In his column, Dem victory signals a Colorado in decline, Mr. Dick Wadhams wants the readers to believe his angle that Colorado is in decline. Mr. Wadhams, please show us the things that indicate this other than Democrats trouncing the GOP candidates.

He wants us to believe that Democrats have caused a huge increase in criminal behavior. Not true. Then too, this theme and his “opinion” piece is little more than a recitation of well-worn GOP tropes bashing Dems and it offers us no real reflection on what went wrong in the GOP.

Instead, it blames newcomers to Colorado. This is divisive, rather than realistic. Did the GOP reach out to all of these people? Doubtful. He deals in suppositions. Did Mr. Wadhams suggest a way forward, giving us a glimpse of the Colorado we might embrace? No. This is part of the problem. Accusations are not counterpoints that give us an opening to consider. Rather, they are end-of-argument statements.

I like having healthy debates with good actionable ideas that address our issues. I and many in Colorado are incredibly tired of the heightened degree of whining, bickering and finger-pointing from both the left and right. There is plenty of blame to go around, but if there is a single thread that has run through the past seven years of “decline” it is that former President Donald Trump is to blame for tarnishing the GOP brand because his character is antithetical to what the GOP stood for prior to his arrival on the scene. To his credit, Mr. Wadhams touches upon this. My family was/is generations of believers in conservatism. Trump killed that in favor of being a master of brash statements and divisiveness, “owning the Libs” (candidate Boebert is in trouble precisely because of this) and not taking advice from anyone but himself.

If Mr. Wadhams truly wants his party to regain trust and leadership it is time for serious reflection. Also, try reaching out to all of Colorado to get the pulse of our people. Presently, too few representatives of either party do this and it is a big reason why the unaffiliated have grown in Colorado. I am one of the unaffiliated.

Richie Fletcher

Durango

Send us your feedback: Click here.