The Colorado Sun reports that Victor Marx, the Republican nominee for governor, said on conservative talk radio that former Gov. Bill Owens had endorsed him. Owens says that is not true, at least not yet. According to Owens, he wants to watch Marx’s general election campaign for the next month or so, see what issues he runs on and how he handles himself, and then decide whether to endorse.
Marx’s campaign says he was relying on information from a trusted intermediary and on an earlier conversation in which Owens said he expected to support the eventual Republican nominee. Fine. That explains how the campaign says the misunderstanding happened. It does not change the basic fact that Marx publicly claimed an endorsement Owens says he has not made.
The Bullet Point Brief
- Marx said, “I got a call yesterday that he’s endorsing me.” Owens says he has not endorsed Marx and is still evaluating the campaign.
- Owens is not some random precinct captain with a folding chair and a Facebook page. He was governor from 1999 to 2007 and remains the last Republican to hold that office in Colorado.
- Marx’s campaign says the claim came from a trusted intermediary and reasonably reflected what Marx understood at the time. Translation: the campaign trusted the grapevine more than the receipt.
- Owens said he wants to see what issues Marx runs on and how he conducts himself before deciding. That is political language for “hold your horses, champ.”
- The discrepancy lands while Marx is already trying to unite a fractured Republican Party after winning a close three-way primary with 40% of the vote. Nothing builds confidence like borrowing an endorsement before the owner signs the paperwork.
My Bottom Line
This is a credibility test, and it should not be complicated. If you are running for governor, you do not get to advertise the backing of Colorado’s last Republican governor until Colorado’s last Republican governor actually says yes.
Maybe this was sloppy communication. Maybe somebody passed along a hopeful interpretation and the campaign ran with it. Either way, that is not a rounding error. It is campaign bullshit with a necktie, and normal voters are entitled to wonder what happens when the stakes get bigger than a radio-show flex.
Colorado Democrats have made a damn mess of the state. Republicans should be able to make a strong case on affordability, energy, crime, regulation and basic competence. But they cannot ask voters to replace the ruling Democratic machine while treating factual precision like optional garnish.
If Marx wants Bill Owens’ credibility, he has to earn it. He does not get to cosplay like he already has it while Owens is publicly saying he is still watching. Before Marx campaigns against Democratic bullshit, he might want to stop stepping in his own.
Source: Colorado Sun
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