December 9, 2025 • 35 mins
Colorado state 'senadora' Julie Gonzales disavows her Democratic Socialst ties in an interview with Kyle Clark of 9 NEWS. Longtime GOP consultant Dick Wadhams joins Dan to break down her challenge from the left against sitting U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper in the 2026 Democratic primary.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is Dan Caples 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. Glad you're here.
Three or three seven one three eight two five five
text d An five seven seven three nine. Lots of
(00:22):
fun stuff to dive into, so much of it local,
which I always love. And we'll be talking to Dick
Wadhams at four thirty six. You know that we're heading
into the heart of the political season, if there's even
going to be one here in Colorado this cycle. When
we start to get Dick back on the show, which
I would do every day, I just love his perspective.
I love the lightning rod thing right Ryan, because every
(00:42):
time Dick comes on and some people get upset, which
is fascinating to me, just to see how things have
changed in Colorado within the Colorado GOP and GOP voters
over the years, because Dick one of the most winning
people playing Colorado Republican Party history and used to be
regarded as just kind of the stalwart, the bell Weather,
(01:05):
the anchor and now a certain segment of folks, many
of whom I really like and enjoy and enjoy having
on the show, view Dick as controversial, outdated, etc. My
view is the experience of someone who has won as
big as Dick as one that's never outdated. And so
you know, there may be current twists or tweaks or whatever,
(01:25):
but who else can say they've done what he's done
in Colorado politics. Doesn't mean we aren't going to have
some tremendous stars arising now from these new generations of
young Conservatives, which are extraordinarily impressive. But it'd be great
to have Dick at four thirty sext. We're going to
get his take why the Democratic Party is so worried
(01:47):
about John Higginlooper, And that's because, you know, Denver posts
some really good reporting about all the pressure brought to
bear on this one candidate who obviously doesn't have a
prayer to Lee Zalez, who used to be like a
Democratic socialist right Ryan, And she's still, i would imagine, is,
but is dropping the title because figures it might be
(02:08):
harder to get elected statewide that way. Oh yeah, And
I hate to break it to her, she's not going
to get elected. She's not going to win the primary,
she's not going to come close. But that's the point.
Why are the Democrats so panicked about her getting into
the race when she's politically a lightweight, she has no
chance to win, Yet they're still so panicked to protect
(02:28):
the emperor who has no clothes and John Hickley, whooh
bad in the tree there? Sorry? Three or three someone
three eight two five five d A N five seven
seven through nine. Delightful guy, But you don't want that?
Probably not the first. No, we'll just leave a person
most people would choose to woo see unclosed. Yes regard
three out three someone three eight two five five d
(02:50):
A N five seven seven three nine. So yeah, So
we'll have that conversation. But it does give rise to
a an actually relevant question, wh is who is the
GOP challenge you're going to be? And even more importantly,
I would say, though I take that pack, but very
important is there pats of victory for the GOP in
(03:10):
that Senate race? Three or three someone three eight two
five five d an five seven seven three nine. We
have that to chew on, my friend, along with listen.
I understand in life there are some really hard problems
that that it's going to be very very very difficult
to solve. But what drives me whack is that we've
got this one gaping, enormous problem that takes on so
(03:33):
many different forms that make your life worse, and it's
so easily fixable. Not one hundred percent fixable, but if
that's going to be the standard, then we shouldn't bother
to fix anything, but so very fixable. And in this
form it takes this RTD business and we'll get into
the details just because they're going to make you laugh.
(03:54):
But now, obviously what's happened is you have this huge
drop in ridership on our TD because it's become the
place lots of drug users hang out. Lots of drug
users also happen to be homeless people because drug addiction
puts a lot of people on the streets. So you
got a lot of people who are saying, yeah, I'm
not going to write RTD because there are so many
(04:15):
drugged out people or maybe they call them homeless people,
but it's not a place they want to be, and
so ridership goes way down. So what is the what
is government's response to that RTD district Chief executive Deborah
Johnson this week suggested that the fix is more people
(04:38):
writing the RTD despite all the drug users. So I
guess that means it's your fault, non drug user quote.
There's strength in numbers. If there are more people on
a transit vehicle, the average human being is less likely
to act up, Johnson said Wednesday in Denver Union Station
after gathering with public transit counterparts from around the nation.
(04:58):
The critical massive riders who collect lead to turr crime
and create a more secure transit experienced looms as the
ultimate solution. No, I think the ultimate solution is you
arrest the people who are committing crimes. And that's the
easy fix here. If you pick your crime, pick your crime.
(05:22):
But let's bring it back to under the umbrella of
homelessness a broad title, but under the umbrella of homelessness,
you have so many people who are using drugs publicly,
and you have so many people who, as a result
of drugs or mental illness or other stuff, they're violating
other laws publicly, some large, some small, and then you've
got the whole zombie subset of that and everything else.
(05:44):
The fix could not be easier in any category of
homelessness that we're describing number one, the single most compassionate
thing to do human to human and by far the
very best thing for our society as a whole, for
all the innocent people who aren't violating the law. So
(06:04):
it's a perfect solution. It's most compassionate and humane, and
it's best for the people following the law and the
overall health and enjoyment of our society. Is to arrest
the people who are breaking the law and take away
their freedom. And now I'm sure some people are saying, oh, man,
(06:25):
that's so draconian. You're gonna throw them in Canyon City.
Then they're going to become hard in this, And that's no,
that's not what I'm talking about. What I'm talking about
is using our brain and a little bit of creativity
and an arrest and incarceration. Taking away freedom doesn't have
to mean Kenyon City or even let's say that probably
(06:46):
the most attractive of the county jails out there, Boulder
County Jail, doesn't mean any of that. It means you
take a fraction of the money right now that you're burning.
It's just like taking hundreds out of Ryan's wallet right now,
and throwing them on to a fire, except it's millions
and hundreds of millions. Take a fraction of that money
you're burning, and you just construct, and you set up
(07:10):
separate facilities, separate facilities in which you keep these people
who have been arrested for repeatedly violating your laws. And
these are facilities where they lose their freedom for the
designated period of time. But they're oriented more around rehab
and addressing issues and getting people on the street. But
they're involuntary. They lose their freedom for violating their laws.
(07:34):
That solves eighty five percent of our problems, actually eighty
six and a half today. You know why, because right
off the bat, those people stop coming here. What you
have had is you have had a constant, explicit in
the case of Mike Johnston the mayor, and implicit in
the case of Polish and all these other lefties campaign
(07:56):
to attract drug users to Colorado, tract other homeless to Colorado,
to attract folks in the country illegally to Colorado. Right
off the bad and focused here on the drug users
and other homeless, they stop coming because what do people
in that community or in that state in their life
(08:18):
right now value most it's freedom, and they aren't going
to go anywhere where they're likely to lose their freedom.
So you did that in Colorado. Right away the word
gets out, Hey, you're going to lose your freedom in Colorado.
So most don't come in the future, and many are
here leave because above all, they don't want to lose
their freedom. So right off the bat, you've taken care
(08:40):
of a huge part of the problem because now they's
somewhere else. And then those who you do take and
who you do take their freedom away, they're in a
much healthier and safer environment for themselves. But they're not
in one of the Mike Johnston motels paid for with
your dollars, where they're just going to get worse. They're
actually in an environment where there's more of a chance
(09:03):
they'll decide to actually get some help, because you know,
there's nowhere else to go. It's not like the Mike
Johnston taxpayer paid for a motel that just perpetuates the
cycles of drug use in mental illness, et cetera. It's
one where all the tew I can't leave. Well, I
might as well. Maybe I'll try that, Maybe I'll try
that counseling. Maybe I'll try that rehab over here. At
(09:24):
least there's a chance that's the fix. It's right in
front of our face. It's a lot cheaper. It starts
with being by far, by light years, the most humane,
and it actually does something the left has no interest in,
which is, hey, let's respect the rights of all the
people out there who are not violating the law. That simple.
(09:48):
You're on the Dan Capitalist Show.
Speaker 2 (09:50):
And now back to the Dan Kaplis Show podcast.
Speaker 3 (09:53):
If you don't choose your heart, your heart will choose you.
That's one of the realest things I've ever read. Because
everything in life is hard. Being broke is hard, getting
rich is hard, Being unhealthy is hard, getting fit is hard.
Saying in a toxic relationship is hard, but leaving it
is also hard.
Speaker 1 (10:13):
There is do you believe that? Ryme? If you don't
choose your heart, your heart will choose you.
Speaker 4 (10:19):
Yeah, I mean, it's reflexive, but she makes a very
good point, and it's going to be difficult anyway, so
you might as well choose your own path, is what
I take from that.
Speaker 3 (10:29):
Now.
Speaker 1 (10:29):
I think there's a great point there that goes to
a bigger point, which is focus. I mean, and particularly
this modern world we live in and all the tech
and the pace and everything else. If and I guess
the Vogue word is intentional, But if each and every
human is, at least in America, is not very very
(10:50):
intentional about their focus, then they will just get swept along,
and a big part of that will be scrolling their
life away, right. I mean, it's it is amazing the
addictive power of and I bet a lot of people
joining us right now experience this because if they're listening
to a show like this and they care, and if
(11:11):
they care, they want more information. And we have so
many facts, not necessarily wisdom, but facts available at our fingertips.
You know, with our smartphones that you get addicted to
just this constant scrolling, conscious or subconscious, just looking for
more useful information. And then all of a sudden you're
(11:31):
scrolling your LifeWay, which Ryan is doing right now. Right, No,
I'm editing off. You saw that far off look in
your eyes that's always there. But no, it's true. I
mean it's remarkable to me because sometimes, you know, the
kids will call me a screenager. And so we're taking
steps like this Christmas vication that we'll have everybody together
(11:52):
and everything else we're just locking up the phones. I mean,
we'll up one handy, you know, in case are some
kind of urgency, but otherwise we're locking up the phones
because it just becomes kind of addictive. Three oh three
seven one three eight two five five text d An
five seven seven three nine Glad you are here so
much to talk about, Dick Wadhams at four thirty five.
(12:13):
Get a couple of text And if you missed it
at the top, you missed a lot because I gave
you and us and all of us the solution to
homelessness problem and all the druggies wandering around Denver and
the huge dollars more being spent than on our entire
Denver police budget, much more now being spent on homeless
in Denver who are still actively recruited to come here
(12:34):
by Mike Johnston and the rest of the left. But
there's such a quick, easy solution, and I started the
show with it, text Dan, public anything has always been
and always will be filled with trash, parks, libraries, rec centers,
transit and it goes on from there in disparaging terms.
Doesn't have to be that way. I mean, think of
some examples you've seen in America that are different than that, certainly,
(12:56):
And I'm not the most well traveled guy in the world,
but I spend a little bit of time overseas and
plenty of places overseas. You don't see that. Do you
agree with that premise, Ryan, that any public like perk
is that restroom is just by definition going to be trashed.
I agree with you. It doesn't have to be that way,
and often it's not.
Speaker 4 (13:16):
But there are many instances where anything run by the
government is going to be far less efficient, far less
nice than what would be provided by the private sector,
by charities, private charities.
Speaker 1 (13:26):
Yeah, yeah, different to me though a different issue. This
goes to the trashing of the place. No, I don't
think a place necessarily has to be trashed. Now, if
you're talking about Denver, yeah, because of the way Mike
Johnston decides to run Denver handcuff the cops. The message
he sends the people he recruits to our city. And
when I say that the people are recruits to our city,
(13:47):
I don't mean to say any human is lesser, or
to disparage somebody because they happen to be a drug
addict or going through God forbid mental illness or anything
like that. The point isn't to disparage him. The point
is to say it's civic suicide for a city to
actively recruit those people to the city, not because they're lesser,
but because you can't afford it, you can't fix it.
(14:10):
It will overwhelm everything. But yet Mike Johnston actively recruits
those folks. Remember that the famous words if you want
a home, we will get you a home. I mean,
talk about the ultimate magnet to recruit people from all
around America. So why do you think they do that?
But the fix, as I started the show with, is simple.
(14:30):
You violate our law repeatedly, which you wish so many
regular drug users, homeless, etc. Do you lose your freedom,
but you don't go to a typical jail. You go
to a special facility that costs far less, far less
security needed because it's not a big threat to society
if the person happens to escape, but it's meant to
confine them, and it's geared around rehab. And right off
(14:51):
the bat, eighty five percent of the people either don't
come here or they leave because if there's one thing
homeless people really value, it is their freedom, and they
are not going to come to or stay in Denver
if there is a real chance they're going to leave
their freedom there. Three are three someone three eight two
five five text d A N five seven seven three nine. Uh.
(15:13):
I don't know if you bet on sports? Do you
bet on sports?
Speaker 2 (15:15):
Ring not in a serious way.
Speaker 4 (15:17):
I'm in a fantasy football league where there's money on
the line, and I'm in a picks pool with some
people that I know and that has money on the line.
But I don't usually bet randomly on like parlays and
and apps and stuff.
Speaker 1 (15:29):
So you like, I've got the MGM app and I
may go on there and bet five bucks in a game,
or this is that you don't. You don't bet individual
games like that, Okay, well usually so for those who
do and for those who don't. This is an important
story because my own personal belief, and this was not
hard to see coming, is that the legalized gambling, which
most states have now where you can just do through
(15:50):
Vegas sports books bet on like the Broncos last Sunday,
which is a subject to the story. Obviously, by definition,
it is going to be unhealthy for sports, college sports
and pro sports because it creates a major risk of cheating.
That was a minor risk before. It's elemental. Just like
you legalized drugs in Colorado, you are going to have
(16:12):
a much less healthy state. You're going to have more
unnecessary dead bodies. You're going to have a whole lot
of price. It's just built in. It's baked in the cake.
And so a big question has come up in the
Bronco game on Sunday. Now, the Broncos were favored to
win by they were giving eight and a half points
(16:32):
environment they were given eight and a half points, and
they were the people who bet on the Broncos. If
you're not familiar with sports betting, they were going to
win their bet by betting on the Broncos because the
Broncos were about to win by ten. And then what
happened late in the game was this very odd sequence
of events where where the Raiders and the Raiders coach
(16:54):
drove down the field and elected to kick a field
goal that would leave no time remaining on the clock,
which meant that there's no chance they could then get
the ball and win the game. But by kicking the
field goal, the people who bet on the Raiders would
win their bet, and the people who bet on the
Broncos would lose even though the Broncos won the game.
So a guy who's a big, big presence online sports
(17:16):
circle sports betting circles, stave portanoy if barstool Sports has
gone off on this and is ac choosing the Raiders,
coach and others in the NFL of crimes, we.
Speaker 5 (17:28):
Need this entire segment investigated by the NFL. Third and
three to twenty four seconds. The spread is Denver mise
aint half. They were up twenty four to seven. By
the way, like two minutes to go, he spikes the ball.
Why are you spiking the ball with sixteen seconds in
a ten point game?
Speaker 2 (17:46):
Is beyond me.
Speaker 1 (17:47):
The game is over.
Speaker 5 (17:47):
I don't know I've ever seen a spike in that situation.
But we're just starting, boys and girls, we're just starting
to get now. I want you to watch this next play. Yeah,
and we'll get into that more detail. But the reason
that you and't spike the ball there.
Speaker 1 (18:01):
And just try to extend the game and pick up
a few more points when you know you cannot win
is injuries. It's a very very violent game. If you
now cannot win the game, you're not going to subject
your players to any more risk of injury than is
absolutely necessary, So very suspicious. Do you think that's what
(18:22):
was going on? Do you think that Pete Carroll did
that to cover raiders betters? Hard to explain it any
other way down, Yeah, anyway, we'll kick that around little
bit further in the broader issue of whether you think
sports betting in Colorado has been good or bad for
the state, which will tie into the issue of can
you believe they just legalized using credit cards to buy
lottery tickets in Colorado? Where do you come down on that?
(18:45):
But next, Dick Wahams, why are the Democrats so worried
about Hickenlooper in this Senate race?
Speaker 2 (18:53):
You're listening to the Dan Kaplis Show podcast Breaking You.
Speaker 6 (18:57):
This morning, Democrat Julie Getzalez, who represents and we're in
the state Senate, announced she will run a primary challenge
to US Senator John Hickenlooper. Hickenloper's seat is upper reelection
in November.
Speaker 3 (19:07):
Now.
Speaker 6 (19:07):
Gonzalez says her campaign will focus on affordability and a
fair deal for Colorado, saying in a statement that quote,
Hickenlooper is go along to get along politics have not
delivered for our state. Our political team will be following
this announcement and its impact throughout the day right here.
Speaker 1 (19:22):
On nine News. Well easy to follow the impact. Glad
you're here at three oh three seven one, three eight
two five five. The number does lead to some bigger questions.
Dick Wadhams kind enough to join us. Diick is one
very big in multiple places over the years. Richard, Welcome back.
Speaker 7 (19:40):
Hi Dan, nice to be with you.
Speaker 1 (19:42):
Well, Hey, I know we were emailing earlier about this
really well done Denver Post story how allies of Senator
John Hickenlooper tried to ward off a progressive challenge by
Judy Gonzalez. That from Seth Kleiman. What do you make
of the Colorado Democratic Party itself trying to push her
out of preventor from getting in the race? Right, didn't
(20:03):
they lean on? According the Post, didn't they lean on
her political consultants tell him they'd never work again. Just
kind of old Chicago tactics like that.
Speaker 7 (20:13):
Yeah, I think it's well. I think it shows a
couple of things.
Speaker 1 (20:16):
Dan.
Speaker 7 (20:16):
First of all, the arrogance of John hicken Hooper and
the Colorado Democratic Party. Don't dare challenge the king? On
one hand, but it also tells you something else, that
there's an underlying uneasiness about John hicken Hooper running for reelection,
that they know that he's probably weak and that a
(20:39):
primary will weaken him further. Now right now, Dan, to
be honest, there's not really a strong candidate on the
Republican side running, but I think they're afraid that there
could be, and they don't want him to be further
weakened in a Democratic primary.
Speaker 1 (20:55):
Hey, Dick, what's going on on the Republican side? Who's
who's in?
Speaker 7 (20:59):
Well, very little is going on in the Republican side, Dan,
As far as I know, Johnnick Joshie, he's a former
state represent a different car to Springs. He moved to
the eighth Congressional district in twenty twenty four and ran
against the Gabe Evans for the Republican nomination, was defeated
by Gave Evans. He announced his candidacy for the Senate,
(21:22):
which I frankly do not believe is that formidable of
a challenge to hicken Hooper. For right now, it's kind
of wide open, but I think I think the Democrats
and hicken Hooper are afraid there could be a strong
candidate emerge and they're worried that the primary will will
undermine him.
Speaker 1 (21:40):
Well, if they're worried about this candidate, they must really
be worried. Right. Did you see her interview with Kyle
Clark on changing her political identity? Let me fire that. Yeah,
how do you describe yourself?
Speaker 7 (21:52):
Yeah?
Speaker 8 (21:53):
I describe myself as an organizer turns and although.
Speaker 1 (21:57):
Are you a Democrat Socialist? When I ran in.
Speaker 8 (21:58):
Twenty eighteen, I was really inspired by the way that
DSA was organizing young people in a way that I
thought was exciting and compelling. I signed up as a
member back then, and I actually got elected, you know,
with thanks to DSA's endorsement, all of the doors that
(22:19):
those volunteers came and knocked on my behalf.
Speaker 1 (22:22):
I'm no longer a member. My number. She's really grateful.
What do you make of that?
Speaker 7 (22:27):
I think one of the Democrats wants a Democratic socialists,
always a Democratic Socialist, And frankly, Dan, I think it's
a strategic air on her party to suddenly try to
die in the middle. That all the excitement and the
energy and the Democratic Party party right now is in
that far left, the fringe of the Democratic socialists. Frankly,
(22:51):
she should embrace that. Say yes, I'm one of them.
And John hicken Hooper is a too conservative for our
party in our states. And I think if I were
her pasically, I would say embrace that because she, first
of all, she is that, no doubt about it.
Speaker 1 (23:11):
Yeah, yeah, no, that's right. And it comes back to
I mean, for me, it's with yours. For politicals, it's
out there, but people first, you just have to be
authentic because everybody can tell when you aren't. So I
think your candidacy was ada to begin with, but it's
double da now that she starts it by denying her
(23:32):
true identity. But you're right there. At what percentage you
tell me, Dick, you follow this stuff. What percentage of
the voters who would vote in a Democrat primary right
now are truly at heart socialist or at least you know,
European socialist, or however they try to put perfume on.
Speaker 7 (23:49):
That pig, you know, Dan, that's a good question. I
mean among Democratic voters. I'm not including unaffiliated voters who
might vote in a Democratic primary, but among Democrats who
would vote on a primary, which are your most active Democrats?
I would say that I don't know if it's a majority,
but it would be, you know, forty percent or more.
(24:10):
I think, and I really think that that Hickenlooper is
vulnerable in his party, not only with the left, but
dan This is a guy who got elected to the Senate,
nobody heard from him again, and it's for any work
re election. And on top of it, he will be
eighty years old at the end of a second term. Now,
(24:34):
you know, I mean, he's ostensibly in good health right now.
But the question is why is he running again? He
didn't do anything the first term. What's he doing now?
Speaker 1 (24:44):
And that should be the thrust of any Democrat challenger
will be for the Republican is the guy doesn't do anything.
He hasn't done anything, but Dick, I have not run
into John Hickenlooper, have been around him. Whatever. I'm just
happy to hear he's still with us. But do you
have a sense from people who know him, because I
know some eighty year olds. I was just in trial
with the woman who turns eighty in a few weeks
(25:05):
and she's a warrior. I know some Joe Biden eighty
year olds who are like one hundred and eighty. So
where does he fall on that scale.
Speaker 7 (25:13):
Well, I don't know. I mean, we don't know. Is
my point about in turning eighty is more along the
lines of why doesn't he step aside for a new
generation of Democrats to run?
Speaker 1 (25:24):
Right? Well, we all know the answer to that.
Speaker 7 (25:27):
Yeah, well, yes, yes. And the thing about Julie Gonzalez,
I don't think she's the best candidate against Tikenooper, but
I will tell you she's credible enough Dan that she
will be the opportunity for Democrats who want to register
their protest against the hicken Oper to vote for her.
She's credible, She's been in the state Senate, she's you know,
(25:51):
she's been elected from the city of Denver. I don't
think she can beat Tickenhooper, but I do think she
could make his life miserable. Even with her miss statement
about and not being a democratic socialist.
Speaker 1 (26:05):
Well, and you know what, I think that was good
to quotums our guest here, to dick. My own belief
here is that I can't prove this. Just my own
belief is that this race has nothing to do with
the Senate race, that she's positioning herself to run for mayor.
And and so I think This is just one of
those Hey, build your name, I d start to put
(26:26):
an organization together, get some money, and you know, prove
your liberal chops you are willing to take on hicken Hooper.
Maybe I'm wrong about that, but Dick, does this signal that,
you know, to quote one of the great movies of
all time, GOP has a chance here?
Speaker 7 (26:46):
Dan, I think that I think there's an inherent weakness
of hicken Hooper right now, and I think Democrats sense
it as well. I mean, frankly, I've had conversations with
Democratic friends of mine and the question they kind of
end up with is why is he running again?
Speaker 1 (27:02):
Yeah?
Speaker 7 (27:02):
I mean, and honestly, I think that now they're going
to rally around him. They're not going to try to
lose that seat. But that's a strange place for an incumbent,
especially a former governor and a former mayor of Denver,
to start from where people were saying, why are you
running again?
Speaker 1 (27:19):
I think that's dangerous, yeah, and really bad for his legacy,
which he must not care about at this point, because
it's so obviously unadulterated selfishness, personal selfishness that just shows
all of this lofty DEI stuff and everything he's talked
about over the years is total garbage. All he cares
about is himself. This just proves it, right, if he
(27:41):
cared about all that stuff he said he cared about,
he'd step out of the way. So one of those
folks he claims to care so much about but really doesn't,
you know, could then take the seat. Well.
Speaker 7 (27:52):
And then remember this was not the first time he's
done this. Remember the last time that he ran for
the Senate, he said, oh, i'm I I hate wait
being in the Senate. I would not be a good
senator because he was off in Iowa running for president.
And when nobody paid attention to him running for president,
he's to battled back to Colorado and announced with the
Senate and he basically shoved out of the race some Democrats,
(28:17):
including some Democratic women who had been working for a year,
and he just shoved them out.
Speaker 1 (28:23):
Yeah, they're also there's such hypocrits. They're so selfish, whether
it's Polis or hicken Looper or Bennett. Bennett standing in
the schoolhouse store right now, because right now Joanah Goose
could be an appointed U S Senator. Bennett did the
right thing, and he stepped down to run for governor.
So Bennett standing in the school house store with the goose,
you know, Hick and Looper standing in the school house
store with whoever it might be, Britney Peterson or somebody else,
(28:46):
and Polish Polis crushed Kerry Kennedy, who was about to
become the first woman governor of Colorado. So they're all phonies.
They don't care about women, they don't care about minorities.
All they care about is themselves and their own power.
Speaker 7 (29:00):
And remember too, Dan Jennet Grissfold, who is going to
run for governor until Bennett got Yeah, yeah, I cannot
stand Jenny Griswold. Yeah she could have been, might have
been the first woman governor. You never know. So he
shoved out an African American Democratic congressman and then a
woman Democrat as well from running for governor.
Speaker 1 (29:22):
Yeah, Colorado Democratic Party the party of creaky old white guys. Yeah,
that's beautiful thing. Dick, I appreciate the time today, my friend.
Thank you. That is Dick Watams, Dick Wadhams, who actually
knows what it's like to win big as a Colorado Republican.
You're on the Dan Kapla Show.
Speaker 2 (29:40):
And now back to the Dankaplas Show podcast.
Speaker 1 (29:43):
Kis the season to deportum falla la la la la
la the president? Really do that?
Speaker 4 (29:53):
That's Sean Ferriss, the greatest Trump impersonator on the planet.
Speaker 1 (29:57):
He is good. Now, if you were trying to do
that same thing, how would it sound, it would sound
a little bit older. Tis the season to deport them? Then?
You know as well as I do. You are very
very good at that, by the way, But I do
think this Sean Ferish guy.
Speaker 4 (30:12):
From Better Long Island, and he has that Trump affect
an accent.
Speaker 1 (30:16):
Yeah, And I think on the underlying issue, I want
to have that conversation maybe we'll have it tomorrow as
to whether it's helping or hurting the President at this
point to be deporting some folks who have not committed
other crimes while here. So would like to have that
conversation tomorrow. Obviously, any sane person total agreement not only
(30:40):
deporting when you find him, but tracking him down actively
everybody here illegally has committed other crimes and getting him
out of here. I think that's first his moral obligation,
and he's doing it and doing it very well. I
think where the question arises, is the folks who are
not committing other crimes while here otherwise living peacefully. It's set,
(31:00):
and where do you think America is coming down on that?
So we'll have that more serious discussion separately. We're having
a little tech issue in here, and I cannot imagine
why since our computers cost twenty nine to ninety nine
for the pair back in nineteen ninety four. That's right.
Who is calling Zach in Commerce City? Hey? And if
you ever had this thought, Ryan, maybe we could go
in together, come up with a hundred bucks together. Maybe
(31:22):
can we just buy our own computers to replace these?
Speaker 4 (31:26):
I don't know if it's the computers or the software.
Speaker 1 (31:28):
I don't know what it is. Because I hope people
understand we are blessed. Ryan and I are both blessed.
We work for a great company in an absolutely amazing
state of the art radio studio, in an amazing state
of the art radio complex. So we are very, very
fortunate in a world where you have a lot of
good radio talent that's working out of some rickety little
(31:51):
corner office and some office building somewhere. So we are blessed.
But our computers, yeah, i'd find just kicking them right now, Zach,
you're on the Dan Kapla Show.
Speaker 7 (32:01):
Welcome, Hey, Dan, huge huge fan, Thanks for thanking you. Paul.
I want to say I agree with everything you're saying
about hicken Rooper. The thing I take issue with is
the fact that you're actually saying it. I prefer to
have an empty suit hicken Looper. They power for as
long as the absolute can, rather than having someone young
(32:24):
that re energizes the left. Man, I just assume has
someone that can't get anything done, stay there for as
long as you can.
Speaker 1 (32:31):
Zach, that is so legit man. Words of wisdom. Thank
you for that call. Yeah, we've talked about that on
the show. Yeah, you want a Republican right because you
need that vote in the Senate. You need a Republican majority,
you need enough of a margin of matter. But if
you have to have a Democrat, you want Michael Bennett
ne Senate seat. You need Michael Bennett that Senate. See,
you want hicken loop in that senency, you want him
(32:52):
in the Senate seat. If you have to have a
Democrat because they don't get anything done. Could you imagine
if we had added democrats in those two Colorado Senate
seats who were actually effective. Zeck's right, it would be
a lot worse. But I don't think we can give
up on getting a Republican in there. That's the thing.
(33:15):
That's the thing. I do not think it's hopeless. I mean,
you would need the right candidate, then you need things
to break right and everything else. But I think rian
one reason that they're panicking at this point and trying
to push even this obviously non competitive candidate out of
the race, this Julie Gonzalez, is that any kind of
challenge ticking Luoper means he has to surface more often.
(33:36):
The more often he surfaces, the more people can see
he's not the John Hickenlooper who got elected mayor a
long time ago. He's just a guy holding onto a
Senate seat so he can be called a US Senator
and go to cocktail parties and things like that. You
guys should be protecting me on stuff like this. One
of the greatest hits. Yeah, ethics violation. He got mad at.
(33:58):
Who is that? I think that was Kyle Clark Kusa.
He got mad at for reporting. Yeah, yes, so, but yeah,
so they're just worried about people actually getting to see
the guy, and.
Speaker 2 (34:12):
We'll see.
Speaker 1 (34:12):
We'll see if some great GOP candidate comes out of
the woodwork. What would that I would love to get
people's take on this. What would that candidate look like?
You don't have to have a particular, real life, living
person in mind. It can be a sketch. But would
that person be some gazillionaire self funder who has the
(34:33):
right ideas and can talk. Would that person be this
brilliant young Latina teacher out of the public school system
with conservative values who just catches fire? What would that
candidate look like? Because I'm a big believer, and we've
seen it happen in Colorado, you can see the right
(34:53):
person come from nowhere and catch the public's imagination and role.
I remember Ryan that Denver mayor's race back in the day.
Everybody everybody was always already calling Ari, he's a virus mayor.
He'd been everything else, and then this pub owner, John
Hickenlooper caught everybody's imagination. I remember when hick and Looper.
I mean, he was young and active then and everything else,
(35:15):
and he had an issue. I think it had something
to do with Mile High Stadium or something. But anyway,
hicken Looper came out of the woodwork. He was at
three percent in the polls and the next thing you know,
he had Brinks trucks backing up to his campaign headquarters
to give money because he was going to win. So
it can happen. But when we come back, we have
a lot more than this to talk about. But I'd
(35:36):
love to know what would your sketch be of that
Republican who could come out of the woodwork and win
that Senate primary. John Hickenlooper has to be about as
weak as they come as DEM opponents, and maybe that's
good enough for the DEM to win, but about as
week as they come. You're on the Dan Kapla Show.
This is Dan Caples 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. Glad you're here.
Three or three seven one three eight two five five
text d An five seven seven three nine. Lots of
(00:22):
fun stuff to dive into, so much of it local,
which I always love. And we'll be talking to Dick
Wadhams at four thirty six. You know that we're heading
into the heart of the political season, if there's even
going to be one here in Colorado this cycle. When
we start to get Dick back on the show, which
I would do every day, I just love his perspective.
I love the lightning rod thing right Ryan, because every
(00:42):
time Dick comes on and some people get upset, which
is fascinating to me, just to see how things have
changed in Colorado within the Colorado GOP and GOP voters
over the years, because Dick one of the most winning
people playing Colorado Republican Party history and used to be
regarded as just kind of the stalwart, the bell Weather,
(01:05):
the anchor and now a certain segment of folks, many
of whom I really like and enjoy and enjoy having
on the show, view Dick as controversial, outdated, etc. My
view is the experience of someone who has won as
big as Dick as one that's never outdated. And so
you know, there may be current twists or tweaks or whatever,
(01:25):
but who else can say they've done what he's done
in Colorado politics. Doesn't mean we aren't going to have
some tremendous stars arising now from these new generations of
young Conservatives, which are extraordinarily impressive. But it'd be great
to have Dick at four thirty sext. We're going to
get his take why the Democratic Party is so worried
(01:47):
about John Higginlooper, And that's because, you know, Denver posts
some really good reporting about all the pressure brought to
bear on this one candidate who obviously doesn't have a
prayer to Lee Zalez, who used to be like a
Democratic socialist right Ryan, And she's still, i would imagine, is,
but is dropping the title because figures it might be
(02:08):
harder to get elected statewide that way. Oh yeah, And
I hate to break it to her, she's not going
to get elected. She's not going to win the primary,
she's not going to come close. But that's the point.
Why are the Democrats so panicked about her getting into
the race when she's politically a lightweight, she has no
chance to win, Yet they're still so panicked to protect
(02:28):
the emperor who has no clothes and John Hickley, whooh
bad in the tree there? Sorry? Three or three someone
three eight two five five d A N five seven
seven through nine. Delightful guy, But you don't want that?
Probably not the first. No, we'll just leave a person
most people would choose to woo see unclosed. Yes regard
three out three someone three eight two five five d
(02:50):
A N five seven seven three nine. So yeah, So
we'll have that conversation. But it does give rise to
a an actually relevant question, wh is who is the
GOP challenge you're going to be? And even more importantly,
I would say, though I take that pack, but very
important is there pats of victory for the GOP in
(03:10):
that Senate race? Three or three someone three eight two
five five d an five seven seven three nine. We
have that to chew on, my friend, along with listen.
I understand in life there are some really hard problems
that that it's going to be very very very difficult
to solve. But what drives me whack is that we've
got this one gaping, enormous problem that takes on so
(03:33):
many different forms that make your life worse, and it's
so easily fixable. Not one hundred percent fixable, but if
that's going to be the standard, then we shouldn't bother
to fix anything, but so very fixable. And in this
form it takes this RTD business and we'll get into
the details just because they're going to make you laugh.
(03:54):
But now, obviously what's happened is you have this huge
drop in ridership on our TD because it's become the
place lots of drug users hang out. Lots of drug
users also happen to be homeless people because drug addiction
puts a lot of people on the streets. So you
got a lot of people who are saying, yeah, I'm
not going to write RTD because there are so many
(04:15):
drugged out people or maybe they call them homeless people,
but it's not a place they want to be, and
so ridership goes way down. So what is the what
is government's response to that RTD district Chief executive Deborah
Johnson this week suggested that the fix is more people
(04:38):
writing the RTD despite all the drug users. So I
guess that means it's your fault, non drug user quote.
There's strength in numbers. If there are more people on
a transit vehicle, the average human being is less likely
to act up, Johnson said Wednesday in Denver Union Station
after gathering with public transit counterparts from around the nation.
(04:58):
The critical massive riders who collect lead to turr crime
and create a more secure transit experienced looms as the
ultimate solution. No, I think the ultimate solution is you
arrest the people who are committing crimes. And that's the
easy fix here. If you pick your crime, pick your crime.
(05:22):
But let's bring it back to under the umbrella of
homelessness a broad title, but under the umbrella of homelessness,
you have so many people who are using drugs publicly,
and you have so many people who, as a result
of drugs or mental illness or other stuff, they're violating
other laws publicly, some large, some small, and then you've
got the whole zombie subset of that and everything else.
(05:44):
The fix could not be easier in any category of
homelessness that we're describing number one, the single most compassionate
thing to do human to human and by far the
very best thing for our society as a whole, for
all the innocent people who aren't violating the law. So
(06:04):
it's a perfect solution. It's most compassionate and humane, and
it's best for the people following the law and the
overall health and enjoyment of our society. Is to arrest
the people who are breaking the law and take away
their freedom. And now I'm sure some people are saying, oh, man,
(06:25):
that's so draconian. You're gonna throw them in Canyon City.
Then they're going to become hard in this, And that's no,
that's not what I'm talking about. What I'm talking about
is using our brain and a little bit of creativity
and an arrest and incarceration. Taking away freedom doesn't have
to mean Kenyon City or even let's say that probably
(06:46):
the most attractive of the county jails out there, Boulder
County Jail, doesn't mean any of that. It means you
take a fraction of the money right now that you're burning.
It's just like taking hundreds out of Ryan's wallet right now,
and throwing them on to a fire, except it's millions
and hundreds of millions. Take a fraction of that money
you're burning, and you just construct, and you set up
(07:10):
separate facilities, separate facilities in which you keep these people
who have been arrested for repeatedly violating your laws. And
these are facilities where they lose their freedom for the
designated period of time. But they're oriented more around rehab
and addressing issues and getting people on the street. But
they're involuntary. They lose their freedom for violating their laws.
(07:34):
That solves eighty five percent of our problems, actually eighty
six and a half today. You know why, because right
off the bat, those people stop coming here. What you
have had is you have had a constant, explicit in
the case of Mike Johnston the mayor, and implicit in
the case of Polish and all these other lefties campaign
(07:56):
to attract drug users to Colorado, tract other homeless to Colorado,
to attract folks in the country illegally to Colorado. Right
off the bad and focused here on the drug users
and other homeless, they stop coming because what do people
in that community or in that state in their life
(08:18):
right now value most it's freedom, and they aren't going
to go anywhere where they're likely to lose their freedom.
So you did that in Colorado. Right away the word
gets out, Hey, you're going to lose your freedom in Colorado.
So most don't come in the future, and many are
here leave because above all, they don't want to lose
their freedom. So right off the bat, you've taken care
(08:40):
of a huge part of the problem because now they's
somewhere else. And then those who you do take and
who you do take their freedom away, they're in a
much healthier and safer environment for themselves. But they're not
in one of the Mike Johnston motels paid for with
your dollars, where they're just going to get worse. They're
actually in an environment where there's more of a chance
(09:03):
they'll decide to actually get some help, because you know,
there's nowhere else to go. It's not like the Mike
Johnston taxpayer paid for a motel that just perpetuates the
cycles of drug use in mental illness, et cetera. It's
one where all the tew I can't leave. Well, I
might as well. Maybe I'll try that, Maybe I'll try
that counseling. Maybe I'll try that rehab over here. At
(09:24):
least there's a chance that's the fix. It's right in
front of our face. It's a lot cheaper. It starts
with being by far, by light years, the most humane,
and it actually does something the left has no interest in,
which is, hey, let's respect the rights of all the
people out there who are not violating the law. That simple.
(09:48):
You're on the Dan Capitalist Show.
Speaker 2 (09:50):
And now back to the Dan Kaplis Show podcast.
Speaker 3 (09:53):
If you don't choose your heart, your heart will choose you.
That's one of the realest things I've ever read. Because
everything in life is hard. Being broke is hard, getting
rich is hard, Being unhealthy is hard, getting fit is hard.
Saying in a toxic relationship is hard, but leaving it
is also hard.
Speaker 1 (10:13):
There is do you believe that? Ryme? If you don't
choose your heart, your heart will choose you.
Speaker 4 (10:19):
Yeah, I mean, it's reflexive, but she makes a very
good point, and it's going to be difficult anyway, so
you might as well choose your own path, is what
I take from that.
Speaker 3 (10:29):
Now.
Speaker 1 (10:29):
I think there's a great point there that goes to
a bigger point, which is focus. I mean, and particularly
this modern world we live in and all the tech
and the pace and everything else. If and I guess
the Vogue word is intentional, But if each and every
human is, at least in America, is not very very
(10:50):
intentional about their focus, then they will just get swept along,
and a big part of that will be scrolling their
life away, right. I mean, it's it is amazing the
addictive power of and I bet a lot of people
joining us right now experience this because if they're listening
to a show like this and they care, and if
(11:11):
they care, they want more information. And we have so
many facts, not necessarily wisdom, but facts available at our fingertips.
You know, with our smartphones that you get addicted to
just this constant scrolling, conscious or subconscious, just looking for
more useful information. And then all of a sudden you're
(11:31):
scrolling your LifeWay, which Ryan is doing right now. Right, No,
I'm editing off. You saw that far off look in
your eyes that's always there. But no, it's true. I
mean it's remarkable to me because sometimes, you know, the
kids will call me a screenager. And so we're taking
steps like this Christmas vication that we'll have everybody together
(11:52):
and everything else we're just locking up the phones. I mean,
we'll up one handy, you know, in case are some
kind of urgency, but otherwise we're locking up the phones
because it just becomes kind of addictive. Three oh three
seven one three eight two five five text d An
five seven seven three nine Glad you are here so
much to talk about, Dick Wadhams at four thirty five.
(12:13):
Get a couple of text And if you missed it
at the top, you missed a lot because I gave
you and us and all of us the solution to
homelessness problem and all the druggies wandering around Denver and
the huge dollars more being spent than on our entire
Denver police budget, much more now being spent on homeless
in Denver who are still actively recruited to come here
(12:34):
by Mike Johnston and the rest of the left. But
there's such a quick, easy solution, and I started the
show with it, text Dan, public anything has always been
and always will be filled with trash, parks, libraries, rec centers,
transit and it goes on from there in disparaging terms.
Doesn't have to be that way. I mean, think of
some examples you've seen in America that are different than that, certainly,
(12:56):
And I'm not the most well traveled guy in the world,
but I spend a little bit of time overseas and
plenty of places overseas. You don't see that. Do you
agree with that premise, Ryan, that any public like perk
is that restroom is just by definition going to be trashed.
I agree with you. It doesn't have to be that way,
and often it's not.
Speaker 4 (13:16):
But there are many instances where anything run by the
government is going to be far less efficient, far less
nice than what would be provided by the private sector,
by charities, private charities.
Speaker 1 (13:26):
Yeah, yeah, different to me though a different issue. This
goes to the trashing of the place. No, I don't
think a place necessarily has to be trashed. Now, if
you're talking about Denver, yeah, because of the way Mike
Johnston decides to run Denver handcuff the cops. The message
he sends the people he recruits to our city. And
when I say that the people are recruits to our city,
(13:47):
I don't mean to say any human is lesser, or
to disparage somebody because they happen to be a drug
addict or going through God forbid mental illness or anything
like that. The point isn't to disparage him. The point
is to say it's civic suicide for a city to
actively recruit those people to the city, not because they're lesser,
but because you can't afford it, you can't fix it.
(14:10):
It will overwhelm everything. But yet Mike Johnston actively recruits
those folks. Remember that the famous words if you want
a home, we will get you a home. I mean,
talk about the ultimate magnet to recruit people from all
around America. So why do you think they do that?
But the fix, as I started the show with, is simple.
(14:30):
You violate our law repeatedly, which you wish so many
regular drug users, homeless, etc. Do you lose your freedom,
but you don't go to a typical jail. You go
to a special facility that costs far less, far less
security needed because it's not a big threat to society
if the person happens to escape, but it's meant to
confine them, and it's geared around rehab. And right off
(14:51):
the bat, eighty five percent of the people either don't
come here or they leave because if there's one thing
homeless people really value, it is their freedom, and they
are not going to come to or stay in Denver
if there is a real chance they're going to leave
their freedom there. Three are three someone three eight two
five five text d A N five seven seven three nine. Uh.
(15:13):
I don't know if you bet on sports? Do you
bet on sports?
Speaker 2 (15:15):
Ring not in a serious way.
Speaker 4 (15:17):
I'm in a fantasy football league where there's money on
the line, and I'm in a picks pool with some
people that I know and that has money on the line.
But I don't usually bet randomly on like parlays and
and apps and stuff.
Speaker 1 (15:29):
So you like, I've got the MGM app and I
may go on there and bet five bucks in a game,
or this is that you don't. You don't bet individual
games like that, Okay, well usually so for those who
do and for those who don't. This is an important
story because my own personal belief, and this was not
hard to see coming, is that the legalized gambling, which
most states have now where you can just do through
(15:50):
Vegas sports books bet on like the Broncos last Sunday,
which is a subject to the story. Obviously, by definition,
it is going to be unhealthy for sports, college sports
and pro sports because it creates a major risk of cheating.
That was a minor risk before. It's elemental. Just like
you legalized drugs in Colorado, you are going to have
(16:12):
a much less healthy state. You're going to have more
unnecessary dead bodies. You're going to have a whole lot
of price. It's just built in. It's baked in the cake.
And so a big question has come up in the
Bronco game on Sunday. Now, the Broncos were favored to
win by they were giving eight and a half points
(16:32):
environment they were given eight and a half points, and
they were the people who bet on the Broncos. If
you're not familiar with sports betting, they were going to
win their bet by betting on the Broncos because the
Broncos were about to win by ten. And then what
happened late in the game was this very odd sequence
of events where where the Raiders and the Raiders coach
(16:54):
drove down the field and elected to kick a field
goal that would leave no time remaining on the clock,
which meant that there's no chance they could then get
the ball and win the game. But by kicking the
field goal, the people who bet on the Raiders would
win their bet, and the people who bet on the
Broncos would lose even though the Broncos won the game.
So a guy who's a big, big presence online sports
(17:16):
circle sports betting circles, stave portanoy if barstool Sports has
gone off on this and is ac choosing the Raiders,
coach and others in the NFL of crimes, we.
Speaker 5 (17:28):
Need this entire segment investigated by the NFL. Third and
three to twenty four seconds. The spread is Denver mise
aint half. They were up twenty four to seven. By
the way, like two minutes to go, he spikes the ball.
Why are you spiking the ball with sixteen seconds in
a ten point game?
Speaker 2 (17:46):
Is beyond me.
Speaker 1 (17:47):
The game is over.
Speaker 5 (17:47):
I don't know I've ever seen a spike in that situation.
But we're just starting, boys and girls, we're just starting
to get now. I want you to watch this next play. Yeah,
and we'll get into that more detail. But the reason
that you and't spike the ball there.
Speaker 1 (18:01):
And just try to extend the game and pick up
a few more points when you know you cannot win
is injuries. It's a very very violent game. If you
now cannot win the game, you're not going to subject
your players to any more risk of injury than is
absolutely necessary, So very suspicious. Do you think that's what
(18:22):
was going on? Do you think that Pete Carroll did
that to cover raiders betters? Hard to explain it any
other way down, Yeah, anyway, we'll kick that around little
bit further in the broader issue of whether you think
sports betting in Colorado has been good or bad for
the state, which will tie into the issue of can
you believe they just legalized using credit cards to buy
lottery tickets in Colorado? Where do you come down on that?
(18:45):
But next, Dick Wahams, why are the Democrats so worried
about Hickenlooper in this Senate race?
Speaker 2 (18:53):
You're listening to the Dan Kaplis Show podcast Breaking You.
Speaker 6 (18:57):
This morning, Democrat Julie Getzalez, who represents and we're in
the state Senate, announced she will run a primary challenge
to US Senator John Hickenlooper. Hickenloper's seat is upper reelection
in November.
Speaker 3 (19:07):
Now.
Speaker 6 (19:07):
Gonzalez says her campaign will focus on affordability and a
fair deal for Colorado, saying in a statement that quote,
Hickenlooper is go along to get along politics have not
delivered for our state. Our political team will be following
this announcement and its impact throughout the day right here.
Speaker 1 (19:22):
On nine News. Well easy to follow the impact. Glad
you're here at three oh three seven one, three eight
two five five. The number does lead to some bigger questions.
Dick Wadhams kind enough to join us. Diick is one
very big in multiple places over the years. Richard, Welcome back.
Speaker 7 (19:40):
Hi Dan, nice to be with you.
Speaker 1 (19:42):
Well, Hey, I know we were emailing earlier about this
really well done Denver Post story how allies of Senator
John Hickenlooper tried to ward off a progressive challenge by
Judy Gonzalez. That from Seth Kleiman. What do you make
of the Colorado Democratic Party itself trying to push her
out of preventor from getting in the race? Right, didn't
(20:03):
they lean on? According the Post, didn't they lean on
her political consultants tell him they'd never work again. Just
kind of old Chicago tactics like that.
Speaker 7 (20:13):
Yeah, I think it's well. I think it shows a
couple of things.
Speaker 1 (20:16):
Dan.
Speaker 7 (20:16):
First of all, the arrogance of John hicken Hooper and
the Colorado Democratic Party. Don't dare challenge the king? On
one hand, but it also tells you something else, that
there's an underlying uneasiness about John hicken Hooper running for reelection,
that they know that he's probably weak and that a
(20:39):
primary will weaken him further. Now right now, Dan, to
be honest, there's not really a strong candidate on the
Republican side running, but I think they're afraid that there
could be, and they don't want him to be further
weakened in a Democratic primary.
Speaker 1 (20:55):
Hey, Dick, what's going on on the Republican side? Who's
who's in?
Speaker 7 (20:59):
Well, very little is going on in the Republican side, Dan,
As far as I know, Johnnick Joshie, he's a former
state represent a different car to Springs. He moved to
the eighth Congressional district in twenty twenty four and ran
against the Gabe Evans for the Republican nomination, was defeated
by Gave Evans. He announced his candidacy for the Senate,
(21:22):
which I frankly do not believe is that formidable of
a challenge to hicken Hooper. For right now, it's kind
of wide open, but I think I think the Democrats
and hicken Hooper are afraid there could be a strong
candidate emerge and they're worried that the primary will will
undermine him.
Speaker 1 (21:40):
Well, if they're worried about this candidate, they must really
be worried. Right. Did you see her interview with Kyle
Clark on changing her political identity? Let me fire that. Yeah,
how do you describe yourself?
Speaker 7 (21:52):
Yeah?
Speaker 8 (21:53):
I describe myself as an organizer turns and although.
Speaker 1 (21:57):
Are you a Democrat Socialist? When I ran in.
Speaker 8 (21:58):
Twenty eighteen, I was really inspired by the way that
DSA was organizing young people in a way that I
thought was exciting and compelling. I signed up as a
member back then, and I actually got elected, you know,
with thanks to DSA's endorsement, all of the doors that
(22:19):
those volunteers came and knocked on my behalf.
Speaker 1 (22:22):
I'm no longer a member. My number. She's really grateful.
What do you make of that?
Speaker 7 (22:27):
I think one of the Democrats wants a Democratic socialists,
always a Democratic Socialist, And frankly, Dan, I think it's
a strategic air on her party to suddenly try to
die in the middle. That all the excitement and the
energy and the Democratic Party party right now is in
that far left, the fringe of the Democratic socialists. Frankly,
(22:51):
she should embrace that. Say yes, I'm one of them.
And John hicken Hooper is a too conservative for our
party in our states. And I think if I were
her pasically, I would say embrace that because she, first
of all, she is that, no doubt about it.
Speaker 1 (23:11):
Yeah, yeah, no, that's right. And it comes back to
I mean, for me, it's with yours. For politicals, it's
out there, but people first, you just have to be
authentic because everybody can tell when you aren't. So I
think your candidacy was ada to begin with, but it's
double da now that she starts it by denying her
(23:32):
true identity. But you're right there. At what percentage you
tell me, Dick, you follow this stuff. What percentage of
the voters who would vote in a Democrat primary right
now are truly at heart socialist or at least you know,
European socialist, or however they try to put perfume on.
Speaker 7 (23:49):
That pig, you know, Dan, that's a good question. I
mean among Democratic voters. I'm not including unaffiliated voters who
might vote in a Democratic primary, but among Democrats who
would vote on a primary, which are your most active Democrats?
I would say that I don't know if it's a majority,
but it would be, you know, forty percent or more.
(24:10):
I think, and I really think that that Hickenlooper is
vulnerable in his party, not only with the left, but
dan This is a guy who got elected to the Senate,
nobody heard from him again, and it's for any work
re election. And on top of it, he will be
eighty years old at the end of a second term. Now,
(24:34):
you know, I mean, he's ostensibly in good health right now.
But the question is why is he running again? He
didn't do anything the first term. What's he doing now?
Speaker 1 (24:44):
And that should be the thrust of any Democrat challenger
will be for the Republican is the guy doesn't do anything.
He hasn't done anything, but Dick, I have not run
into John Hickenlooper, have been around him. Whatever. I'm just
happy to hear he's still with us. But do you
have a sense from people who know him, because I
know some eighty year olds. I was just in trial
with the woman who turns eighty in a few weeks
(25:05):
and she's a warrior. I know some Joe Biden eighty
year olds who are like one hundred and eighty. So
where does he fall on that scale.
Speaker 7 (25:13):
Well, I don't know. I mean, we don't know. Is
my point about in turning eighty is more along the
lines of why doesn't he step aside for a new
generation of Democrats to run?
Speaker 1 (25:24):
Right? Well, we all know the answer to that.
Speaker 7 (25:27):
Yeah, well, yes, yes. And the thing about Julie Gonzalez,
I don't think she's the best candidate against Tikenooper, but
I will tell you she's credible enough Dan that she
will be the opportunity for Democrats who want to register
their protest against the hicken Oper to vote for her.
She's credible, She's been in the state Senate, she's you know,
(25:51):
she's been elected from the city of Denver. I don't
think she can beat Tickenhooper, but I do think she
could make his life miserable. Even with her miss statement
about and not being a democratic socialist.
Speaker 1 (26:05):
Well, and you know what, I think that was good
to quotums our guest here, to dick. My own belief
here is that I can't prove this. Just my own
belief is that this race has nothing to do with
the Senate race, that she's positioning herself to run for mayor.
And and so I think This is just one of
those Hey, build your name, I d start to put
(26:26):
an organization together, get some money, and you know, prove
your liberal chops you are willing to take on hicken Hooper.
Maybe I'm wrong about that, but Dick, does this signal that,
you know, to quote one of the great movies of
all time, GOP has a chance here?
Speaker 7 (26:46):
Dan, I think that I think there's an inherent weakness
of hicken Hooper right now, and I think Democrats sense
it as well. I mean, frankly, I've had conversations with
Democratic friends of mine and the question they kind of
end up with is why is he running again?
Speaker 1 (27:02):
Yeah?
Speaker 7 (27:02):
I mean, and honestly, I think that now they're going
to rally around him. They're not going to try to
lose that seat. But that's a strange place for an incumbent,
especially a former governor and a former mayor of Denver,
to start from where people were saying, why are you
running again?
Speaker 1 (27:19):
I think that's dangerous, yeah, and really bad for his legacy,
which he must not care about at this point, because
it's so obviously unadulterated selfishness, personal selfishness that just shows
all of this lofty DEI stuff and everything he's talked
about over the years is total garbage. All he cares
about is himself. This just proves it, right, if he
(27:41):
cared about all that stuff he said he cared about,
he'd step out of the way. So one of those
folks he claims to care so much about but really doesn't,
you know, could then take the seat. Well.
Speaker 7 (27:52):
And then remember this was not the first time he's
done this. Remember the last time that he ran for
the Senate, he said, oh, i'm I I hate wait
being in the Senate. I would not be a good
senator because he was off in Iowa running for president.
And when nobody paid attention to him running for president,
he's to battled back to Colorado and announced with the
Senate and he basically shoved out of the race some Democrats,
(28:17):
including some Democratic women who had been working for a year,
and he just shoved them out.
Speaker 1 (28:23):
Yeah, they're also there's such hypocrits. They're so selfish, whether
it's Polis or hicken Looper or Bennett. Bennett standing in
the schoolhouse store right now, because right now Joanah Goose
could be an appointed U S Senator. Bennett did the
right thing, and he stepped down to run for governor.
So Bennett standing in the school house store with the goose,
you know, Hick and Looper standing in the school house
store with whoever it might be, Britney Peterson or somebody else,
(28:46):
and Polish Polis crushed Kerry Kennedy, who was about to
become the first woman governor of Colorado. So they're all phonies.
They don't care about women, they don't care about minorities.
All they care about is themselves and their own power.
Speaker 7 (29:00):
And remember too, Dan Jennet Grissfold, who is going to
run for governor until Bennett got Yeah, yeah, I cannot
stand Jenny Griswold. Yeah she could have been, might have
been the first woman governor. You never know. So he
shoved out an African American Democratic congressman and then a
woman Democrat as well from running for governor.
Speaker 1 (29:22):
Yeah, Colorado Democratic Party the party of creaky old white guys. Yeah,
that's beautiful thing. Dick, I appreciate the time today, my friend.
Thank you. That is Dick Watams, Dick Wadhams, who actually
knows what it's like to win big as a Colorado Republican.
You're on the Dan Kapla Show.
Speaker 2 (29:40):
And now back to the Dankaplas Show podcast.
Speaker 1 (29:43):
Kis the season to deportum falla la la la la
la the president? Really do that?
Speaker 4 (29:53):
That's Sean Ferriss, the greatest Trump impersonator on the planet.
Speaker 1 (29:57):
He is good. Now, if you were trying to do
that same thing, how would it sound, it would sound
a little bit older. Tis the season to deport them? Then?
You know as well as I do. You are very
very good at that, by the way, But I do
think this Sean Ferish guy.
Speaker 4 (30:12):
From Better Long Island, and he has that Trump affect
an accent.
Speaker 1 (30:16):
Yeah, And I think on the underlying issue, I want
to have that conversation maybe we'll have it tomorrow as
to whether it's helping or hurting the President at this
point to be deporting some folks who have not committed
other crimes while here. So would like to have that
conversation tomorrow. Obviously, any sane person total agreement not only
(30:40):
deporting when you find him, but tracking him down actively
everybody here illegally has committed other crimes and getting him
out of here. I think that's first his moral obligation,
and he's doing it and doing it very well. I
think where the question arises, is the folks who are
not committing other crimes while here otherwise living peacefully. It's set,
(31:00):
and where do you think America is coming down on that?
So we'll have that more serious discussion separately. We're having
a little tech issue in here, and I cannot imagine
why since our computers cost twenty nine to ninety nine
for the pair back in nineteen ninety four. That's right.
Who is calling Zach in Commerce City? Hey? And if
you ever had this thought, Ryan, maybe we could go
in together, come up with a hundred bucks together. Maybe
(31:22):
can we just buy our own computers to replace these?
Speaker 4 (31:26):
I don't know if it's the computers or the software.
Speaker 1 (31:28):
I don't know what it is. Because I hope people
understand we are blessed. Ryan and I are both blessed.
We work for a great company in an absolutely amazing
state of the art radio studio, in an amazing state
of the art radio complex. So we are very, very
fortunate in a world where you have a lot of
good radio talent that's working out of some rickety little
(31:51):
corner office and some office building somewhere. So we are blessed.
But our computers, yeah, i'd find just kicking them right now, Zach,
you're on the Dan Kapla Show.
Speaker 7 (32:01):
Welcome, Hey, Dan, huge huge fan, Thanks for thanking you. Paul.
I want to say I agree with everything you're saying
about hicken Rooper. The thing I take issue with is
the fact that you're actually saying it. I prefer to
have an empty suit hicken Looper. They power for as
long as the absolute can, rather than having someone young
(32:24):
that re energizes the left. Man, I just assume has
someone that can't get anything done, stay there for as
long as you can.
Speaker 1 (32:31):
Zach, that is so legit man. Words of wisdom. Thank
you for that call. Yeah, we've talked about that on
the show. Yeah, you want a Republican right because you
need that vote in the Senate. You need a Republican majority,
you need enough of a margin of matter. But if
you have to have a Democrat, you want Michael Bennett
ne Senate seat. You need Michael Bennett that Senate. See,
you want hicken loop in that senency, you want him
(32:52):
in the Senate seat. If you have to have a
Democrat because they don't get anything done. Could you imagine
if we had added democrats in those two Colorado Senate
seats who were actually effective. Zeck's right, it would be
a lot worse. But I don't think we can give
up on getting a Republican in there. That's the thing.
(33:15):
That's the thing. I do not think it's hopeless. I mean,
you would need the right candidate, then you need things
to break right and everything else. But I think rian
one reason that they're panicking at this point and trying
to push even this obviously non competitive candidate out of
the race, this Julie Gonzalez, is that any kind of
challenge ticking Luoper means he has to surface more often.
(33:36):
The more often he surfaces, the more people can see
he's not the John Hickenlooper who got elected mayor a
long time ago. He's just a guy holding onto a
Senate seat so he can be called a US Senator
and go to cocktail parties and things like that. You
guys should be protecting me on stuff like this. One
of the greatest hits. Yeah, ethics violation. He got mad at.
(33:58):
Who is that? I think that was Kyle Clark Kusa.
He got mad at for reporting. Yeah, yes, so, but yeah,
so they're just worried about people actually getting to see
the guy, and.
Speaker 2 (34:12):
We'll see.
Speaker 1 (34:12):
We'll see if some great GOP candidate comes out of
the woodwork. What would that I would love to get
people's take on this. What would that candidate look like?
You don't have to have a particular, real life, living
person in mind. It can be a sketch. But would
that person be some gazillionaire self funder who has the
(34:33):
right ideas and can talk. Would that person be this
brilliant young Latina teacher out of the public school system
with conservative values who just catches fire? What would that
candidate look like? Because I'm a big believer, and we've
seen it happen in Colorado, you can see the right
(34:53):
person come from nowhere and catch the public's imagination and role.
I remember Ryan that Denver mayor's race back in the day.
Everybody everybody was always already calling Ari, he's a virus mayor.
He'd been everything else, and then this pub owner, John
Hickenlooper caught everybody's imagination. I remember when hick and Looper.
I mean, he was young and active then and everything else,
(35:15):
and he had an issue. I think it had something
to do with Mile High Stadium or something. But anyway,
hicken Looper came out of the woodwork. He was at
three percent in the polls and the next thing you know,
he had Brinks trucks backing up to his campaign headquarters
to give money because he was going to win. So
it can happen. But when we come back, we have
a lot more than this to talk about. But I'd
(35:36):
love to know what would your sketch be of that
Republican who could come out of the woodwork and win
that Senate primary. John Hickenlooper has to be about as
weak as they come as DEM opponents, and maybe that's
good enough for the DEM to win, but about as
week as they come. You're on the Dan Kapla Show.
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