Station: KNUS, 710 AM

Show:     Dan Caplis Show

Guests:  Frazier

Link:      http://dancaplis.podbean.com/

Date:      May 6, 2016

Topics:   Secretary of State, Scott Gessler, Petition Process, State Assembly, Darryl Glenn, U.S. Senate Race, Ballot, Broken System, Last Century, Donald Trump, Republican Convention, Republican Nominee, Steve House, Caucuses, Colorado.

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HOST DAN CAPLIS:  Hey, let’s go to the VIP line, welcome our friend Ryan Frazier back to the show.  He’s been really good about popping on and updating us.  And the latest in “As the Secretary of State Turns”, Ryan, is that apparently you’re going to be on the ballot.  But we don’t know yet whether the votes for you are going to count.  What if you win and those votes don’t count?

GOP CANDIDATE FOR U.S. SENATE, RYAN FRAZIER:

[laughs] We have every plan that the votes will count.  I’m convinced, Dan [and] Craig, that [inaudible] we have a system that is broken and a process that is stuck in the last century.  As the current system stands, it basically says that valid, registered Republican voters who signed our petitions don’t count because there was a technical error, or a circulator error.  And we’re fighting to fix this system because, quite frankly, we think every voter’s voice should be heard.  And so, we believe we have a very strong case.  As you all have probably read or heard, we will be appealing to the Supreme Court, and we believe that our argument in favor of having each one of the valid Republican voters — which are not in question – should count.  It’s all about the technical errors that we have to fix.

CO-HOST CRAIG SILVERMAN:  Hey, Ryan, after this experience, any thoughts about going to law school?

FRAZIER:  [laughs] I tell you what, I have learned more about election law than I thought I’d ever have to know.  And that’s why, Craig, I’m convinced this system is broken and the process is stuck in the last century. [inaudible]

SILVERMAN:  But what about the people who would say, “Hey, you should have known that before you went that route.”  You could have gone through the assembly process like Darryl Glenn.  In hindsight, to you wish you would have done it that way?

FRAZIER:  No. We – look, we got over 18,000 people to sign our petitions.  You can’t tell me that’s not a grassroots approach.  That’s why we chose to go the petition route, is we felt it was a grassroots approach to getting out and talking to tens of thousands of voters.  We’re very, very much committed to the process that we took. But quite frankly, guys, sometimes you don’t realize how flawed the system is until you’re in the middle of it.  And that’s what we’re realizing now.  But here’s what we know–and it’s not in question, Craig – is that voters – these are valid Republican voters.  There is no question about that.  And we need to – we believe they should be counted.  That’s what we’re fighting for and we believe that – or at least we hope – that logic will prevail in this case.

SILVERMAN:  But I don’t understand how that’s grassroots, to hire – to pay over $100,000 to get some stranger to hold a petition outside the various courthouses where I go.   I’ve seen the petitioners.  It doesn’t feel like I’m meeting Ryan Frazier, or really participating on a grassroots level if I decided to sign that.

CAPLIS:  Yeah.  Yeah, but –.

FRAZIER:  You know, I differ with you on that, Craig, because, frankly, we’re out talking to people one-on-one.  It’s not just a hired firm.  My team of staff and volunteers are also out there talking to voters.  And it gives us an opportunity to engage people who, quite frankly, may not even realize that there is such a big election, that the stakes are so high.  And now folks are starting to tune in just a little bit earlier because they’re saying, “You know what?  I do – there is a big election coming up in November, and I do need to start paying attention to who’s running.  And I think that’s a very important part of this whole process of driving awareness and driving support.

CAPLIS:  Yeah.  And Ryan Frazier, our guest.  And I agree with Ryan on that point, Craig.  But I think there’s a bigger point here, as well, and that is on judgment.  And that’s why I think you have to respect the judgement of any of these candidates who decide to go the petition route, because nobody can control – nobody can predict—what the delegates at the state convention are going to do.  And you need 30% to get on, so it seems to me that you’d have to question the strategic judgement of folks who don’t seriously consider the petition option.  Now, if you happen to be in a position where you can, –you know, for whatever reason – you’re going to be the rock star at the convention, then God love ya!  Like Darryl did, go knock it out of the park, as Darryl did and get on the ballot.  But I just think the rest of these guys made a good judgement call.

FRAZIER:  Yeah, and that was a part of our decision making, as well, Dan, that we felt this was also a way in which we were able to ensure that we were on the ballot.  And clearly that was why we felt this was an important part of doing it this way.  And so, hey, we’re going to work through it.  Guys, I can tell you that with Scott Gessler and the team working this, we know we have a good team in place. And we’ll see what the Supreme Court says.

CAPLIS:  Well, I sure hope it works.

SILVERMAN:  Hey, Ryan, since last we spoke, Donald Trump is now the nominee of the Republican Party.  Are you 100% behind him, or something less?

FRAZIER:  Am I 100% behind?  You know, if Donald Trump is our nominee and he wants to be our president, here is what I believe:  he needs to come to Colorado and have a conversation with Colorado about what Coloradans care about.  And, uh, not a rally, not a stump speech, but a real conversation with Coloradans.  And at that point, I’ll be prepared to say, “Hey, [inaudible] the Republic at large –

SILVERMAN:  So, he has to come and discuss the Broncos with us.

CAPLIS:  [chuckles]

FRAZIER:  –before the convention, I want him to come to Colorado and have a conversation with Coloradans.

CAPLIS:  Well, heck! If Steve House had let the people vote in the caucuses, he would have been in Colorado already!

FRAZIER:  Yeah.

CAPLIS:  Yeah, so –

FRAZIER:  Well, it’s not too late!  I’m hoping–

CAPLIS:  No, no!  Listen!

FRAZIER:  –he comes to Colorado.

CAPLIS:  Listen, people are going to be opening up their door and finding him in their backyard cooking some burgers.  I mean, Colorado is a big swing state.  He’s going to be here a lot.

SILVERMAN: I don’t know.  They’re talking about the Rust Belt states being a more potent possibility.

CAPLIS:  Sure.

SILVERMAN:  I think he’s a decided underdog in Colorado.  I’m not saying it’s impossible for him to win, but it’s going to be difficult.

CAPLIS:  Well, you may be right.  We haven’t seen a Colorado poll – a head to head, Trump-Hillary poll, yet.  But Ryan, [I] sure do hope this works out for you and appreciate you keeping us in touch.

FRAZIER:  Dan, I thank you both so much.  I just want to encourage your listeners to go to FrazierforColorado.com.  We can use every donation, every contribution someone can make, no matter how small, to help us as we fight to – you know, to fix this broken system.

CAPLIS:  Thank you, my friend.  Good luck! Take care!

FRAZIER:  Thanks, guys!

CAPLIS:  That is Ryan Frazier.  [I] do hope he gets on the ballot.

SILVERMAN:  Does that money go directly to Scott Gessler and his legal fees?

CAPLIS:  You know, it’s the nature of the business.  I mean, it costs money

SILVERMAN:  I don’t begrudge it.  I like laywers to get paid.

CAPLIS:  Yeah.  No, the nature of the business.   303 696-1971.  Dan and Craig at 710 KNUS.  Good morning, Jimbo!  [pause] Jim?  James? […]