Click Here for Audio Click Here for AudioHOST DAN CAPLIS: • Welcome. FORMER CONGRESSMAN, FORMER ACP CANDIDATE, AND CURRENT GOP CANDIDATE FOR GOVERNOR, TOM TANCREDO: o Beautiful day o Rode out here on my bike CAPLIS: • A lot of folks think you the likely leader in this race – I have no feel at all – four talented people and you with your longtime, hard-earned base of support. How do you feel about it? TANCREDO: o Very close o Between myself and Bob  According to all the polls I’ve seen o Interesting thing.  I don’t know to what extent this plays out in a primary  But, in the past, what we’ve seen over and over again, as the undecided become decided, they often break for somebody who’s not what they see as “not the incumbent” • I’m not incumbent • I do have the name ID, and I’m the perceived leader • I think the undecided break differently for some of the other guys • It’s getting much, much closer  Now, I do think it is just between the two of us right now –Bob [Beauprez] and me • The other guys—good guys as they are– aren’t a factor • According to the polls we see CAPLIS: • Interesting. This great column written by Michelle Malkin TANCREDO: o I heard about it o Haven’t seen it yet CAPLIS: • Here’s your souvenier copy… Michelle Malkin is very very respected, and endorsing you in a long and thoughtful column out today. I thought, as soon as I heard the news about Eric Cantor being defeated, I thought that bodes well for you. Because the primary dynamic was illegal immigration and the perception that Cantor was going soft. If it’s in play in Virginia, it must be in play and more active in CO, and you’re positioned to benefit TANCREDO: o I was on a different station yesterday, and they asked me, o I said I’m not sure if it translates from VA to CO o And they said  Floyd Ciruli said you’d benefit  And I said who am I to argue with Floyd Ciruli  He’s good CAPLIS: • He’s good. I think there are a lot of things helping you right now. One of the most interesting races I’ve seen. You have so much hard-earned support. And there are lots of reasons why you may very well win this primary. I don’t see the dichotomy of “grassroots vs. establishment”. I understand that there are some differences in issues, tactics, strategies., but at the end of the day, I see it as a conservative coalition o I hope CAPLIS: • And that they’ll come together to defeat John Hickenlooper behind whoever wins this primary. TANCREDO: o That’s why I’ve gone to all of the Republicans that are running o And I’ve gone, by the way, to the state Party o And I’ve said, “Listen, I tell you right now, I mean, I know I’m not your candidate. I know that you’re hoping for a different one, but I’m telling you this right at this moment in time, if anyone else – if any one of those 3 guys that I’m running against ends up with this nomination, I will be doing every single thing I can to help them o Because the issue for me, Dan, and I hope for most people in this state – most Republicans, the issue is not just who wants to be governor  The idea of being governor, or the trappings of being governor is of no allure to me  The change is what’s necessary  Being able to get him out of this office and set CO on a much different path – that is what our goal is.  And so, If I’m not the one to carry that banner, if they don’t believe that I can do it, then I’m telling you, I will do anything I can to help any other Republican • Including, by the way, stay as far away from their campaign as they may want. • But if there’s anything else I can do, I will  But what I ask the Party to do, and what I ask everybody listening to this to do, if indeed I end up with this nomination, is to do the same for me  You know?  Put everything else aside, let’s get together and win this  Because I can’t win it without a united Republican Party, and without the Unaffiliated support that I think I bring to it  Which is why I think I’m a good candidate CAPLIS: • Now, do you think you’ll have that support? TANCREDO: o From? o Which group? CAPLIS: • From everyone you just described TANCREDO: o I don’t know o I know I feel much better about the unaffiliated’s support than I do about some of the Republicans.  There will be, especially some of the bigger donors, I think, to the party who have for a long time resented my position on illegal immigration, for instance.  I mean, these are, you know, builders and some other guys who rely on illegal labor  They will not participate , I don’t think, to the extent they would if some other, less ardent person about this issue were to be nominated o So we will have to deal with that o But I think that we– I’m going to ask the Party – I had a meeting with some Party official yesterday, and I was saying, “Look, here’s the only thing I’m expecting of you guys, is that after this, you help coalesce a group of Republicans– and all of my opponents, who I’ve said each time, I’ve told them the same thing – each one of them – I’ll be there for you. Will you be there for me, if it works out this way? CAPLIS: • What did they say? TANCREDO: o They just smile o [hearty laughter] o So I haven’t gotten a firm commitment off them yet o But if they want to win this race  If they want, truly, to have a change in the Governor’s mansion, then they will  If they don’t – if they’re satisfied with where we are and where we’re going, they won’t and that’s what we’ll end up with. CAPLIS: • I had a caller—I think it was yesterday, very intent, very passionate […] demanding that I tell him whether I’m going to support you if you’re the nominee, because you and I disagree on [Amendment] 64. And I just had to laugh. And I say, “Why would you even ask that question? Of course I would support Tom, wholeheartedly!” Because, in my view, and you know our disagreement on 64 runs very deep and it’s not one of those things in my mind that can just be pushed aside. But, at the end of the day, if Colorado is going to repeal 64 as I hope it does, it’s going to take a vote of the people, as it should. Everybody’s going to have their say, and then the people are going to decide. But I think you would so obviously be light years superior to John Hickenlooper as governor. Of course, if you’re the nominee, I’ll wholeheartedly support you. I’m not saying I’ll help you in any way, but I’ll wholeheartedly support you while respectfully disagreeing on 64 TANCREDO: o sure o well God bless you, buddy o [Log Cabin shout out, for putting their #1 issue aside to attack one of their own]  This is truly the example that all Republicans should follow  [heh heh] Now, don’t get me wrong, here. • Because the group is the Log Cabin Republicans, that I’m talking about • I’m not talking about following necessarily into other areas • But in terms of – just in terms – because, every time— CAPLIS: • There are a lot of places you could go with that! [heh heh] TANCREDO: o Exactly! CAPLIS: • You’re lucky Craig [Silverman] isn’t here TANCREDO: o [laughter] o But indeed, what they have done in terms of overlooking the similarities they have with Jared Polis o But that doesn’t matter o They’ve been running these ads – I don’t know if you’ve seen them, but they’re full page ads CAPLIS: • I read about them TANCREDO: o Oh, my gosh! I don’t know if they’ve been on—you know, if there’s any other media, but I know full page ads in The Denver Post  Not inexpensive  Attacking JP’s hypocritical position on fracking o That’s what I’m asking other Republicans to do – do we understand what we’ve got at stake here? o And if you think,– truly, if you believe as a Republican, Dan, that any other Republican, that if a sort of establishment Republican candidate  And by the way, I happen to really like these guys  I’m liking some a little less than I was before these nasty, nasty ads  But—but—but, nonetheless, you know, let’s focus on Bob here for a second, because he is the competitor, honestly, right now.  And, I will tell you, I really like him. He is a good friend, and has been for years.  And I’ll be happy to support him.  But I have to be candid with you, and say that, you know, traditional candidates – establishment candidates in Colorado don’t win elections  And we, — you have to think… you have to go back to 1962, I think, was the last time we actually ousted an incumbent governor. And believe me, buddy, this is not going to be an easy task! CAPLIS: • And when we come back – and listen, I’ve said, because all four of you are people I admire and respect. I think you’d all be great governors. I’ve always said I want to support the guy with the best chance to win. And when we come back, I’d like you to elaborate on why you think you have the best chance to win, and as you know, I’d like to talk to you about something that is now a focal point in the race, and allow you to address it directly, this question of whether you support legalizing, you know, what I would describe as other dangerous drugs, beyond marijuana. Because as you know, that’s come up in the campaign right now TANCREDO: o You bet! It’s come up. It’s junk, but let’s do address it. CAPLIS: • Yeah, I mean, one of the things I’ve always admired about you is you don’t duck anything. You’ll take it head on. So, when we come back, you know, we’ll talk about that: does Tom support the legalization of other drugs?