The Denver Gazette reports that Republican gubernatorial candidates Barb Kirkmeyer and Scott Bottoms both said they would not support Victor Marx if he wins Colorado’s GOP primary. Kirkmeyer said Marx is not fit to be governor, while Bottoms called him untrustworthy and accused him of lying. Marx skipped the debate after previously agreeing to attend, then dismissed the criticism as “petty grudges” and “insider games.”
The story lays out a rare moment in politics: two candidates saying the quiet part loudly. Kirkmeyer and Bottoms are not doing the usual “I’ll support the nominee” shuffle. They are saying they believe Marx is unfit and will not pretend otherwise just because he has an R next to his name. That is a big deal, especially in a race where voters are being asked to separate social media heat from actual governing capacity.
The Bullet Point Brief
- Barb Kirkmeyer said she will not support Marx if he wins because she does not believe he is fit to be governor. Subtle as a cattle prod, and probably overdue.
- Scott Bottoms said he will not support Marx either, calling him a “con man” and saying Marx lied to him personally. That is not primary-season side-eye. That is DEFCON church-basement politics.
- Marx skipped the debate after agreeing to participate, then framed the criticism as insider games. Sorry, but if you want to be governor, showing up is not some establishment trap.
- Social media fame is not governance. Likes, clips, followers, and dramatic branding do not balance budgets, run agencies, negotiate with legislators, or sit through breakfast meetings in Sterling.
- Voters deserve scrutiny, not mystique. If a candidate’s stories, finances, and campaign habits raise questions, then answering those questions is the job.
My Bottom Line
Time to make some Sheet Heads mad: I’m with Barb and Bottoms. I cannot support Victor Marx.
I do not think he is fit to be governor. I do not know why he is doing this. Just because you are social-media famous does not mean you can govern. His stories are too questionable. His finance reports are too, um, smurfy. IYKYK.
I know the “Marxists” will say I am too establishmenty. Fine. I have been called worse by better spellers. But campaigns require doing the work. Debate. Meet. Greet. Walk neighborhoods. Go to breakfasts, dinners, coffees, and forums. Engage the very grassroots you claim to represent. Marx refuses to do the things. Because he is a “dangerous gentleman,” I guess.
Make no mistake, I support Senator Kirkmeyer. Surprise, that makes me establishmenty. I served as a commissioner with Barb, and I count her as a dear friend. There is no one smarter. No one who works harder. No one who cares more deeply.
But I will be equally clear: if Bottoms gets the nomination, I will support him. I do not agree with everything he says. Not even close. He has said some out-there things himself. But he has done the work. He has served in the legislature. And in my limited interactions with him, he seems to be a gentleman. Not the “dangerous” kind. The forthright kind.
Marx? No thanks. I will vote for Lopez. If you want the governor’s office, you do not get to treat basic scrutiny like a bear trap. You show up. You answer questions. You do the work.
Source: The Denver Gazette
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