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McInnis Bows Out of September GOP Candidate Forum, Cites Biased Straw Poll

by | 3:26 pm, August 31, 2009 | 2 Comments

Chairman Dick Wadhams addressed the strange behavior of gubernatorial candidate Scott McInnis, with the former Representative opting to avoid a GOP candidate forum and fundraiser because of a straw poll that will be conducted that evening (from an email):

I am profoundly disappointed that one of the candidates for governor has indicated he will not attend our dinner and forum for candidates for Governor and U.S. Senator on Friday, September 25 at Keystone.

Former Congressman Scott McInnis released a letter this past Friday saying he would not attend the event, alleging that the straw poll will create “infighting.”

But even more disturbing is the suggestion by his campaign spokesman that we are somehow rigging the straw poll that will follow the forum that evening.

I am very perplexed how a candidate for governor has reached such a conclusion. Participating in a forum in front of Republican leaders from across the state and allowing those leaders to register their thoughts on who they thought did the best job in articulating why they should be our party’s nominee for major office is a tremendous opportunity for a candidate.

The letter from the McInnis campaign curiously alleges that the “straw poll provides discourse amongst ourselves.” Indeed it does!

“Discourse” is defined by Merriam-Webster as a “verbal exchange of ideas” and “formal and orderly and usually extended expression of thought on a subject.” And that is exactly what the forum is intended to do.

Wadhams then defends a vigorous primary process and the decision to move forward with the straw poll.

Wadhams ends by challenging the source of the criticism of the straw poll:

Finally, the McInnis campaign spokesman said in today’s Denver Post he was “suspicious” of the straw poll. Consider the source of this allegation.

The McInnis campaign spokesman previously worked for liberal billionaire Tim Gill who has spent tens of millions of dollars attacking Republicans in Colorado. The spokesman just recently left his job at a Democratic political consulting firm that is running Governor Bill Ritter’s campaign.

The idea that attendees of an open GOP candidate forum would stack a straw poll is absurd, and McInnis’ questioning of those in charge–the state GOP Central Committee and Chairman Wadhams himself–puts him at odds with the party, his fellow candidates and the Republican voters.

It’s a straw poll, Rep. McInnis, not a binding resolution.

Why not attend?

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Comments

  1.   Phyllis
      August 31st, 2009 @ 3:41 pm

    What the hell is with this guy! Is he seriously crazy, or what? Your points above are spot on. I’m starting to think that he is a paranoid schizophrenic or something! Aren’t you guys?

    Bizarre, strange, wierd. You get the idea. He really does think that people are out to get him. What he doesn’t understand is that people are lining up to support Penry because they like him and they like his message. Compare Penry’s 3,300 facebook supporters to mcinnis’ 600. Penry has momentum and people relate to his message. McInnis is hoping his “good ol’ days” message will resonate and it’s not.

    He’s acting crazy.

  2.   travis
      August 31st, 2009 @ 9:31 pm

    Old guard. No thanks. It’s not has-been Republicans who are going to win voters this time around, they’re the ones who remind the electorate of the Republican failures from 1998-2006.

    We want and need fresh blood and fresh faces with ideas based on the core principles the party is supposed to stand for, not self-absorbed (and unstable) divas who cherish the spotlight and perks of the office and principles be damned. That’s why I like Josh Penry and Dan Maes for governor, and Ryan Frazier for senator.

    McInnis is a joke. The guy backstabs his own party routinely, and not even for any obvious gain (unlike McCain who at least gets liberal media brownie points for his efforts), he loses his cool when challenged by Republican interviewers, and now he gets all paranoid about a straw poll. No thanks. If there was ever a time to elect an unstable wierdo to office, this isn’t it.

    I just hope the country clubbers supporting McInnis don’t succeed in forcing him on us like the national-level ones did with McCain last year, as “the electable guy”. Another joke, and one with a punch line that’s turning out to be not so funny nowadays. But I can just see them forcing the unstable McInnis on us as the anointed governor candidate, and Norton as the anointed senate candidate, and squeezing out or spending out all the others regardless of whether or not they’re better candidates. Just because McInnis and Norton are their country-club buddies and it’s business-as-usual in the Republican In Name Only party.

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