At some point, I assume Dave Williams will just stand before a camera, spread his arms, and yell, “Are you not entertained?”
Whatever else Williams is — and opinions run the whole gamut — Williams has kept himself front and center of the Republican implosion since he took the chairmanship last year. I personally declared the GOP dead after the 2022 election, before Williams took the reins.
And I stand by that.
What Williams, his acolytes, and the faithful resistance are fighting over are the scraps of power left to Republicans in this state. Demographics, poor policy choices and a disciplined Democratic Party have put Colorado in very solid blue status.
To wit, a month ago when Democrats were atwitter about President Joe Biden’s campaign, there was speculation that New Mexico could be a flip target for Donald Trump’s campaign; no mention of Colorado despite the fact that prior to 2004, the last year either state sent its electoral votes to the red team, Colorado was far more likely to go in the Republican presidential tally than our southern neighbor.
At this point, the only question remaining in Colorado is whether Democrats can hold their supermajority in the state House while adding one seat in the state Senate to match that feat.
Colorado is the bluest state between Illinois and California.
So enter Williams, who is like the evil muppet of the state. He has a constant scowl, throws his arms around a lot, and just spews wild words without thought for strategy or humanity. You tune in to see good guys win against him.
Republicans got that in the congressional race between Williams and Rep.-in-Waiting Jeff Crank. Williams got absolutely throttled by a 2-to-1 margin despite funneling state party funds into mailers for his benefit.
☀ MORE IN OPINION
You would think that would be cause for self-reflection. Not for Williams, though. It is a skill he has never learned and actively denigrates in others. No, Williams gets beat like a drum and blames the mallet.
So rather than taking a step back and maybe stepping down, he not only chastised party leaders who publicly opposed his continued leadership, he sued them. He had his cronies on the executive committee declare their attempt at democratic action void and then went running to a court to get an injunction.
And guess what he did in court? He lied.
Funny enough, my last column was about Williams’ lies. He emulates his hero, Donald Trump, so fully that he decided that deceiving a court would be a great plan. Williams marched into a district court days before he was slated to be deposed and convinced a none-the-wiser judge that the meeting should be halted. Self-represented Republicans looking to do the right thing were overmatched by Williams’ brazen tactics to hang onto his fiefdom.
Luckily for Williams’ foes, they got some good advice from the former GOP counsel. When he helped them ask the judge for reconsideration, it soon became apparent that Williams’ prior position did not hold water. With the shades pulled open, the judge reversed his decision and allowed Williams’ detractors to proceed.
Now they have scheduled a meeting for Aug. 24 — or seven days before the next regularly scheduled meeting of the GOP central committee on Aug. 31.
In the past month I have been to two different operas, and I am sure that what is happening now in the Colorado Republican Party is even more over-the-top and embellished than anything I saw in Santa Fe or Central City (though, for the record, La Traviata is worth the six-hour drive and Street Scene is a fun day out around Denver).
My guess is that everyone dies in the end, including Williams, the candidates who have been abandoned months before the November election and the Republican Party, which is still twitching despite dying long ago.
As for Williams, I am not sure what will happen next for him. I do not imagine he will simply disappear, though. He has plenty of rabid supporters and enough ambition to overlook his myriad flaws. After all, the last time he lost a congressional race he turned it into the top seat in the state party.
My guess is that he goes after RINOs he blames for his lot in life. He has always had a temper and been very generous when it comes to pointing out blame. Since he has already created a shadow operation highlighting his critics, why not start his own shadow party? Several of his supporters in El Paso County did just that a little over a year ago; certainly he has to recognize his own greatness enough to expand the effort statewide.
Can you imagine two separate Republican parties duking it out for legitimacy over the next year or two? All while they become more and more impotent? It is almost too thrilling to hope for.
But it sure would be entertaining. And given that the GOP and Williams will not be doing any winning anytime soon, entertainment is the least they can offer.
Mario Nicolais is an attorney and columnist who writes on law enforcement, the legal system, health care and public policy. Follow him on BlueSky: @MarioNicolais.bsky.social.
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