Station:   KNUS, 710 AM

Show:      Dan Caplis Show

Guests:    Gessler

Link:        http://dancaplis.podbean.com/?source=pb

Date:       May 20, 2014

Topics:     Mike Kopp, Bob Beauprez, Tom Tancredo, Gubernatorial Race, Colorado Christian University, Debate, State-wide Race, Incumbant, Colorado Springs Newspaper The Gazette, Editorial, Dan Maes, 2006 Election Cycle, Dan Maes, Fees, Regulations, Online Services, Secretary of State’s Office, International Award,

Click Here for Audio

 

[The following represents notes taken of comments made by the host .  All portions, except where identified as transcribed sections, are paraphrased from those comments.]

·

• Gazette, respected newspaper
  • Kopp and Gessler should get out of Governor’s race
  • In order to avoid splitting votes with Bob Beaprez
  • And therefore allowing Tom Tancredo to win the nomination
• Gazette says Kopp, Beauprez, and Gessler are traditional Republicans
  • No idea where voters are going to go
  • Producer Connor likes Bob Beauprez – done a couple shows with him
  • Tom Tancredo is always great on air
  • All four candidates are good, smart, articulate people
• Over many years, Tom Tancredo has gained a large loyal community of supporters
  • Ran an effective race in Maes debacle
  • It’s wrong to write Tom off as a state-wide candidate
  • Even though political analysts across the state disagree
• Bob Beauprez would be a very strong, very effective state-wide candidate
  • 2006 was the perfect storm of bad circumstance/stuff
  • Republicans got slaughtered across the country during those mid-terms
  • Vicious primary—which I blame on his opponent, and Bob came out crippled
  • He made mistakes, like we all do
  • Wrong to judge Bob by the 2006 cycle
• Kopp    
  • Freshness
  • Great life story
  • Everyone loves Mike

[The following section is transcribed from the Gessler interview]

HOST DAN CAPLIS:  Well, and I don’t know whether you’ve seen Gazette piece.  You’ve probably heard about it, essentially they’re suggesting that you and Mike consider getting out so you don’t split votes with Bob and allow Tom to become the nominee.  So, how do you react to that in a family friendly way?

COLORADO SECRETARY OF STATE AND GUBERNATORIAL CANIDATE SCOTT GESSLER:  Um, I’m not getting out. I’ve been in this race for seven months now.  You know, I formally announced back in – eight  months now. I formally announced back in September. You know, I’ve been very committed to this for quite a while, and I’m staying in the race. Um, I understand, you know, that – you know, and I respect Bob [Beauprez] a lot, and I know that he and others are trying to create this view that everyone should step aside for him, but that’s not going to happen with me.

CAPLIS:  No, and I don’t think anybody can be surprised about that at all.  I mean, my goodness, I must get three emails a day from you.  I mean, the point being, that your campaign has been very high energy, you know, very organized, very dedicated, very relentless.  So, when I saw that suggestion, and I understand the spot it comes from, because if someone’s in that camp, like the Gazette is, where they don’t want Tom to be the nominee because he’d be a disaster in the general, –and I don’t share that view—but, if someone has that point of view, well then, yeah, they’re looking at you and Mike and Bob, all three being strong candidates, and they figure you guys are going to divide the vote up, and Tom is going to cruise through.  What about that scenario?  Is that a realistic scenario in your mind?

GESSLER:  Um, I think it’s—that’s certainly a possibility. You know, Tom won his primary election in 1998 when he ran for Congress, with 26% of the vote, because it was a five way primary

CAPLIS:  Right.

GESSLER:  So, it was a fractured primary then, and that’s how he won and now of course we have a four-way primary.  My guess is he’s hoping for the same thing. So I think that’s always a possibility.  But at the same time, you know I think that, as you mentioned, I’ve shown that, you know, I’ve got a very strong campaign. We’re not taking a back seat to anyone. In fact, this last reporting period, the numbers that just came out yesterday, I actually out-raised every single other candidate.  It was over a two week period, [i] raised about $28,000.  Tom was at twenty-five [thousand dollars].  Bob was at eighteen [thousand dollars].  And Mike was at nine [thousand dollars].  So, um – so, there’s always that possibility, but I do think we’ve got the strongest campaign, the best organized campaign, the most energetic campaign.  And frankly, from a substance standpoint, I’ve got the best record. I mean, I’ve shown that in office I’ve cut fees and I’ve cut regulations and I’ve stood on principle.  And just yesterday we announced that not only do we have the most sophisticated office in the country when it comes to software and online services, we just licensed our software to bring in a million dollars into Colorado.  That’s going to help me keep fees low.  And we just won another international award –our third in a row.

CAPLIS:  Well, this is one of the things about this race, is, it seems to me that every candidate has positive things to talk about.  And you know, I was concerned – I’ve been concerned about the circular firing squad thing all along, so I was concerned when you were publicly critical of both Tom and Bob last week.  Because it seems to me, you have so much positive to talk about.  I think you run a great office. I mean, we interact with the Secretary of State’s office all the time in my law practice. And to me it’s been a model of efficiency, competence, performance. You’ve won state-wide, you’ve won a tough race. So, I think you’ve got a lot of positive things to talk about.

GESSLER:  Yeah, and I do. You know, and I did point out that Tom and Bob both lost their races substantially, and that’s sort of been my focus.  I mean, I have not called them names.  And they have not called me names. And we’re not saying that one or another would be a bad governor.  I’ve never said that and they’ve never said that. And we’re not saying, you know, they’re terrible people, or personal character attacks or anything like that.  So, yeah, there’s a little bit of bumping and jostling, but you know, — you know, in the scope of things, you’re right.  It’s been a pretty positive campaign.

CAPLIS:  And tonight, obviously, you’ll be at the debate.  And Colorado Christian University, 7:00 o’clock, broadcast live on 710KNUS.com. Scott, [I] appreciate you being on the show today, to be able to confirm for everybody factually, you are not getting out.  And again–

GESSLER:  Absolutely correct!

CAPLIS:  If you just joined us, the only reason we’re even having this conversation is the Gazette had asked Scott and Mike Kopp to consider getting out so Bob could be the nominee or have a better chance.  But, appreciate your time today.  Good luck tonight!

GESSLER:  Thank you very much!

CAPLIS:  Thank you, Scott!  [I] appreci