Colorado’s Morning News, Ken Buck, February 7, 2020
Station: KOA, 850 am
Show: Colorado’s Morning News
Guests: Buck, Ken
Date: February 7, 2020
Topics: State of the Union address, New Hampshire Primary, Iowa Caucus, Trump Rally, Colorado Springs, Cory Gardner, Caucus System, Great Accomplishments, Supreme Court Justices, Dead major Terrorist Leaders, Tax Reform Bill, Best Economy, Impeachment, Ukraine, Ukrainian President, Retail Politics, Retail Politician, Campaign, 2020 Election
HOST MARTY LENZ [00:00:00] [With] the impeachment trial over, the president acquitted, all eyes are turning to the campaign trail. The Democrats are rolling into New Hampshire after a rocky start in Iowa, and the president [is] due to visit Colorado later in the month. And right now, we’re checking in on the Republican side of the campaign trail with Congressman Ken Buck, who is also the state party chair. Congressman, good morning. Thanks for joining us.
U.S. REPRESENTATIVE FROM COLORADO’S FOURTH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT, AND CHAIR OF COLORADO GOP, KEN BUCK [00:00:19] Good morning, how are you?
LENZ [00:00:20] [I’m] doing well.
BUCK [00:00:20] A little cold, it sounds like.
LENZ [00:00:23] A little cold and a little snowy out. Before we talk more about moving forward, I just want to get your perspective. I realize it’s the other side of the aisle, but with what happened in Iowa and you being the chair here of the Republican Party in Colorado — and I know it’s a different system and setup — how would you have handled it with the kerfuffle that they had — for lack of a better term — in Iowa? What would you have done?
BUCK [00:00:42] Well, my understanding is they had an issue involving the computer system. And I think what you have to do in that situation is be transparent. And really, there’s egg on everybody’s face, but they did their very best to only release numbers when they knew those numbers were credible. The worst thing you can do is to release numbers and then start making corrections to those numbers, because it looks like, you know, you were trying to help one candidate or taking sides. So I don’t know that they could have done a lot better than they did, other than to plan better and to test the system better before the caucuses actually occurred.
LENZ [00:01:17] You know, I know you probably respect traditions, but has Iowa’s — has that whole process, is it kind of antiquated now, as we look at 2020 and look to the — I guess — the future and — if you want to say — the demographic makeup of Iowa. I mean, you know it’s not representative of the U.S.. Should they either move it somewhere else or do away with it completely?
BUCK [00:01:33] Well, if you’re asking about the caucus system, I’m a strong believer in the caucus system because it allows everyday Americans to get involved and the people with the money are much more influential in the primary system than they are in the caucus system. And the first thing the caucus does is give candidates volunteers for the general election for primary and general election. So I believe strongly in the caucus system. Whether the Democrats feel that Iowa and New Hampshire should be the first two states in a system, and whether that really produces the best candidate for them, is something they have to decide. It certainly doesn’t hurt Republicans and it certainly doesn’t hurt Republicans in an election year like this where we have an incumbent president.
LENZ [00:02:18] Well, we’re going to move things forward a little bit. The president is coming to town here in Colorado Springs, in fact, at the end of the month. While he’s here, is he going to be advocating and supporting Cory Gardner in that process?
BUCK [00:02:29] He absolutely will. He will be supporting the whole Republican ticket in the process, including himself. And he will be talking about the great accomplishments that this administration has had with Cory Gardner’s support in in the United States Senate. We’ve got two Supreme Court justices. We have two dead major terrorist leaders. And we have a major tax reform bill. And the best economic numbers that we’ve had in decades.
LENZ [00:02:59] So you say those things — those are kind of 50,000-foot level –but what do you think Coloradans want to hear from the president and what do they tell you? What are constituents saying that Coloradans are concerned about when they say, “Congressman, this is what we want you to focus on?”
BUCK [00:03:11] So as a congressman, really, the subject for the last month or two has been about an impeachment. A lot of people have talked to me about impeachment. Certainly, the folks that call me and talk to me are very happy that the president was acquitted. No one is suggesting that this telephone call with the Ukrainian president went off perfectly without a hitch, but it didn’t rise to the level of impeachable conduct. And that’s the feedback that that I was getting. But I think people are very satisfied with the economy. Some Gallup poll numbers came out yesterday that showed Americans in the 90, 95 percentile are happy with their personal lives, happy with the economy. And I think that that’s really something that people make may start to take for granted. But it’s something that politicians typically run on, is good economic news.
LENZ [00:04:05] I want to just back up one thing before we let you go, in regards to Cory Gardner. In regards to Colorado, is it a vulnerable state for the president. Is Cory Gardner’s seat vulnerable, from your perspective?
BUCK [00:04:16] I think that the Democrats will focus on Cory, but I think they’re making a huge mistake. Cory is one of the best retail politicians I’ve seen in my 30, 40 years in this game. And I think that Cory works very hard. He will get around the state and he will deliver a very positive, optimistic message.
LENZ [00:04:34] Congressman Buck, thank you for your time. We appreciate it.
BUCK [00:04:37] Thank you.
