Bob Enyart had the courage of his convictions. And it killed him.
“Romney funds abortion!! ROMNEY FUNDS ABORTION!!”
This raucous refrain reverberated from a distance as I walked with my two sons (Ben and Sam) and two dogs (Mikey and Matilda) on a beautiful late June evening. The boys, on scooters, chased the chanting, heading blocks west down a Cherry Hills Village trail toward the cacophony.
We approached magnificent mansions on multi-acre lots situated on normally secluded roads. On June 20, 2011, hustling parking valets helped well-dressed people exit scores of fancy vehicles. We discovered a gala Mitt Romney for President fundraiser.
Ruining the atmosphere however was the “Romney funds abortion” bellowing being led by Bob Enyart and his 20-person protest-choir. Enyart and I knew each other from radio where, among other topics, we had debated abortion. Enyart did enjoy my OJ Simpson legal analysis.
Enyart’s lifetime of boisterous conduct produced criminal convictions, a Christian pulpit, a broadcasting career and Hollywood fame via OJ Simpson and Bill Maher. Westword’s Michael Roberts wrote the epic Thank God for Bob! in 1999, observing that, ”Publicity is Bob’s goal — there can be absolutely no doubt about that.” Enyart always wanted the biggest megaphone to spread the Word.
Enyart liked my dogs and kids, or at least I think I heard him say that over the relentless din of “Romney funds abortion!” Team Romney was apoplectic. The mansion’s massive, tented backyard was a perfect amphitheater for Romney’s visit. However, behind fencing, Enyart’s super-disruptive screamers held the higher ground. Cherry Hills Village Police were called.
Enyart negotiated an agreement. He told Team Romney the screaming would stop if he got an audience with Romney. As Mitt’s men considered the offer, Enyart reignited the chanting and I started recording. Team Romney capitulated when Enyart raised his megaphone.
Pastor Enyart was escorted around the mansion with my entourage trailing. I handed Sam, then 8, my smartphone to record, and interviewed Enyart during this walk. My older boy Ben, then 12, tagged along with Enyart to witness events while I held the dogs.
The situation was enthusiastically described on the Bob Enyart Live show the next afternoon; an episode titled, “Worst Romney Fundraiser Ever.” Enyart delighted in describing his unexpected encounter with the Silvermans, how he told Romney off, and his excitement to reach a different audience on Caplis and Silverman later that afternoon. Christian-purposed radio is powerful in America, as are talk radio stations they control.
George Brauchler is pro-life, a talented lawyer, columnist and Denver talk show host who just completed a successful two terms as DA for Denver’s southeast suburbs. Brauchler is one of Colorado’s most prominent Republicans. Decades ago, in Jefferson County, a young Brauchler prosecuted a misdemeanor child abuse case against Enyart, who had weaponized a belt to over-discipline his 7-year-old stepson.
Brauchler told me Enyart “was completely remorseless. At one point, with the picture of the broken skin on the back side of this boy, he proclaimed to the jury that he would like to see that picture blown up and hung over the boy’s bed with the caption, ‘this is how much I love you.’ His position was, spare the rod, spoil the child. It was a cringe moment for those six jurors.” (Beginning on my podcast at 19:00 here).
Enyart was convicted, and at sentencing, there was zero contrition. Brauchler explained how Enyart’s “self-righteousness is really what cost him his liberty, … he had a chance to come in and apologize and talk about lessons learned and when the judge asked him at sentencing, what do you want your kids to learn from this case and your conviction, and his answer was, just very confident, that I’d like them to know that our criminal justice system can be wrong, too.”
Refusing vaccination because vaccine research utilized cell lines from aborted fetal cells, Enyart, 62, died of COVID-19 two weeks ago. Enyart could be unspeakably cruel regarding homosexuality and AIDS-deaths. Insofar as abortion, that is a difficult issue. Enyart condemned all abortions and abortifacients as murder. Most of us have thought the issue through and disagree.
Even facing death, Enyart kept pure his record for never capitulating. Unlike other COVID-stricken anti-vax conservative talk hosts, Enyart apparently expressed no deathbed regrets. Enyart was a self-proclaimed “right-wing religious fanatic.” His longtime radio co-host told 9NEWS, “I’m sure he’d do the same thing all over again.”
Enyart lived long enough to see his impact. America has COVID vaccine aplenty, but not enough takers. Enyart and Denver Bible Church just won a big anti-masking victory in federal court. He witnessed Texas’ vigilante abortion law soften the ground for the bombshell Dobbs case from Mississippi likely to soon overturn Roe v. Wade.
The sponsor of Colorado’s twice-failed Personhood Amendment chairs Colorado’s current GOP. Governmental institutions are disrespected. President Trump delivered bigly with three pro-life justices. In Utah, Mitt Romney is now routinely heckled by Republicans.
Bob Enyart was a man with convictions. Although his beliefs caused his early earthly demise, Enyart had seized his megaphones, spread his Word and seen his promised land.
Craig Silverman is a former Denver chief deputy DA who also has worked in the media for decades. Craig is columnist at large for The Colorado Sun. He practices law at the Denver law firm of Springer & Steinberg, P.C. and is host of The Craig Silverman Show podcast.
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