Colorado Needs This Conversation!

My Fellow Coloradans,

I hope you’ll take a few minutes to read this and then share it. Colorado needs this conversation. Share it with friends. Share it in groups. Put it everywhere. Because at the end of the day, every one of us needs to understand who we are, where we fall, and what direction we want this state and this country to go.

People keep asking why Colorado feels so divided and confused. Why neighbors can barely talk politics anymore without getting into a fight. Why you can have two people who call themselves Republicans argue like they’re from different planets. Same thing with Democrats. It is because this country isn’t the old black and white “Republican versus Democrat” anymore. We are living in a new political world, and most people don’t even realize how much the ground has shifted underneath them.

So, let’s spell it out. Let’s put it in plain English so people can actually figure out who they are and what direction they want this state to go.

Today we don’t have two political sides. We have five.

• Democratic Socialists.

• Liberals.

• Democrats.

• Moderate Republicans.

• Conservative Republicans.

Each one believes something different. Each one votes differently. And the future of Colorado depends on which group becomes the majority.

Here is the breakdown.

Democratic Socialists: want government in control of everything. The land, the water, the kids, the energy, the economy, the jobs, the rules. They believe the government should provide your healthcare, your income, your food, and even your rights. They see freedom as something issued by the government instead of something protected from the government. This is the far left. They are loud. They are organized. They mobilize. They show up. They want big government with no limits on its power.

Liberals: are not as extreme, but they still want a government that manages your life. They want more restrictions, more regulations, more oversight, and more programs. They believe every problem has a government solution. They trust state agencies more than they trust citizens. They see rural Colorado as something that needs to be controlled and guided. They want big government, but they want it with friendlier packaging.

Democrats: used to be the middle of their party. But even they are being pulled left. Today’s Democrats support bigger government, more spending, and more federal and state control over land, wildlife, and energy. They lean toward higher taxes, more regulation, and more social programs. Many of them don’t realize how far left their own party has moved.

Now here is where the right side splits.

Moderate Republicans: want to get along. They want to be liked. They want to survive in a blue state without taking any hits. They see their role as negotiating with Democrats, compromising early, and giving ground to keep the peace. They don’t want to fight. They don’t want conflict. They don’t want to be attacked online or dragged through the press. They vote in the middle, even when that middle keeps sliding left. They are the people who say “We have to adapt to Colorado’s new political reality.” In reality, they adapt by surrendering small pieces of freedom every year.

Conservative Republicans: believe in small government, strong constitutional rights, strong borders, rural values, energy independence, personal freedom, local control, and keeping the government out of your life as much as possible. They believe that compromise on constitutional issues is the slow death of liberty. They don’t bend on land, free speech, guns, property rights, or personal responsibility. They don’t chase approval from Denver or Washington. They vote based on the Constitution and the values that built this country.

Those are the five groups. That is the real political map of America today.

So the question isn’t “Are you Republican or Democrat?”

The real question is this.

How much government do you want in your life?

• Do you want a government that controls everything?

• Do you want a government that manages most things?

• Do you want a government that steps in only when necessary?

• Do you want a government that leaves you alone?

Your answer determines who you truly are.

And here is why this matters.

Colorado is split. Not between Republicans and Democrats, but between people who want more government and people who want less. If the people who want bigger government become the majority, this state will continue to lose freedom, land, economy, energy, opportunity, and the ability for families to stay here and build a life. If the people who want limited government become the majority, Colorado will be a place where families can afford to live, where rural communities thrive, where energy jobs return, where the Constitution still means something, and where our kids have a future worth fighting for.

So, look at where you fall.

Look at how you vote.

Look at what kind of Colorado you want your kids to grow up in.

The direction of this state will be decided by which group becomes the majority in the next few years. I don’t care if you are a Democrat, a Republican, or anything in between. Just know who you are. Know what you stand for. And vote for the future you believe in.

Colorado is at a crossroads. The next step is ours to make.

Sean