On the evening of June 4, I was informed of yet another unfortunate and hateful communication from the leadership of the Colorado Republican Party. Once a proud political institution, its leadership has since abdicated their duty by pursuing individual political agendas riddled with vitriol, sacrificing the growth of our party and its appeal to the broader electorate. Instead of building a brand that attracts a wider audience, the party has chosen the short-sighted path of hate, anger and fear, abandoning the principle of appealing to, as our party’s founder famously said, “the better angels of our nature.”

In a time when we face critical issues such as rising costs of living, rampant inflation, declining public safety, increased international instability, divisive partisanship, fiscal irresponsibility and the unaffordability of homeownership, the state party perpetuates a message of hate that does nothing to improve the lives of everyday Coloradans. Young adults are already grappling with the reality that the American dream of homeownership must be postponed until their late 30s, if it can be achieved at all. Yet, the party chooses to push big-government, my-way-or-the-highway cultural divisiveness instead of addressing these pressing issues.

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It is not the government’s responsibility to police culture. No one should have the right to dictate what flag people can fly or who they can engage with in mutually consenting relationships, contracts or marriages. An honest belief in limited government authority comes with the responsibility of encouraging free citizens to live the lives they choose. This invariably might lead to fundamental disagreements among disparate individuals about how others choose to live, but that is the essence and nature of a free society.

Though I am sure those in party leadership internally celebrated as they unapologetically pandered to the far fringes of the party, how this moves the needle in a positive direction with average Coloradans is perplexing at best. If you look at recent national polls, the economy and jobs rank highest, with immigration and public safety near the top. Issues like international conflict, health care and the environment are also prominent. However, you will not find the elimination of gay marriage or the existence of Pride Month as major concerns. These issues typically do not resonate with the general electorate, especially our nation’s younger voters.

The Colorado GOP’s current leadership seems to have bought into the idea of big-government social conservatism, where lifestyles and freedoms are up for debate and decided at the ballot box, and where anger and fear are used to advance a narrow cultural agenda. People are exhausted by the divisive nature of our politics. We must not take the short-sighted approach by appealing to our baser motives or by encouraging hate; we must appeal to the better angels of our nature.

Ed Cox

Arvada

The author was a senior adviser in the U.S. Senate and is now running as a Republican for state House District 27.

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