Moving on.
After 52 months and 4 1/2 legislative sessions, my time under the gold-leafed dome of the Colorado State Capitol came to a close in March. A new chapter, as the Vice President of Communications with 76 Group - one of Colorado’s premier public affairs, political consulting, and lobbying groups - has begun.
Additionally, my own firm, Naumann Consulting, will get a much-needed and indefinite nap. I will not be accepting new clients and have been winding down my work for current clients.
I’ll be doing plenty of exciting stuff with 76 Group that I’ll keep you all apprised of. Stay tuned and follow me on Twitter.
What does this mean for my writing?
Hopefully, it means I’ll be doing more of it. I enjoy it. I hope you do too.
The kid.
Claremont is doing very well. He’s now nearly 7 months old and has an amazingly happy personality. He’s smiling and giggling up a storm. Mom is doing well too, save for sleep deprivation. We’re still adjusting to parenthood. I’m sure we’ll figure it out as he’s heading to college.
That’s not what you think it means.
The recent guilt plea of a Democratic political operative in Arizona has election truthers/deniers jumping for joy, pointing to the case as an example of the widespread fraud they claim flipped the state (and others) to Joe Biden, giving him the Presidency.
That case doesn’t prove what they think it does.
Indeed, it proves the exact opposite.
The fact that a single operative was caught - and charged - with illegally marking ballots that were not hers and collecting ballots in violation of Arizona’s ballot collection laws show just how difficult it would be to accomplish such fraud at any substantial scale.
Indeed, Guillermina Fuentes’s guilty plea is an example of how our system worked, not how it failed. If political operatives can’t steal dozens of votes without getting caught, how could they steal tens of thousands of them?
Election vulnerabilities exist, Democrats balk.
I have clear for the last year and a half that I do not believe there was substantial fraud in the 2020 election - and surely not enough to “steal” the election from President Donald Trump.
However, I do believe election vulnerabilities exists. Unfortunately, Democrats use the issue of election integrity purely as a wedge issue, and as such, are unamenable to even the slightest reforms.
Here’s an example I experienced firsthand. In 2020, Colorado State Senator Rob Woodward (R-Loveland) introduced the “Colorado Ballot Signature Verification Act,” also known as Senate Bill 21-010, which would have eliminated the “witness loophole” in Colorado elections.
What is this loophole? It’s quite simple.
Some individuals have have trouble filling in and signing their ballot due to disability, such as poor eyesight, Parkinson’s, or otherwise. As such, Colorado allows for an individual to assist in filling out a ballot. Here is the actual state statute on the matter:
31-10-910. Procedures for conducting mail ballot election.
(2)(c)(II) The signing of the self-affirmation on the return envelope described in subparagraph (I) of this paragraph (c) constitutes an affirmation by the eligible elector, under penalty of perjury, that the facts stated in the self-affirmation are true. If the eligible elector is unable to sign, the eligible elector may affirm by making a mark on the self-affirmation, with or without assistance, witnessed by another person. (Emphasis mine)
Now, here is an example of the mail ballot that Coloradans will be receiving:
Paying attention to the portion highlighted in yellow, we see that the witness must also sign their name. Hypothetically, the voter (with or without assistance) would mark “X” or any other “mark” on the signature line, and then the person assisting them would write the date and write their own name below.
So, what’s the issue with this?
Simple: The witness name/signature is unverifiable. There is no verification that the ballot is valid whatsoever.
Let’s use an hypothetical question to show why this is a dangerous loophole: If a mail ballot (or multiple) is stolen from a mailbox, then the person who stole the ballot(s) marks the “X” on the signature line, dates it, and writes “Mickey Mouse” on the the witness legal name line, what happens?
Nothing. The ballot is accepted regardless of what name is on the signature line. Here is a portion of the Colorado Secretary of State’s Policy and Procedure Manual from 2020. (I have this available in PDF format if anybody is interested.)
Based on this flowchart, we can see that the ballot is accepted without any sort of verification. Meaning that an individual can steal a ballot, mark an “X,” sign/print their (fake) name below, and steal the vote.
Once the ballot is removed from the envelope and counted, it becomes impossible to remove said ballot from the count, as it is now anonymous. It would most likely require a person reporting their ballot stolen with enough time to prevent election workers from following this flow chart and counting the ballot.
Senator Woodward’s 2021 bill would’ve required that the witness also be a registered voter in the same county so they could be verified (and found, if necessary). Perhaps this was or was not the perfect solution, but as it stands today, this loophole still exists.
The Brennan Center, a left-leaning thinktank, labeled the bill simple as “Restricting Voting Access” in 2021. Such in-depth critique is truly helpful in crafting election policy (sarcasm).
If you’re wondering, there is no evidence that this loophole has been abused, thankfully. That doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be addressed nor that we shouldn’t remain vigilant in ensuring our election system is secure.
Sorry if this was a bit too wonky. You can see all the Colorado election rules here.
Colorado leftists’ shameful move.
This week, leading Colorado progressive group ProgressNow is putting together a “rally” against Republican candidate for U.S. Senate, Joe O’Dea, at the Colorado State Capitol. Beyond the clever “No Way O’Dea” catchphrase they’re tagging the event with lies the fact that by attacking O’Dea before the Republican primary has concluded, they are clearly propping up Ron Hanks - O’Dea’s only opponent.
Why does that matter? Because ProgressNow has labeled Hanks as an insurrectionist, a conspiracy theorist, and a racist.
Regardless if one agrees or disagrees with ProgressNow’s assessment of Representative Hanks, the fact is that they are now the largest outside supporter of his campaign for U.S. Senate. They have not scheduled a similar press conference to bash on Hanks. Indeed, they want the “insurrectionist” and “racist” to be the next Republican nominee for U.S. Senate.
If I was a donor to ProgressNow, I’d be livid.
As a Republican who has done all I can to disprove the false idea that the 2020 election was stolen, I’d like to say that I’m surprised at the move. I had thought, however, that the group wouldn’t be as brazen as they’ve chosen to be.
Obviously, political rhetoric by its nature exaggerates, but when one side of the aisle labels certain leaders as being threats to our democracy, I’d imagine they’d maintain a modicum of integrity when it comes to not wanting that person anywhere near elected office. ProgressNow has instead decided that they’d prefer to take that risk and do their darndest to help Hanks advance.
I can only hope that an ambitious member of Colorado’s press ask them: “So, you’re saying that Ron Hanks is the better choice?”
[Full Disclosure: Joe O’Dea is a client of 76 Group, and I frequently work with his campaign. My opinion wouldn’t be different otherwise, however.]
Michael Shellenberger.
To those who are in California - or have an interest in California politics - I ask that you pay attention to Michael Shellenberger’s campaign for Governor. While polls close today, and perhaps you’ve already made up your mind, Michael has run an impressive, short race for the seat.
He has focused on homelessness, crime, education, energy, water, and housing. If he makes it to the general election versus Gavin Newsom, I think he would be quite formidable.
Republicans, take note of the issues he’s focused on - they’re issues that most independents are focused on as well. While I’m sure there are issues that Shellenberger and I disagree on, he has (justifiably) taken Gavin to task and gained media exposure in doing so.
Fascinating links.
Goodnight, Gerber Baby. The original “Gerber Baby,” Ann Turner Cook, passed away at the age of 95. Everybody has seen her adorable baby face, take a second to learn about an amazing woman.
Glory to the Human Race! This tweet was an incredibly moving one for me, perhaps it will be for you. A copy of Frederick Douglass’ “My Bondage and My Freedom” (1855) with notes from its owner, William Pickens.
Gas prices. This CPR piece touches on the struggle of many working Coloradans (and Americans) as gas prices continue to set records. I believe the article skimps when talking about why we got here, but the sentiment is still relevant.
Rockies Uniforms. If you’re not from Colorado, you probably won’t care, but the Rockies unveiled new “City Connect” uniforms. I love them, others hate them.
Corporal punishment. An interesting look at corporal punishment in the United States. I’m not familiar with the organization and don’t care to dive too deeply, but the article was interesting and a matter which I am not well-versed on.
What’s next?
More commentary. A podcast is in the works.
Hit the button below. For the price of coffee, you can help keep me going.
P.S. If you caught the reference in the subtitle of this email, you’re awesome.