DENVER - Tom Tancredo, set to officially announce his candidacy for governor on Thursday, will have to work very hard to cobble together a plurality in a three-way gubernatorial race this fall now that he's alienated many of the state's most conservative voters.
Tea Party and other pro-liberty groups, some of which signed a letter last weekend advising Tancredo not to run, are questioning the former congressman's commitment to their principles and their political imperatives.
"A lot of it has to do with the method he went about entering this race, the ultimatum he threw down, the hypocrisy he showed in asking us to get involved and not go third party and then he goes third party himself," said Lesley Hollywood, who leads the Northern Colorado Tea Party, the state's largest conservative grassroots group.
"I think Tom Tancredo has shown himself to be a friend of the Tea Party and then he back-handed us."
In an open letter sent to Tea Party groups last December, Tancredo advised activists to work within the Republican party and reminded them that, in his view, third parties "succeeded only in electing the more liberal candidate after many conservatives waste their votes on a third party candidate."
Now, many conservatives worry believe Tancredo is not only failing to heed his own advice but diminishing their larger chances of electing more conservative candidates to office this fall.
"We do have a lot of strong pro-liberty candidates in other races across Colorado, and we definitely don't want to see this damage the other races that are strong and that we can win," Hollywood said.
Hollywood chose not to sign the open letter urging Tancredo not to run because she wanted to avoid making an "emotional decision"; however she agreed with the sentiments expressed that Tancredo should hardly count on their support in the general election -- not because of his tactics but his record.
"People are going to have to make the decision on their own about who they're going to vote for. They'll have to look at records, and make a determination from there. I'm not sure he's really the free-market Constitutionalist he says he is," said Hollywood, pointing to Tancredo's votes in favor of TARP legislation and the Patriot Act and his acceptance of millions in earmarks.
"I myself will probably look at the ballot and ask myself: is there a fair-market, Constitutional conservative candidate running for governor," Hollywood said.
"And if there's not, I probably won't vote in that race."
Tea Party and other pro-liberty groups, some of which signed a letter last weekend advising Tancredo not to run, are questioning the former congressman's commitment to their principles and their political imperatives.
"I think Tom Tancredo has shown himself to be a friend of the Tea Party and then he back-handed us."
In an open letter sent to Tea Party groups last December, Tancredo advised activists to work within the Republican party and reminded them that, in his view, third parties "succeeded only in electing the more liberal candidate after many conservatives waste their votes on a third party candidate."
Now, many conservatives worry believe Tancredo is not only failing to heed his own advice but diminishing their larger chances of electing more conservative candidates to office this fall.
"We do have a lot of strong pro-liberty candidates in other races across Colorado, and we definitely don't want to see this damage the other races that are strong and that we can win," Hollywood said.
Hollywood chose not to sign the open letter urging Tancredo not to run because she wanted to avoid making an "emotional decision"; however she agreed with the sentiments expressed that Tancredo should hardly count on their support in the general election -- not because of his tactics but his record.
"People are going to have to make the decision on their own about who they're going to vote for. They'll have to look at records, and make a determination from there. I'm not sure he's really the free-market Constitutionalist he says he is," said Hollywood, pointing to Tancredo's votes in favor of TARP legislation and the Patriot Act and his acceptance of millions in earmarks.
"I myself will probably look at the ballot and ask myself: is there a fair-market, Constitutional conservative candidate running for governor," Hollywood said.
"And if there's not, I probably won't vote in that race."
