I think it is likely that, at some point over the years, you have seen a movie or a TV show wherein a central character falls into a deep sleep, a fever dream if you will, from which he or she awakes wondering where they are, what day it is, and what is going on? A useful plot twist perhaps, but one that might have parallels in the political world.

The Trump years, starting with his descent on his golden escalator (with paid actors behind him holding provided signs or wearing Trump t-shirts they were given, in exchange for $50) have been a strange and dangerous time. Indeed, the national Republican Party seems to have been infected by a guy who, frankly, has never really been a Republican and a set of fanatical followers who see politics as a blood sport in which to disagree with the Donald is to be un-American.

Back in 1972, for a briefer time and to a much smaller extent than the GOP today, the far-left took over the Democratic Party. But the current infection of the GOP has been raging on since 2015. I’ve talked to quite a few traditional Republicans who feel lost, ignored and confused by the radical policy choices, inconsistent with previous GOP dogma, the former reality TV star has supported. These folks remember, for example, when the GOP was against Russia (or, more correctly, the Soviet Union, though Putin seems intent on rebuilding the USSR) and when the party favored a smaller government role in people’s private lives.

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But even the worst fever dream can break, and fresh air – and reality – can begin to seep back into the organization. And I think that just maybe, we might be seeing signs of the GOP turning back toward, well, reality, and a recent story in Colorado Politics might just point out a few of the cracks in the GOP’s Trumpian foundation.

You may recall that in the last election, the one that brought us Joe Biden (whose been doing great, really. Remember last year at this time when gas was $1.30 higher per gallon? Thanks Joe? Anyone?), the GOP took the House by a whisper-thin margin. It took the current speaker no less than 15 ballots before he could get enough of the farthest of the far-right nut job coalition to support his election. Therein Kevin McCarthy made a deal with the Trump machine and the months since then have shown him to be a particularly ineffective speaker, perhaps the weakest in our history.

Here in Colorado, our national embarrassment in U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert survived her first reelection campaign by a mere 546 votes, in a district where previous GOP candidates have won by tens of thousands of votes. She should have won that red district by a huge margin, but she just squeaked by. Elsewhere, Trump-backed candidates had decidedly mixed results, with more losing than winning, even as many of Trump’s “winners” were running in solidly GOP districts, wherein his endorsement likely mattered little.

But it is in that recent CoPo story that even more information about the extent of Trump’s reach might be gleaned. Congressional campaigns are required by law to submit regular (usually quarterly, until the election nears) reports on fundraising and spending. These reports are carefully reviewed by those in the donor class and political action committees that are looking where to spend their political dollars.

I remember back in 2008, when I ran for Congress, that I was told I must raise $100,000 in a quarter to get the attention of those with deep pockets, and thereby to show I was a serious candidate worthy of consideration.

Boebert’s opponent, the same one who lost by that tiny 546-vote margin, is running against her again, and he just filed a very interesting quarterly report. Adam Frisch managed to cross that $100,000 threshold. He actually did so quite a few times, when he smashed all previous fundraising records, reporting a massive $2.6 million in funds raised. That is just a staggering number, and it absolutely reflects a view that Boebert can be beaten. Huzzah!

Impressively, Frisch has raised that colossal amount of cash without accepting any money from corporate political action committees. So far in total, Frisch has raised an astonishing $4.4 million from nearly 85,000 donors, with an average donation of just $32. Wow.

And while Frisch appears to be keeping his head down and staying focused on winning, Boebert has continued to be the class clown of the GOP. She recently introduced her second attempt to impeach President Biden, after her first effort failed to convince even enough of her fellow Republicans to move the bill forward. This time, she wants him out due to supposed “dereliction of duty” over failing to “secure the southern border.” As Boebert has never been one for facts, she likely hasn’t come across the reporting on how border crossings are actually down under recent Biden policies, but why let facts get in the way of a bit of attempted self-aggrandizement, eh? Perhaps she will even show up to vote on her own bill, but who knows?

Maybe, just maybe, the national fever dream is breaking. Boebert finds herself tied in the polls, and significantly behind in fund raising. Dems have been doing well in special elections, and a tiny handful of GOP leaders are taking Trump on, albeit often obliquely. Perhaps the 37-count indictment of Trump has done some damage, at least among those in the GOP who bothered to read it. Oh, and don’t forget Trump’s earlier indictment nor his likely upcoming third set of indictments in Georgia. While the radical base of the GOP is still in full MAGA mode, I’m guessing that the thoughtful leaders – assuming there are some – are getting more and more uneasy over the idea of an indicted nominee spreading his time between campaigning and testifying in his own trial.

Time will tell, but the huge cash haul by Frisch might well be the canary in the coalmine. Perhaps the GOP is awakening and seeing reality. Perhaps not. But it would appear the American public is becoming more and more troubled by the cancer on the GOP that is Donald Trump.

Stay tuned.

Hal Bidlack is a retired professor of political science and a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel who taught more than 17 years at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs.