These folks (see below) liberally refer to we the people and, more troubling, they believe they personally channel the will of the people, and this has me concerned. There’s no statesmanship here, no discussion of governing principles or economic philosophies, no insights into the constitutional battles raging all around us–none of that–just undiluted US vs. THEM populism glossed over with a few we the people‘s to give themselves a constitutional veneer of legitimacy. Bullfeathers. If your best reason to be governor is that you’re not one of the blue meanies, you really should get out.
To be sure, party trumps person, however, should pure populism trump party? After all, pure populism is the mess we’re already in. More of the same, albeit of a different color, hardly seems like a remedy.
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Smoke Filled Back Rooms banned
by Robert Rowland on Friday, August 27, 2010 at 1:22pmAs in all campaigns and movements there are those moments when we all start having doubts, we all grow tired from the seemingly constant barrage of bias media or we grow discouraged when we hear things like how much money the other side has compared to ours. We begin to question our own belief systems and ask, “can the people or the will of the people really prevail”? Prevail against a powerful machine that will do almost anything to maintain the status quo. A machine so focused on their own power and influence that they think they can circumvent the will of the American people. People who because they have wealth think they can intimidate the people’s candidate into quitting to make room for their choice. One who will serve their plans, not ours.
Now I get this message from Karen Maes, Dan’s wife. She’s one of us, just like us, a mom, a spouse and having met her several times, just a down to earth genuine, no pretense person. Listen to her passion, listen to her commitment not just to her husband and family but to the cause, our cause. I can’t imagine the sacrifices and pressure this type of endeavor puts on a family, especially with young children still in the house, but they’re doing it, and they’re representing each one of us in doing so.
We are grassroots, regular folks who know the system is broke, we know if we don’t hold our ground now to these “smoke filled, lost in time” good ole’ boys (gender neutral), will win again, and we may never get another chance to set things right.
PLEASE READ THIS LETTER AND THINK ABOUT YOUR ROLE IN THIS HISTORIC MOMENT IN COLORADO POLITICS. THE TIME TO GET INVOLVED IS NOW, NOT TOMORROW, TODAY! I refuse to let these folks stop the moment we’ve been waiting for all these years, to get a people’s candidate elected, not someone conjured up in one of their smoke filled rooms. I know what I want to be able to say I did when the time comes years from now, do you?
Robert Rowland, Elbert Tea Party/912 Chairman
The View of A Smoke Filled Room by Karen Maes
Most of you have never met me, so let me introduce myself: I’m Karen, Dan’s wife of soon to be 20 years and, as Dan’s wife, I tend to stay in the background. I have found my role in the campaign to be one of support for my husband in this race, no matter what. I try to stay out of the “politics” of it so I can stay positive and thus maintain a home where our children can live happy and content. I do support my husband fully in this campaign, which has never been about him, but about YOU the people. Why am I now writing to you? Because the events of the last few weeks have me angry!
– Hide quoted text –Over the last few weeks, Dan has been approached by many “political insiders” (let me clarify, this is not GOP party representatives) who have asked my husband to drop out of the race. WHY? I believe they are afraid of him because he’s the outsider. I believe they are afraid because he can’t be controlled by them. When did politics become this way?!?! Let me tell you this: I WILL NOT ALLOW DAN TO DROP OUT OF THIS RACE! YOU elected him to be the Republican nominee, how dare someone try to take that away from you! You must stand by me and not allow it either! Dan is here to represent YOU. He has become YOUR voice! I call him your megaphone, because now you have someone who is listening to what is important to YOU!
Since Dan’s historic victory in the state primary you would think all those people who preached the importance of backing the winner, no matter who it would be, would be practicing what they preached. In some cases, they have and I appreciate them so much. They are an encouragement to Dan. What makes me (and Dan) sick are the people who are not. Not only do they not support him but they are what actually make up the “smoke filled room”. This room does not have four walls. It can be a phone call from someone who thinks they have more power than they have. It can be a meeting at a restaurant with someone who asked for a meeting “to help” Dan and that person attempts to pressure Dan to leave. It can be a potential fundraising event with a few wealthy people who attempt to hijack the meeting and appeal to Dan’s integrity and honor to “do what is right” and step aside for their candidate.
I was stunned to hear Dan relay this message from a meeting: a wealthy man advised Dan that Dan should use his great sales skills to influence the grass roots to understand that Dan stepping aside was in the best interest of the state. Can you believe the arrogance! He actually thought that you work for Dan rather than Dan working for YOU! Dan told them they had no clue what was really happening and that they “just don’t get it”! Dan told them that THE PEOPLE WILL NOT TOLERATE political games like this any longer. He told them you are not going to fall in line.
Another thing that I found arrogant was that Dan relayed that these men were watching some of their business associates say they would go to Hickenlooper because, “they might be able to influence HIM”. Is this what THE PEOPLE want? They saw this movement of what might be 50-100 people toward Hickenlooper. Can you imagine that they thought this was more important than the hundreds of thousands of people who voted in the primary, and the almost two hundred thousand who voted for Dan earlier this month!
I am so grateful for all of the hard work, dedication, and sacrifice that our volunteers have provided to date but you must know that Dan needs you more than ever. He has told me how so many of you committed to stand behind him when he stands up to the politics as usual and the potential corruption. I am asking you all to do so now with strong voices and courage.
Don’t buy into the lies and corruption that you have pledged to fight and beat in 2010! DON’T LISTEN TO THEM! Dan has spoken the truth to you everywhere.
I know Dan to have stood up to corruption as a young police officer, this stance of integrity cost him his job.
I have watched him compete against the big guys in the business world for over 20 years, and always provide our children and me with an honorable lifestyle based in his faith.
Now I see him coming home exhausted but determined to be your voice.He is like YOUR megaphone! By himself he is silent, but with your voices behind him he will make them louder and heard!!!
WE MUST NOT LET CORRUPTION WIN! It won’t be easy, but please STAY STRONG! Do not allow these “politial-insiders” in their ‘smoke-filled rooms” to dictate to THE PEOPLE who to vote for! You’ve made your voices be heard at the state assembly and again at the primary! We CANNOT ALLOW power hungry individuals to dictate to our candidates and elected officails!
I’m sorry, but I do have to mention it: we’ve run the campaign on a shoe string, and you have told us that you appreciate it! I’ve heard many comments along the line of “if Dan can win the primary election on only $200,000, imagine what he can do for our state!” We do need funds to compete against Hickenlooper, against the people out there that think they are all-powerful because they have money. Please contribute so we can continue to help Dan megaphone YOUR voice!! Just go to www.danmaes.com and click on the contributions tab, or mail your contribution to Friends of Dan Maes for Governor
11 W Hampden Ave
Englewood, CO 80013THANK YOU all again for all of your hard work! This campaign won because of good old fashioned hard work by volunteers!
THANK YOU to all of you who have not even met Dan but are fighting for a return to our conservative values!
THANK YOU for the emails and cards of encouragement! They lift his spirit when he might have just been under attack. Please don’t forget to also encourage and pray for all our volunteers, staff, and Tambor as they are being attacked too!
STAY STRONG in these final weeks, and let YOUR voice be heard! DO NOT TOLERATE THE SMOKE FILLED ROOM CORRUPTION! Please forward this email plea on… We need to unite!
God Bless,
Karen Maes