):
Talking about a rare ray of bipartisan sunshine at the
legislature toughening these child trafficking laws. I asked George whether
you would be constitutional to have the death penalty for
child traffickers. I think that any society that is going
to have a death penalty, and we can have that
separate death penalty debate, should include child traffickers. I mean,
(02:35):
who would be more deserving. Obviously murderers, but child traffickers
murder even if they don't literally physically kill the child,
and so penalties for every other category of this kind
of harm to children they should be long term mandatory minimums.
But at least there is some step in the right
(02:56):
direction at the legislature. I have to believe that part
of that is just this percolating up, you know, from
the people across party lines on this. And this goes
to something that Dick Watdams excuse me, is going to
get into with us when he joins us at four
what is Dick Dix can be with us at five
point twenty? And he has a great peace out right
(03:19):
now that unaffiliated voters in Colorado are up four grabs,
and obviously the big reason for that is the left
has become so whack in Colorado that there are a
lot of people who just can't stomach supporting them anymore,
and the question is, okay, what does the GOP have
to do to get those voters? So we'll have Dick
with us at five twenty. A number of other things
(03:43):
I want to touch on this afternoon with you as well,
and then I want to get to some texts, particularly
those who disagree with me all of this talk about
Trump invading Greenland. Marco Rubio clarified this afternoon the President
Trump is focused on trying.
Speaker 4 (03:57):
To buy Greenland. Now.
Speaker 3 (03:59):
I think it probably helps his bargaining position with the
Dutch that he was just the American military was just
able to pull off a mission that probably wouldn't even
put in a movie because it would be so unlikely.
But no, Trump's not going to invade Greenland. If Trump
wanted to take Greenland by force, he could send you know,
Ryan and me for a few hours some afternoon, right
(04:22):
if Ryan's up for it. But no, it's hopefully Trump
will be able to work out some kind of deal.
I don't think it's going to result in an actual
purchase of Greenland, but some type of strengthening and of agreements,
you know, expands some military bases get you know, priority
access to some rare earth minerals, et cetera in Greenland.
(04:42):
I understand why he wants it, but no, America is
not going to invade Greenland. I do want to talk about.
It's the latest installment. It was one of my big
predictions in twenty five and that was that when Polis
made the mistake of deciding to go to war with
Donald Trump, Colorado is going to pay the price in
lots of different ways. And we've now seen it. It's
(05:05):
almost dating them, right, if not daily, every other day
that Trump. You know that Trump punishes Polis for failing
to grant Trump's requests that Tina Peters be moved to
a federal facility where obviously President Trump would then release her.
(05:27):
So the latest installment is that Colorado has had at
least one hundred and thirty five million in funding, much
of it that goes to childcare, now blocked. Along with California, Illinois, Minnesota,
and New York, Trump administration has blocked this funding. It
(05:47):
appears while investigations are done after the massive fraud in Minnesota.
Sitting here right now, I don't believe there's any evidence
of any widespread fraud in Colorado's program. I don't have
any to that kind of information, but we've seen this
pattern now from the administration, and we know it is
going to continue. And a lot of what President Trump
(06:10):
has done as a result of Polis going to war
with him, you know, are things that I disagree with.
I'm not trying to support the President's decision to veto
the pipeline project in southern Colorado, for example, not at all.
But what I'm saying is this was Polus's choice. It
was Polus's choice to deny Trump's very reasonable request. So
(06:35):
why in the world did Polus decide to go to
war with the most powerful person in the world just
so Polis could keep a seventy plus year old woman
behind bars when she's already served a year for a
non violent, victimless crime, and she committed the crime Tina
Peters did, and the charges proper and the conviction was proper.
(06:56):
But after Polis grants Kim Kardashians for West to cut
the sentence of a killer trucker burnt to death for
people injured many more, Kim Kardashian asks Polis to cut
his sentence. Police cuts it ninety percent. Trump makes his
very reasonable request, Police gives him a double middle finger,
(07:17):
and Polis is willing to have Colorado pay this enormous
price for Police's war with Trump. How does that make
any sense? Three or three seven one three eight two
five five the number text d A N five seven
seven three nine, and we will we will get to
those texts immediately. But I have this tremendous news that
(07:39):
Eerie Mike is calling the show, So let's go straight
to the phone lines. Eerie, welcome back to the show.
Speaker 2 (07:46):
Thank you, Lyle, appreciate it. Hey, happy January sixth to
you January sixth, great, great cut.
Speaker 3 (07:52):
That workout for the Democrats? EERI, how'd that work out
for him? Democrats made the whole everything about January six right,
it was their big it was a big election year
theme and everything else. How did that work out for him?
Speaker 5 (08:08):
Hey?
Speaker 2 (08:09):
I don't know how it worked out. I didn't know
what It was a travesty, but hey, you.
Speaker 6 (08:12):
Know, no, no, no, no, But you do know, Mike.
You don't know, Mike, you don't have to be shy
with me. You do know how did that strategy work
out for the Democrats? But more importantly than how it
worked out? Why did it fail so miserably?
Speaker 2 (08:28):
Because there's a whole lot of people that think like you, Dan,
that's why.
Speaker 4 (08:32):
And what do they think?
Speaker 7 (08:33):
What?
Speaker 3 (08:33):
What do the American voters think? I mean, it don't
make me be Socrates here, He's dead. I mean. The
reason this whole January sixth thing failed is the American
people see it for what it was, and it wasn't
what the Democrats claimed it was. So ironically, the Democrats
beat themselves with January six.
Speaker 2 (08:55):
Yeah, yeah, I don't know. That's interesting, interesting theory. But uh,
I know who's in.
Speaker 4 (09:01):
The White House.
Speaker 2 (09:02):
I know what I saw.
Speaker 3 (09:02):
Who's in the Is this all just a very pleasant dream?
Who's in the White House?
Speaker 2 (09:08):
No? I I know he's in the White House? Unfortunately,
But hey, I wanted to give him some credit though,
and I wanted to sort of maybe give you some
insight into the question that you ask your guests. His
name escapes me right now, I'm sorry, right before the break. Yeah,
I don't I don't know him. I'm sorry. But anyway,
you asked him what precipitated this bipartisan interest in child trafficking?
(09:34):
I think I know the answer, and I want to
give credit where credits due, and can you do it?
Speaker 4 (09:38):
I want to give credit because fortunately we're up against
the breaker. Then I have a good guest, No.
Speaker 2 (09:42):
Said, I think I give it all. I give all
the credit to Trump and his friendship with one of
the most notorious child traffickers that we've never been exposed to.
So Trump did that. That's great. He had a friend
trafficker and he brought it to this to everyone's attention.
Speaker 4 (09:58):
That's great, and I be happy, Mike.
Speaker 3 (10:01):
I will be happy to help set up the GoFundMe
for your therapy, and if you're ever willing to seek
that help, I'll be right there to set up the account.
And Trump derangement syndrome is real. Thank you, Michael, appreciate
the call. It's always always good to chuckle. And to
that point, Dick Watams is coming up next to He
(10:22):
has a great column out on Colorado independent voters up
for grabs. But I want to play some sound after
that segment with Dick. It goes to Mike's call, and
it's some of the funniest sound I've ever heard, maybe
because I grew up in Chicago, but it's it's a
bunch of leaders in Chicago protesting a Trump tower over
(10:43):
a one hundred percent property tax that was just imposed
on them by the Democrats in Illinois. But that's how
bad it's gotten. Talk about lack of self awareness. Dick
Watams next on The Dan Kapla Show.
Speaker 8 (11:00):
And now back to the Dan Kaplass Show podcast.
Speaker 4 (11:06):
Wow, Dick Wadham, you got to love that walk up song?
You ever heard that one before? I have not Ryan
who does that?
Speaker 8 (11:16):
That's imagine dragon thunder. But more for the lightning that
we know Dick Wadam is so famous for.
Speaker 3 (11:21):
He is the human lightning rod.
Speaker 4 (11:25):
Dick, have you ever seen lightning strike?
Speaker 9 (11:29):
Actually? I am Dan, I have. I saw on the
farm I grew up on. I saw a lightning strike
the ground about one hundred yards from where I was standing.
And it was very terrifying.
Speaker 3 (11:41):
Oh it had to be not did it zap you?
Speaker 9 (11:45):
No? No, I did. I didn't feel anything. It was
it was it was far enough away. I was under
under no danger and no danger, but it was it
was very uh mystery, it really was.
Speaker 3 (11:57):
I read somewhere that most people in Colorado get hit
by lightning, get hit while it's still sunny out. I
guess lightning bolts can throw five to ten miles ahead
of the storm or something. But yeah, scary stuff. I
mean as a golf caddy, I mean nobody cared. Hey,
send the caddy out there, you know, see if there's lightning.
(12:17):
But yeah, Richard, hey, gout question. Can you do two segments?
Speaker 4 (12:23):
Sure? Sure? Okay, great? Great?
Speaker 3 (12:25):
So I want to have to sound like that phone
book commercial guy. But let's let's start with Greg Lopez.
I don't I want to get to this really fascinating
column that you've you've authored about Colorado unaffiliated voters being
up for grabs. But before we go there, what's your
take on Greg Lopez now leaving the GOP and running
(12:45):
for governor as an independent.
Speaker 9 (12:50):
Well, listen, I understand why he did it. He's going
to bypass the whole Republican nomination process and the go
straight to the general election. So I mean, it's a
much easier way to get on the general election ballot.
While Dan, I think that someday I think we are
(13:11):
going to elect an unaffiliated candidate to statewide office, I
do not think it will be in two thousand and
twenty six. And I think that Greg is going to
find us a lot harder get on the ballot than
what he might think. It requires one thousand registered voters
to sign a petition in all eight congressional districts. They
(13:32):
can be Republican, Democrat and affiliated whatever that they don't
have to be one of one of one party. But
I think he's going to find that that is a
he will probably make the ballot. But I will tell you,
I think he's got a sixty day window to get
those signatures, and unless he's got a volunteer base that
(13:54):
I'm not aware of, I'm not sure that he's going
to be able to do it without paying a firm
to help him get on the ballot. No, we'll see.
Speaker 3 (14:05):
Yeah, And I was talking with Greg about the race
on the show yesterday, and my point to him was, Hey,
isn't this just going to help the Democrat get elected.
Speaker 4 (14:13):
I have to believe that.
Speaker 3 (14:14):
Greg's going to draw a meaningful number of votes from
the GOP candidate, because he drew so many votes in
that GOP primary in twenty two. Greg says he believes
he'll draw more Democrats than Republicans.
Speaker 9 (14:28):
I don't know if he'll do that. I will tell you, Dan,
I don't think he will have that much of an
impact on the general election unless Republicans field a candidate
who is totally out of mainstream, which, by the way,
we are capable of doing. But I think if a
strong Republican candidate is nominated that Republicans will stick with
(14:51):
that candidate to not vote for any third party or
an affiliated candidate.
Speaker 3 (14:57):
Now, is Bennett a sure thing? On the Democrat said.
Speaker 7 (15:01):
I don't.
Speaker 9 (15:02):
I do not think Bennett is a sure thing. In fact,
over the last several weeks, I've had a lot of
conversations with friends of mine who are Democrats, and I
will tell you the common thread with all these conversations
dan is that that Weiser is running a much better
campaign than Bennett, that Bennett is still undefined, and why
(15:25):
he's even doing this. And I think I think Weiser
is going to make a real run at Bennett. And
while I would put money, if I really pushed on it,
I'd probably say Bennet's probably probably going to win, I'm
not that sure of it. I think Weiser is running
a much better campaign than Bennett right now.
Speaker 3 (15:44):
Yeah, sure seems that way. And I'm no Phil Weiser fan,
particularly this incarnation of Phil Wiser I liked him a
lot better a number of years ago, but I think
at this point he's just willing to say or do anything,
and and my goodness, you know that what are we
up to? Forty nine different lawsuits against the Trump administration.
But I do think he's running a better campaign. And
(16:07):
Wiser is much more accomplished than Bennett. I mean wrong ideologically,
but he's done much more than Bennett. I mean, nobody's
ever done less with more than Michael Bennett. So interesting,
interesting do you think one or the other be easier
for the GOP nominee to.
Speaker 9 (16:26):
Be Well, I'm not sure which one would be easier
to beat to Dan, I mean, Bennett, I think is
kind of a blank slate. He's very uninspiring. I don't
think he has much to run on. But on the
other hand, I think that Wiser is more ideological to
(16:46):
the left than Bennette, that it appears that way. So
I'm not sure which one would be would be easier
to beat. But but they, you know, being Democrats, they
have the advantage in this ortion because we are still
a Democrat strongly Democrat leaning state, and so just being
the Democratic nominee is an advantage into itself.
Speaker 3 (17:10):
Which feeds into your great piece at Colorado Politics, and
that is Colorado's unaffiliated vote is up for grabs in
twenty twenty six. And I was really happy to see
that piece because I think it's fair to say that
you've been pretty pessimistic about GOP chances for a while now.
So when we come back from this break, Dick, I'd
(17:33):
love for you to just take the floor and lay
out for people you know, why you believe the unaffiliateds
you know are up for grabs and why as they say, hey,
there's a chance here. So Dick Autum's kind enough to
stay for a second segment, then I want to ask
Dick some questions about the landscape more broadly politically.
Speaker 4 (17:51):
So we'll come back to Dick Watdams.
Speaker 3 (17:53):
We'll talk about a lot going on in the news today,
including NPR folding up, Michael unfortunately passing away, the President's son,
Michael Reagan passing away, and Jared Poulis deciding to go
to war with Donald Trump and Colorado being hurt by that.
Once again, we'll get you the latest installment.
Speaker 4 (18:14):
Of that Dick Watams next on the Dan Kapla.
Speaker 8 (18:17):
Show, you're listening to the Dan Kaplas Show podcast.
Speaker 10 (18:25):
When I was at Fox News, which was a long time,
fourteen years, I would have known exactly what to do
in the wake of Trump's attack in Venezuela, his retrieval,
shall we say, to put it in mild terms of
Nicholas MADUROL. I would have known that I was supposed
to cheerlead it. And I turned on Fox News yesterday.
Speaker 7 (18:44):
I'm sorry, but it was I.
Speaker 3 (18:46):
Wanted to tee up Venezuela for a second. Dick wadhams
with us, and if you're new to Colorado, Dick has
won an awful lot of big races here and elsewhere.
Speaker 4 (18:56):
He knows of what he.
Speaker 3 (18:57):
Speaks, and so he's on with us for a couple
of segments. Talk about the political landscape. Dick, what's your
take on the political impact of the mission in Venezuela.
Speaker 9 (19:09):
And you know what's fascinating to me, Dan, is that
I watch all these protests around the country and they're
all a bunch of you know, aging liberals. But whenever
the national and the state media focuses on Venezuelans who
have come here to escape the tyranny of the Maduro,
they all are very much behind the president. Now I'm
(19:31):
a little I'm a little uncomfortable with with with this
kind of military action. And yet that guy was a menace.
And when I look at these Venezuelans who escaped his tyranny,
I'm thinking, I think that a good thing was done,
(19:52):
and I think it will help him. I'm not sure
it will be a defining moment of the campaign that
it will help him.
Speaker 3 (19:58):
Right, I think the posative impact is going to go
far beyond politics. I think it will probably fade politically,
but I think there'll be a massive long term benefit
for this nation in terms of deterring other bad actors
and encouraging allies, hopefully encouraging some people on the ground
in Iran as they try to overthrow that regime. Just
(20:20):
the fact that, hey, Trump will take bold action.
Speaker 4 (20:23):
But Dick, I really.
Speaker 3 (20:24):
Enjoyed your piece in Colorado Politics, the headline Colorado's unaffiliated
voter is up for grabs in twenty six Please tell
us why?
Speaker 9 (20:33):
Well, let me start with that. And you know, David's
clerty very well with Magellan strategies. They polsered. Remember he
had a general election poll of the entire state back
in October that showed that the Democrats had really taken
a meeting by voters that Pola's and hicken Hooper and
Bennett were all underwater. And most tellingly, the majority of
(20:58):
Colorado citizens likes that the state was on the wrong track,
which is a very significant number, and only a minority
spelt it was on the right track. And since Colorado
has been dominated by Democrats for the last eight years,
that is a condemnation of democratic rules. So we start
with that. That this poll that came out last week
from elect to Colorado Vote, which is a nonpartisan organization,
(21:22):
and they did a very extensive poll of just unaffiliated voters,
and of course they represent almost half of the electorate
now in Colorado. And they first of all, they found
that these unaffiliated voters are unaffiliated by choice. It's not
like they were forced into it by how they got
automatically registered to vote when they registered for a driver's
license or whatever. These voters truly consider themselves independent and
(21:47):
they don't like Democrats. They frankly don't like the Republican
Party either. But what was interesting is that Republicans have
a big advantage with these unaffiliated voters on crime and
a smaller advent on immigration. Now Democrats have an advantage
on healthcare and education. But the other significant number is
that once again these voters, a majority of unaffiliated voters
(22:11):
think Colorado is on the wrong track. And this is
the one I really loved from this poll. They ask
them about TABOR, and they ask if TABOR should be
repealed or should it be retained, And they gave the
background of both positions, and sixty percent of unaffiliated voters
that TABOR should be retained and only thirty percent I
(22:32):
think it was said it should be repealed. Now, I
got to say it. The mantra of Democrats who wanted
to get rid of Tabor, They've been there. They tried
if they could snap their fingers and Taber would go away.
They can't stand Tabor. They are on the wrong side
of the vast majority of unaffiliated voters in the state.
And that, to me, that is a really good news
(22:53):
for really good news for Republicans.
Speaker 3 (22:55):
What is the GPF to do to capitalize on that,
because it's seems to.
Speaker 9 (23:00):
Me, yeah, yeah, go ahead, but that there.
Speaker 3 (23:04):
Are problems for the GOP that go beyond the issues.
Speaker 9 (23:08):
Then this is the situation. We have a lot of
people running for governor right now. And I do think
that this open seat, as we talked earlier, there's there's
an opportunity here. But but this is what I do know.
If we nominate a candidate who still always talking about
is stolen twenty twenty election that was taken from Donald Trump,
(23:32):
who say that Tina Peters should be pardoned, who want
to repeal Proposition one O eight that would basically steal
the right of unaffiliated voters to vote in party primaries,
we will not have any chance of winning this race.
And frankly, most most of the candidates running for governor
right now have taken those three positions. Stole an election,
(23:55):
pardon Peter Tina Peters, and steal the vote of unaffiliateds.
And frankly, there's only one candidate out of all the
candidates running right now who has not done that, and
that's Marb Prickmeyer. Now, I suppose one of those other
candidates could change their mind and publicly say well, I
don't have that position anymore. But I think those are
(24:16):
just fundamental issues. Those are litmus tests for unaffiliated voters.
If you still think the election was stolen, if you
think Tenna Peters ought to be released from jail. If
you think that they as an unaffiliated voter they should
not vote in party primaries, you might as well just
hang it up. And I just I don't understand why
Republicans get pulled into these extreme positions that alienate the
(24:39):
very voters that will elect a new governor, a new Senator,
a new ag a new treasurer, a new Secretary of state, legislators,
members of Congress, the whole thing.
Speaker 3 (24:50):
Dick wadhams our guest is peace Colorado politics well worth
three Colorado's an affiliated vote is up for grabs in
twenty twenty six. So, Dick, how do you see these
races shaping up GOP primary for governor and what's going
on in the Senate race Because there just hasn't been
There hasn't been much buzz about either of these big
(25:12):
races compared to past years.
Speaker 4 (25:14):
Why is that the case?
Speaker 9 (25:17):
I agree with you, Dan, Really, the media really hasn't
locked in on this in the selection year yet I
think they will. We're now pass the holidays where both
parties will start their nomination processes very soon. I think
that in the Senate race, it's interesting because John Hickenloopert
actually has a legitimate Democratic challenge.
Speaker 2 (25:39):
Now, she is.
Speaker 9 (25:41):
Not going to win that Democratic primary that the Democratic
State senator from who is running the instant she's a
Democratic Socialist, but I think she's going to make his
life miserable, and she's legitimate enough that she will.
Speaker 2 (25:55):
Be the.
Speaker 9 (25:58):
Beneficiary of of unrest in the Democratic Party over hick
and Hooper running for another term. A lot of Democrats
are perplexed why he's running. Dan He's going to be
eighty years old during the next term, and frankly, the
first term has not exactly been something.
Speaker 3 (26:17):
Don't they wise or isn't it obviously just selfish, just
wants to be a senator.
Speaker 9 (26:23):
That's That's how I look at it, and I think
that's right, and I think a lot of Democrats feel
that way too. It's like, why don't you step aside?
And so I think that Democratic primary could get much
more interesting than people think. And if he kind of
limps dound of a primary against the frankly relatively unknown
Democratic Socialist senator from Denver, he could find himself in
(26:46):
June in much more of a vulnerable, vulnerable position than
he thinks right now. So I think I think this
could this could be the potential for a very interesting
election year. But I will go back, Dan, we have
if we have a bunch of candidates running around talking
about Donald Trump got the elections stolen from him, and
my darn, we need to break Tina Peters out of
(27:09):
jail and unaffiliateds do not have the right to vote
in party primaries. Chuck it in to the Pope. I
really believe that.
Speaker 3 (27:18):
Grateful for your time. We've got thirty seconds. What should
GOP candidates who want to win be talking about.
Speaker 9 (27:25):
They should be talking about energy, education, They should be
talking about the issues that people care about. They should
be talking about affordability. They should be talking about maintaining paper.
Given what I said about that poll, I mean, there
are plenty of issues that people want to hear from
the candidates, and they don't want to hear about stolen
elections or Pena Peters and so talk about the issues
(27:48):
that matter. That's what Bill Owens did when he won
in ninety eight, and that's why he was governor for
eight years and we and we really haven't had a
candidate since then, Dan, who has really done that. He's
really talked to the issues and had plans that people
could get their minds around and that's what has to happen.
Speaker 4 (28:05):
Well, Dick, appreciate the time today. Thank you, my friend.
Speaker 9 (28:07):
Thank you Dank.
Speaker 4 (28:09):
Look forward to.
Speaker 3 (28:09):
The next visit you're on The Dan Kapla Show.
Speaker 8 (28:14):
And now back to the Dan Kapla Show podcast.
Speaker 5 (28:17):
From the time Trump's been in office, death by overdose
have dropped off a cliff.
Speaker 4 (28:22):
Look at that.
Speaker 5 (28:23):
Look at twenty twenty four and leading into twenty twenty five.
Look at down these are all deaths from overdoses. I
mean that's kind of crazy. Like, look at that from
all drugs, which is the top one. Look at that drop.
I mean that's crazy. So you see, thank you, Peak,
appreciate that.
Speaker 3 (28:43):
That goes on for a bit, but I play that
because it's the way we started the show today. Luke
Neferotos was with us from sam and we were talking about,
you know, the repeal of Amendment sixty four in Colorado,
whether that's feasible. And Luke was talking about, you know,
different states around the country now that are looking at
(29:05):
repealing their recreational marijuana laws, and so you know, this
is this is a perfect time for us to look
at it in Colorado. Listen, I wish we could have
stopped it from passing, repealed it immediately after it passed
because so many lives have been lost or damaged and
so much harm done. But as we talked about at
(29:26):
the time it passed, Alaska the first state to ever
make the mistake of legalizing marijuana. Alaska legalized it, I
think in seventy six, and then if I remember, it
took eight or ten years before the dead bodies and
the ruined kids and all the other harm piled so
high that Alaska said enough of this and reversed legalization.
Now what twenty thirty years later they legalized again after
(29:49):
the Left brought in massive amounts of money following Colorado legalizing.
But the point is there's a pattern here. People make
the mistake of legalizing, then they see harm, then they're
really not worth it. And now the dope dealers and
their politicians in their pockets are trying to convince you
it's over, that it's done. It's just the way it's
(30:10):
always going to be. Don't buy that. It does not
have to be that way. So really hoping twenty six
that this show will be a key tool in delivering
the truth to the people of Colorado about legalized marijuana. First,
what this stuff really is anymore?
Speaker 4 (30:28):
Right?
Speaker 3 (30:28):
I mean, just what stock marijuana was so harmful that
no other place in the world it ever legalized, even
wood stock marijuana the way Colorado did. But this new stuff,
it's more like Krakawanna. And that's the way the drug
dealers want it, right. They want to hook them young,
hook them forever, and so they jack the potency up
to near one hundred percent, and then you get these
(30:49):
massive harms that nobody accept. The drug dealers and the
rest of us paying attention saw comings such as this
traumatic increase in risk of heart attack and all all
of these other obviously the psychosis, the schizophrena, et cetera.
So we're in a moment now, and if nothing else,
all this great info we're going to bring you can
(31:09):
can hopefully help you save somebody within your own family,
extended family, church group, or whatever while we try to
win the bigger political battle. And if you happen to
know a billionaire or two, the reality is that the
repeal fight to win it is going to take enormous money,
because it's going to take enormous money to get the.
Speaker 4 (31:26):
Truth to the people. You get the truth to the people.
Speaker 3 (31:29):
About what marijuana really is now and what legalization is done,
and it will be repealed, but easier said than done
because it's going to take an awful lot of money.
The will is there because Democrat moms they love their
kids as much as Republican moms and unaffiliated moms and
you know, moms and dads and people living real life.
(31:50):
They can see the harm that's being done. So we
just we need that money, We need that organization and
repeal can happen. I want to get to some texts
that came in on that as well, and let me
go back to the phone lines also, and we'll start
there with the Jay and wheat Ridge, Colorado.
Speaker 4 (32:07):
You're on the Dan Kaplis.
Speaker 7 (32:09):
She'll welcome Hi Dan, Hey Jay, Oh love you show.
Think you're wont thank you. Probably best people on there.
Dick Wadhams, I think lives so far in the past
and he's an absolute bore on him. He just makes
you want to turn the channel. I can't stand listening to.
(32:29):
But that being said, Okay, can talk with you about
that joke.
Speaker 3 (32:33):
I got to talk with hey, Jake, forgive me for
a second, particularly after your kind words. But but Dick
and I go back a long way. I think he's awesome.
And the reason, but the reason Jay I have him
on air is you know his depth of knowledge. And
I know people say, well, it was a long time
ago he won, but he was the last one to win,
and he won a lot and he won big.
Speaker 4 (32:54):
Yeah, what's that much?
Speaker 7 (32:58):
He's here back then it was He denies that, but
it was waysier. But he's so lost in the past.
It's retarded. I don't understand why, if he's so smart,
why he doesn't do it consulting firm and help us
all get all better. First he's trying to and no
(33:19):
he's not.
Speaker 4 (33:20):
Listen.
Speaker 3 (33:20):
I don't agree with everything Dick has to say, obviously,
but it seems to me very valuable to hear from
the guy who actually won and was.
Speaker 2 (33:28):
The last.
Speaker 7 (33:31):
He won when it was a whole hell of a
lot different in this state. It's not the same.
Speaker 4 (33:36):
Now, but it was hard different.
Speaker 7 (33:39):
We suck in his past at the elections right now, Dan,
And you know this somewhere deep inside you, it's not
about pot It's not about lost elections. For God's sake,
Dick Wadhams, it's not.
Speaker 3 (33:58):
I am so sorry to interrupt Ja. The music means
we've got about twenty seconds left. Can you call me
at the start of tomorrow's show and we'll get you
on and we'll have the full conversation here. Thank you,
my friend. I appreciate it. I've got a bail because
of the music. Don't mean to be rude. Gotta bail
because of the music. Vince Bizdeck, editor of the Denver
(34:18):
is that will join us tomorrow as well. Thank you, Ryan,
You're on the Dan Kaplo Show.
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.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (00:15):
In the American way is we protect our children? Let
twenty twenty six be the year that lots of eyes
get opened in Colorado to the massive mistake that was
legalization of marijuana. We got conned, we got sold a bill,
and we can.
Speaker 4 (00:29):
Fix this mistake.
Speaker 3 (00:30):
So hey, we had a great conversation the first couple
of segments with Lick Nick.
Speaker 4 (00:37):
Ryan.
Speaker 3 (00:38):
Why do I struggle with this name? He's one of
the nicest guys in the face of the earth. He
does a tremendous job with Sam. I've been saying hard
names well on air for thirty years, but I've got
a mental block to Luke Nifferodos. It shouldn't be that
hard a name, should it. Do you have some mental
trick I can use for this? I don't think does.
(01:01):
See it is a tough name anyway. The guy's brilliant.
The guy's brilliant. He's with a group smart approaches to marijuana.
That's doing tremendous work out there. I hope you check
out their website. A lot of great resources there, But
the bottom line is it's not worth it. Legalized weed
is not worth it. It's not even close. And unfortunately,
(01:22):
we've got so much evidence now in Colorado from all
these years of harm that I do think the people
would repeal Amendment sixty four if there was enough money
to fund a proper campaign, and that campaign, how much
would it take. It would might take a hundred million dollars.
I mean, that campaign needs enough money to be able
(01:43):
to get the truths everybody, because the people aren't getting
the truths from most of the media, because most of
the media had a vested interest in legalization of drugs,
if nothing else, trying to get some of that money.
And for the Left, legalization of drugs is one of
their key pages from the playbook, because a drugged population
is more dependent on government. So get the truth to
(02:06):
the people. And at that point, I do think sixty
four would be repealed. So we're talking about that, but
so much more.
Speaker 4 (02:13):
Thanks to George Brockler.
Speaker 3 (02:14):
Talking about a rare ray of bipartisan sunshine at the
legislature toughening these child trafficking laws. I asked George whether
you would be constitutional to have the death penalty for
child traffickers. I think that any society that is going
to have a death penalty, and we can have that
separate death penalty debate, should include child traffickers. I mean,
(02:35):
who would be more deserving. Obviously murderers, but child traffickers
murder even if they don't literally physically kill the child,
and so penalties for every other category of this kind
of harm to children they should be long term mandatory minimums.
But at least there is some step in the right
(02:56):
direction at the legislature. I have to believe that part
of that is just this percolating up, you know, from
the people across party lines on this. And this goes
to something that Dick Watdams excuse me, is going to
get into with us when he joins us at four
what is Dick Dix can be with us at five
point twenty? And he has a great peace out right
(03:19):
now that unaffiliated voters in Colorado are up four grabs,
and obviously the big reason for that is the left
has become so whack in Colorado that there are a
lot of people who just can't stomach supporting them anymore,
and the question is, okay, what does the GOP have
to do to get those voters? So we'll have Dick
with us at five twenty. A number of other things
(03:43):
I want to touch on this afternoon with you as well,
and then I want to get to some texts, particularly
those who disagree with me all of this talk about
Trump invading Greenland. Marco Rubio clarified this afternoon the President
Trump is focused on trying.
Speaker 4 (03:57):
To buy Greenland. Now.
Speaker 3 (03:59):
I think it probably helps his bargaining position with the
Dutch that he was just the American military was just
able to pull off a mission that probably wouldn't even
put in a movie because it would be so unlikely.
But no, Trump's not going to invade Greenland. If Trump
wanted to take Greenland by force, he could send you know,
Ryan and me for a few hours some afternoon, right
(04:22):
if Ryan's up for it. But no, it's hopefully Trump
will be able to work out some kind of deal.
I don't think it's going to result in an actual
purchase of Greenland, but some type of strengthening and of agreements,
you know, expands some military bases get you know, priority
access to some rare earth minerals, et cetera in Greenland.
(04:42):
I understand why he wants it, but no, America is
not going to invade Greenland. I do want to talk about.
It's the latest installment. It was one of my big
predictions in twenty five and that was that when Polis
made the mistake of deciding to go to war with
Donald Trump, Colorado is going to pay the price in
lots of different ways. And we've now seen it. It's
(05:05):
almost dating them, right, if not daily, every other day
that Trump. You know that Trump punishes Polis for failing
to grant Trump's requests that Tina Peters be moved to
a federal facility where obviously President Trump would then release her.
(05:27):
So the latest installment is that Colorado has had at
least one hundred and thirty five million in funding, much
of it that goes to childcare, now blocked. Along with California, Illinois, Minnesota,
and New York, Trump administration has blocked this funding. It
(05:47):
appears while investigations are done after the massive fraud in Minnesota.
Sitting here right now, I don't believe there's any evidence
of any widespread fraud in Colorado's program. I don't have
any to that kind of information, but we've seen this
pattern now from the administration, and we know it is
going to continue. And a lot of what President Trump
(06:10):
has done as a result of Polis going to war
with him, you know, are things that I disagree with.
I'm not trying to support the President's decision to veto
the pipeline project in southern Colorado, for example, not at all.
But what I'm saying is this was Polus's choice. It
was Polus's choice to deny Trump's very reasonable request. So
(06:35):
why in the world did Polus decide to go to
war with the most powerful person in the world just
so Polis could keep a seventy plus year old woman
behind bars when she's already served a year for a
non violent, victimless crime, and she committed the crime Tina
Peters did, and the charges proper and the conviction was proper.
(06:56):
But after Polis grants Kim Kardashians for West to cut
the sentence of a killer trucker burnt to death for
people injured many more, Kim Kardashian asks Polis to cut
his sentence. Police cuts it ninety percent. Trump makes his
very reasonable request, Police gives him a double middle finger,
(07:17):
and Polis is willing to have Colorado pay this enormous
price for Police's war with Trump. How does that make
any sense? Three or three seven one three eight two
five five the number text d A N five seven
seven three nine, and we will we will get to
those texts immediately. But I have this tremendous news that
(07:39):
Eerie Mike is calling the show, So let's go straight
to the phone lines. Eerie, welcome back to the show.
Speaker 2 (07:46):
Thank you, Lyle, appreciate it. Hey, happy January sixth to
you January sixth, great, great cut.
Speaker 3 (07:52):
That workout for the Democrats? EERI, how'd that work out
for him? Democrats made the whole everything about January six right,
it was their big it was a big election year
theme and everything else. How did that work out for him?
Speaker 5 (08:08):
Hey?
Speaker 2 (08:09):
I don't know how it worked out. I didn't know
what It was a travesty, but hey, you.
Speaker 6 (08:12):
Know, no, no, no, no, But you do know, Mike.
You don't know, Mike, you don't have to be shy
with me. You do know how did that strategy work
out for the Democrats? But more importantly than how it
worked out? Why did it fail so miserably?
Speaker 2 (08:28):
Because there's a whole lot of people that think like you, Dan,
that's why.
Speaker 4 (08:32):
And what do they think?
Speaker 7 (08:33):
What?
Speaker 3 (08:33):
What do the American voters think? I mean, it don't
make me be Socrates here, He's dead. I mean. The
reason this whole January sixth thing failed is the American
people see it for what it was, and it wasn't
what the Democrats claimed it was. So ironically, the Democrats
beat themselves with January six.
Speaker 2 (08:55):
Yeah, yeah, I don't know. That's interesting, interesting theory. But uh,
I know who's in.
Speaker 4 (09:01):
The White House.
Speaker 2 (09:02):
I know what I saw.
Speaker 3 (09:02):
Who's in the Is this all just a very pleasant dream?
Who's in the White House?
Speaker 2 (09:08):
No? I I know he's in the White House? Unfortunately,
But hey, I wanted to give him some credit though,
and I wanted to sort of maybe give you some
insight into the question that you ask your guests. His
name escapes me right now, I'm sorry, right before the break. Yeah,
I don't I don't know him. I'm sorry. But anyway,
you asked him what precipitated this bipartisan interest in child trafficking?
(09:34):
I think I know the answer, and I want to
give credit where credits due, and can you do it?
Speaker 4 (09:38):
I want to give credit because fortunately we're up against
the breaker. Then I have a good guest, No.
Speaker 2 (09:42):
Said, I think I give it all. I give all
the credit to Trump and his friendship with one of
the most notorious child traffickers that we've never been exposed to.
So Trump did that. That's great. He had a friend
trafficker and he brought it to this to everyone's attention.
Speaker 4 (09:58):
That's great, and I be happy, Mike.
Speaker 3 (10:01):
I will be happy to help set up the GoFundMe
for your therapy, and if you're ever willing to seek
that help, I'll be right there to set up the account.
And Trump derangement syndrome is real. Thank you, Michael, appreciate
the call. It's always always good to chuckle. And to
that point, Dick Watams is coming up next to He
(10:22):
has a great column out on Colorado independent voters up
for grabs. But I want to play some sound after
that segment with Dick. It goes to Mike's call, and
it's some of the funniest sound I've ever heard, maybe
because I grew up in Chicago, but it's it's a
bunch of leaders in Chicago protesting a Trump tower over
(10:43):
a one hundred percent property tax that was just imposed
on them by the Democrats in Illinois. But that's how
bad it's gotten. Talk about lack of self awareness. Dick
Watams next on The Dan Kapla Show.
Speaker 8 (11:00):
And now back to the Dan Kaplass Show podcast.
Speaker 4 (11:06):
Wow, Dick Wadham, you got to love that walk up song?
You ever heard that one before? I have not Ryan
who does that?
Speaker 8 (11:16):
That's imagine dragon thunder. But more for the lightning that
we know Dick Wadam is so famous for.
Speaker 3 (11:21):
He is the human lightning rod.
Speaker 4 (11:25):
Dick, have you ever seen lightning strike?
Speaker 9 (11:29):
Actually? I am Dan, I have. I saw on the
farm I grew up on. I saw a lightning strike
the ground about one hundred yards from where I was standing.
And it was very terrifying.
Speaker 3 (11:41):
Oh it had to be not did it zap you?
Speaker 9 (11:45):
No? No, I did. I didn't feel anything. It was
it was it was far enough away. I was under
under no danger and no danger, but it was it
was very uh mystery, it really was.
Speaker 3 (11:57):
I read somewhere that most people in Colorado get hit
by lightning, get hit while it's still sunny out. I
guess lightning bolts can throw five to ten miles ahead
of the storm or something. But yeah, scary stuff. I
mean as a golf caddy, I mean nobody cared. Hey,
send the caddy out there, you know, see if there's lightning.
(12:17):
But yeah, Richard, hey, gout question. Can you do two segments?
Speaker 4 (12:23):
Sure? Sure? Okay, great? Great?
Speaker 3 (12:25):
So I want to have to sound like that phone
book commercial guy. But let's let's start with Greg Lopez.
I don't I want to get to this really fascinating
column that you've you've authored about Colorado unaffiliated voters being
up for grabs. But before we go there, what's your
take on Greg Lopez now leaving the GOP and running
(12:45):
for governor as an independent.
Speaker 9 (12:50):
Well, listen, I understand why he did it. He's going
to bypass the whole Republican nomination process and the go
straight to the general election. So I mean, it's a
much easier way to get on the general election ballot.
While Dan, I think that someday I think we are
(13:11):
going to elect an unaffiliated candidate to statewide office, I
do not think it will be in two thousand and
twenty six. And I think that Greg is going to
find us a lot harder get on the ballot than
what he might think. It requires one thousand registered voters
to sign a petition in all eight congressional districts. They
(13:32):
can be Republican, Democrat and affiliated whatever that they don't
have to be one of one of one party. But
I think he's going to find that that is a
he will probably make the ballot. But I will tell you,
I think he's got a sixty day window to get
those signatures, and unless he's got a volunteer base that
(13:54):
I'm not aware of, I'm not sure that he's going
to be able to do it without paying a firm
to help him get on the ballot. No, we'll see.
Speaker 3 (14:05):
Yeah, And I was talking with Greg about the race
on the show yesterday, and my point to him was, Hey,
isn't this just going to help the Democrat get elected.
Speaker 4 (14:13):
I have to believe that.
Speaker 3 (14:14):
Greg's going to draw a meaningful number of votes from
the GOP candidate, because he drew so many votes in
that GOP primary in twenty two. Greg says he believes
he'll draw more Democrats than Republicans.
Speaker 9 (14:28):
I don't know if he'll do that. I will tell you, Dan,
I don't think he will have that much of an
impact on the general election unless Republicans field a candidate
who is totally out of mainstream, which, by the way,
we are capable of doing. But I think if a
strong Republican candidate is nominated that Republicans will stick with
(14:51):
that candidate to not vote for any third party or
an affiliated candidate.
Speaker 3 (14:57):
Now, is Bennett a sure thing? On the Democrat said.
Speaker 7 (15:01):
I don't.
Speaker 9 (15:02):
I do not think Bennett is a sure thing. In fact,
over the last several weeks, I've had a lot of
conversations with friends of mine who are Democrats, and I
will tell you the common thread with all these conversations
dan is that that Weiser is running a much better
campaign than Bennett, that Bennett is still undefined, and why
(15:25):
he's even doing this. And I think I think Weiser
is going to make a real run at Bennett. And
while I would put money, if I really pushed on it,
I'd probably say Bennet's probably probably going to win, I'm
not that sure of it. I think Weiser is running
a much better campaign than Bennett right now.
Speaker 3 (15:44):
Yeah, sure seems that way. And I'm no Phil Weiser fan,
particularly this incarnation of Phil Wiser I liked him a
lot better a number of years ago, but I think
at this point he's just willing to say or do anything,
and and my goodness, you know that what are we
up to? Forty nine different lawsuits against the Trump administration.
But I do think he's running a better campaign. And
(16:07):
Wiser is much more accomplished than Bennett. I mean wrong ideologically,
but he's done much more than Bennett. I mean, nobody's
ever done less with more than Michael Bennett. So interesting,
interesting do you think one or the other be easier
for the GOP nominee to.
Speaker 9 (16:26):
Be Well, I'm not sure which one would be easier
to beat to Dan, I mean, Bennett, I think is
kind of a blank slate. He's very uninspiring. I don't
think he has much to run on. But on the
other hand, I think that Wiser is more ideological to
(16:46):
the left than Bennette, that it appears that way. So
I'm not sure which one would be would be easier
to beat. But but they, you know, being Democrats, they
have the advantage in this ortion because we are still
a Democrat strongly Democrat leaning state, and so just being
the Democratic nominee is an advantage into itself.
Speaker 3 (17:10):
Which feeds into your great piece at Colorado Politics, and
that is Colorado's unaffiliated vote is up for grabs in
twenty twenty six. And I was really happy to see
that piece because I think it's fair to say that
you've been pretty pessimistic about GOP chances for a while now.
So when we come back from this break, Dick, I'd
(17:33):
love for you to just take the floor and lay
out for people you know, why you believe the unaffiliateds
you know are up for grabs and why as they say, hey,
there's a chance here. So Dick Autum's kind enough to
stay for a second segment, then I want to ask
Dick some questions about the landscape more broadly politically.
Speaker 4 (17:51):
So we'll come back to Dick Watdams.
Speaker 3 (17:53):
We'll talk about a lot going on in the news today,
including NPR folding up, Michael unfortunately passing away, the President's son,
Michael Reagan passing away, and Jared Poulis deciding to go
to war with Donald Trump and Colorado being hurt by that.
Once again, we'll get you the latest installment.
Speaker 4 (18:14):
Of that Dick Watams next on the Dan Kapla.
Speaker 8 (18:17):
Show, you're listening to the Dan Kaplas Show podcast.
Speaker 10 (18:25):
When I was at Fox News, which was a long time,
fourteen years, I would have known exactly what to do
in the wake of Trump's attack in Venezuela, his retrieval,
shall we say, to put it in mild terms of
Nicholas MADUROL. I would have known that I was supposed
to cheerlead it. And I turned on Fox News yesterday.
Speaker 7 (18:44):
I'm sorry, but it was I.
Speaker 3 (18:46):
Wanted to tee up Venezuela for a second. Dick wadhams
with us, and if you're new to Colorado, Dick has
won an awful lot of big races here and elsewhere.
Speaker 4 (18:56):
He knows of what he.
Speaker 3 (18:57):
Speaks, and so he's on with us for a couple
of segments. Talk about the political landscape. Dick, what's your
take on the political impact of the mission in Venezuela.
Speaker 9 (19:09):
And you know what's fascinating to me, Dan, is that
I watch all these protests around the country and they're
all a bunch of you know, aging liberals. But whenever
the national and the state media focuses on Venezuelans who
have come here to escape the tyranny of the Maduro,
they all are very much behind the president. Now I'm
(19:31):
a little I'm a little uncomfortable with with with this
kind of military action. And yet that guy was a menace.
And when I look at these Venezuelans who escaped his tyranny,
I'm thinking, I think that a good thing was done,
(19:52):
and I think it will help him. I'm not sure
it will be a defining moment of the campaign that
it will help him.
Speaker 3 (19:58):
Right, I think the posative impact is going to go
far beyond politics. I think it will probably fade politically,
but I think there'll be a massive long term benefit
for this nation in terms of deterring other bad actors
and encouraging allies, hopefully encouraging some people on the ground
in Iran as they try to overthrow that regime. Just
(20:20):
the fact that, hey, Trump will take bold action.
Speaker 4 (20:23):
But Dick, I really.
Speaker 3 (20:24):
Enjoyed your piece in Colorado Politics, the headline Colorado's unaffiliated
voter is up for grabs in twenty six Please tell
us why?
Speaker 9 (20:33):
Well, let me start with that. And you know, David's
clerty very well with Magellan strategies. They polsered. Remember he
had a general election poll of the entire state back
in October that showed that the Democrats had really taken
a meeting by voters that Pola's and hicken Hooper and
Bennett were all underwater. And most tellingly, the majority of
(20:58):
Colorado citizens likes that the state was on the wrong track,
which is a very significant number, and only a minority
spelt it was on the right track. And since Colorado
has been dominated by Democrats for the last eight years,
that is a condemnation of democratic rules. So we start
with that. That this poll that came out last week
from elect to Colorado Vote, which is a nonpartisan organization,
(21:22):
and they did a very extensive poll of just unaffiliated voters,
and of course they represent almost half of the electorate
now in Colorado. And they first of all, they found
that these unaffiliated voters are unaffiliated by choice. It's not
like they were forced into it by how they got
automatically registered to vote when they registered for a driver's
license or whatever. These voters truly consider themselves independent and
(21:47):
they don't like Democrats. They frankly don't like the Republican
Party either. But what was interesting is that Republicans have
a big advantage with these unaffiliated voters on crime and
a smaller advent on immigration. Now Democrats have an advantage
on healthcare and education. But the other significant number is
that once again these voters, a majority of unaffiliated voters
(22:11):
think Colorado is on the wrong track. And this is
the one I really loved from this poll. They ask
them about TABOR, and they ask if TABOR should be
repealed or should it be retained, And they gave the
background of both positions, and sixty percent of unaffiliated voters
that TABOR should be retained and only thirty percent I
(22:32):
think it was said it should be repealed. Now, I
got to say it. The mantra of Democrats who wanted
to get rid of Tabor, They've been there. They tried
if they could snap their fingers and Taber would go away.
They can't stand Tabor. They are on the wrong side
of the vast majority of unaffiliated voters in the state.
And that, to me, that is a really good news
(22:53):
for really good news for Republicans.
Speaker 3 (22:55):
What is the GPF to do to capitalize on that,
because it's seems to.
Speaker 9 (23:00):
Me, yeah, yeah, go ahead, but that there.
Speaker 3 (23:04):
Are problems for the GOP that go beyond the issues.
Speaker 9 (23:08):
Then this is the situation. We have a lot of
people running for governor right now. And I do think
that this open seat, as we talked earlier, there's there's
an opportunity here. But but this is what I do know.
If we nominate a candidate who still always talking about
is stolen twenty twenty election that was taken from Donald Trump,
(23:32):
who say that Tina Peters should be pardoned, who want
to repeal Proposition one O eight that would basically steal
the right of unaffiliated voters to vote in party primaries,
we will not have any chance of winning this race.
And frankly, most most of the candidates running for governor
right now have taken those three positions. Stole an election,
(23:55):
pardon Peter Tina Peters, and steal the vote of unaffiliateds.
And frankly, there's only one candidate out of all the
candidates running right now who has not done that, and
that's Marb Prickmeyer. Now, I suppose one of those other
candidates could change their mind and publicly say well, I
don't have that position anymore. But I think those are
(24:16):
just fundamental issues. Those are litmus tests for unaffiliated voters.
If you still think the election was stolen, if you
think Tenna Peters ought to be released from jail. If
you think that they as an unaffiliated voter they should
not vote in party primaries, you might as well just
hang it up. And I just I don't understand why
Republicans get pulled into these extreme positions that alienate the
(24:39):
very voters that will elect a new governor, a new Senator,
a new ag a new treasurer, a new Secretary of state, legislators,
members of Congress, the whole thing.
Speaker 3 (24:50):
Dick wadhams our guest is peace Colorado politics well worth
three Colorado's an affiliated vote is up for grabs in
twenty twenty six. So, Dick, how do you see these
races shaping up GOP primary for governor and what's going
on in the Senate race Because there just hasn't been
There hasn't been much buzz about either of these big
(25:12):
races compared to past years.
Speaker 4 (25:14):
Why is that the case?
Speaker 9 (25:17):
I agree with you, Dan, Really, the media really hasn't
locked in on this in the selection year yet I
think they will. We're now pass the holidays where both
parties will start their nomination processes very soon. I think
that in the Senate race, it's interesting because John Hickenloopert
actually has a legitimate Democratic challenge.
Speaker 2 (25:39):
Now, she is.
Speaker 9 (25:41):
Not going to win that Democratic primary that the Democratic
State senator from who is running the instant she's a
Democratic Socialist, but I think she's going to make his
life miserable, and she's legitimate enough that she will.
Speaker 2 (25:55):
Be the.
Speaker 9 (25:58):
Beneficiary of of unrest in the Democratic Party over hick
and Hooper running for another term. A lot of Democrats
are perplexed why he's running. Dan He's going to be
eighty years old during the next term, and frankly, the
first term has not exactly been something.
Speaker 3 (26:17):
Don't they wise or isn't it obviously just selfish, just
wants to be a senator.
Speaker 9 (26:23):
That's That's how I look at it, and I think
that's right, and I think a lot of Democrats feel
that way too. It's like, why don't you step aside?
And so I think that Democratic primary could get much
more interesting than people think. And if he kind of
limps dound of a primary against the frankly relatively unknown
Democratic Socialist senator from Denver, he could find himself in
(26:46):
June in much more of a vulnerable, vulnerable position than
he thinks right now. So I think I think this
could this could be the potential for a very interesting
election year. But I will go back, Dan, we have
if we have a bunch of candidates running around talking
about Donald Trump got the elections stolen from him, and
my darn, we need to break Tina Peters out of
(27:09):
jail and unaffiliateds do not have the right to vote
in party primaries. Chuck it in to the Pope. I
really believe that.
Speaker 3 (27:18):
Grateful for your time. We've got thirty seconds. What should
GOP candidates who want to win be talking about.
Speaker 9 (27:25):
They should be talking about energy, education, They should be
talking about the issues that people care about. They should
be talking about affordability. They should be talking about maintaining paper.
Given what I said about that poll, I mean, there
are plenty of issues that people want to hear from
the candidates, and they don't want to hear about stolen
elections or Pena Peters and so talk about the issues
(27:48):
that matter. That's what Bill Owens did when he won
in ninety eight, and that's why he was governor for
eight years and we and we really haven't had a
candidate since then, Dan, who has really done that. He's
really talked to the issues and had plans that people
could get their minds around and that's what has to happen.
Speaker 4 (28:05):
Well, Dick, appreciate the time today. Thank you, my friend.
Speaker 9 (28:07):
Thank you Dank.
Speaker 4 (28:09):
Look forward to.
Speaker 3 (28:09):
The next visit you're on The Dan Kapla Show.
Speaker 8 (28:14):
And now back to the Dan Kapla Show podcast.
Speaker 5 (28:17):
From the time Trump's been in office, death by overdose
have dropped off a cliff.
Speaker 4 (28:22):
Look at that.
Speaker 5 (28:23):
Look at twenty twenty four and leading into twenty twenty five.
Look at down these are all deaths from overdoses. I
mean that's kind of crazy. Like, look at that from
all drugs, which is the top one. Look at that drop.
I mean that's crazy. So you see, thank you, Peak,
appreciate that.
Speaker 3 (28:43):
That goes on for a bit, but I play that
because it's the way we started the show today. Luke
Neferotos was with us from sam and we were talking about,
you know, the repeal of Amendment sixty four in Colorado,
whether that's feasible. And Luke was talking about, you know,
different states around the country now that are looking at
(29:05):
repealing their recreational marijuana laws, and so you know, this
is this is a perfect time for us to look
at it in Colorado. Listen, I wish we could have
stopped it from passing, repealed it immediately after it passed
because so many lives have been lost or damaged and
so much harm done. But as we talked about at
(29:26):
the time it passed, Alaska the first state to ever
make the mistake of legalizing marijuana. Alaska legalized it, I
think in seventy six, and then if I remember, it
took eight or ten years before the dead bodies and
the ruined kids and all the other harm piled so
high that Alaska said enough of this and reversed legalization.
Now what twenty thirty years later they legalized again after
(29:49):
the Left brought in massive amounts of money following Colorado legalizing.
But the point is there's a pattern here. People make
the mistake of legalizing, then they see harm, then they're
really not worth it. And now the dope dealers and
their politicians in their pockets are trying to convince you
it's over, that it's done. It's just the way it's
(30:10):
always going to be. Don't buy that. It does not
have to be that way. So really hoping twenty six
that this show will be a key tool in delivering
the truth to the people of Colorado about legalized marijuana. First,
what this stuff really is anymore?
Speaker 4 (30:28):
Right?
Speaker 3 (30:28):
I mean, just what stock marijuana was so harmful that
no other place in the world it ever legalized, even
wood stock marijuana the way Colorado did. But this new stuff,
it's more like Krakawanna. And that's the way the drug
dealers want it, right. They want to hook them young,
hook them forever, and so they jack the potency up
to near one hundred percent, and then you get these
(30:49):
massive harms that nobody accept. The drug dealers and the
rest of us paying attention saw comings such as this
traumatic increase in risk of heart attack and all all
of these other obviously the psychosis, the schizophrena, et cetera.
So we're in a moment now, and if nothing else,
all this great info we're going to bring you can
(31:09):
can hopefully help you save somebody within your own family,
extended family, church group, or whatever while we try to
win the bigger political battle. And if you happen to
know a billionaire or two, the reality is that the
repeal fight to win it is going to take enormous money,
because it's going to take enormous money to get the.
Speaker 4 (31:26):
Truth to the people. You get the truth to the people.
Speaker 3 (31:29):
About what marijuana really is now and what legalization is done,
and it will be repealed, but easier said than done
because it's going to take an awful lot of money.
The will is there because Democrat moms they love their
kids as much as Republican moms and unaffiliated moms and
you know, moms and dads and people living real life.
(31:50):
They can see the harm that's being done. So we
just we need that money, We need that organization and
repeal can happen. I want to get to some texts
that came in on that as well, and let me
go back to the phone lines also, and we'll start
there with the Jay and wheat Ridge, Colorado.
Speaker 4 (32:07):
You're on the Dan Kaplis.
Speaker 7 (32:09):
She'll welcome Hi Dan, Hey Jay, Oh love you show.
Think you're wont thank you. Probably best people on there.
Dick Wadhams, I think lives so far in the past
and he's an absolute bore on him. He just makes
you want to turn the channel. I can't stand listening to.
(32:29):
But that being said, Okay, can talk with you about
that joke.
Speaker 3 (32:33):
I got to talk with hey, Jake, forgive me for
a second, particularly after your kind words. But but Dick
and I go back a long way. I think he's awesome.
And the reason, but the reason Jay I have him
on air is you know his depth of knowledge. And
I know people say, well, it was a long time
ago he won, but he was the last one to win,
and he won a lot and he won big.
Speaker 4 (32:54):
Yeah, what's that much?
Speaker 7 (32:58):
He's here back then it was He denies that, but
it was waysier. But he's so lost in the past.
It's retarded. I don't understand why, if he's so smart,
why he doesn't do it consulting firm and help us
all get all better. First he's trying to and no
(33:19):
he's not.
Speaker 4 (33:20):
Listen.
Speaker 3 (33:20):
I don't agree with everything Dick has to say, obviously,
but it seems to me very valuable to hear from
the guy who actually won and was.
Speaker 2 (33:28):
The last.
Speaker 7 (33:31):
He won when it was a whole hell of a
lot different in this state. It's not the same.
Speaker 4 (33:36):
Now, but it was hard different.
Speaker 7 (33:39):
We suck in his past at the elections right now, Dan,
And you know this somewhere deep inside you, it's not
about pot It's not about lost elections. For God's sake,
Dick Wadhams, it's not.
Speaker 3 (33:58):
I am so sorry to interrupt Ja. The music means
we've got about twenty seconds left. Can you call me
at the start of tomorrow's show and we'll get you
on and we'll have the full conversation here. Thank you,
my friend. I appreciate it. I've got a bail because
of the music. Don't mean to be rude. Gotta bail
because of the music. Vince Bizdeck, editor of the Denver
(34:18):
is that will join us tomorrow as well. Thank you, Ryan,
You're on the Dan Kaplo Show.
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