Who’s Zoomin’ Who…
On April 18, that’s a Tuesday, the Park County Board of Commissioners will discuss “ways to increase voter confidence” during their work session. It will be available on Zoom and will commence at 9 a.m. Interestingly, Commission Chair Amy Mitchell scheduled this discussion when the elected Clerk and Recorder, Mel Kassel, will be out of the county. The elected Clerk and Recorder is responsible for holding and running elections in Park County. Her office has the expertise and knowledge essential to any discussion about voter confidence in Park County.
Why would Chair Mitchell, with Commissioner Wissel probably peering over her shoulder, schedule such a discussion without the input of the Clerk and Recorder?
I think I know the reason.
In any event, you really ought to tune in.
After attending the candidate forum (including candidates for District 3 Commissioner) on October 5 last year at the Crow Hill Fire Station, I wrote the following:
“The South Park Outsiders is a radical right-wing group within the Trump orbit. They most likely provided that 440 or 4% of the almost 9900 votes, which won Dave Wissel his seat on the commission. He eked out this paltry majority over his Democratic opponent, a political newbie, a woman whose BA was in women’s and gender studies, with an MA in educational leadership.
Not that his opponent’s educational bona fides made her a better person or candidate. But imagine that. She came within 4% of winning over the Good Ol’ Boy, whose nose had to have been slightly out of joint understanding this person, this newbie, this woman, nearly beat him. Probably the same reaction he had when another woman, Monica Jones, beat him out in a Republican primary for Assessor.
“The South Park Outsiders believe the Big Lie. They voraciously eat up the flawed data provided by Dinesh D’Sousa’s “2000 Mules.” They’re promoting a video called “[S]election Code,” whose Executive Producer is Mike Lindell, the My Pillow Guy. The video features disgraced Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters and unabashedly promotes the Big Lie. The Outsiders believe Dominion voting machines are awash in electronic imps who change, add, and delete votes at the behest of conspiratorial deep-state actors.
“Dave Wissel, the Outsider’s sweetheart candidate, wants to give the taxpayers of Park County election integrity. He says he ‘will work to implement voting measures that mirror the Improve Public Confidence Election Validity’ measure (SB21-007). The bill was proposed by Sen. Paul Lundeen in the CO Senate in 2021.’
“SB21-007 would require all Colorado general elections to be conducted in person at designated polling places. Mail-in ballots would not be automatically provided to the electorate unless the elector “affirmatively” requests one. Voting is restricted to seven days, and all votes must be counted by the close of election day.
“The fiscal note on SB021-007 says it would increase expenditures by the Secretary of State’s office by $1.5 million. The increased costs for small counties could reach $86,000 and for large counties, up to $1,495,000.
“But Wissel goes a couple of steps further. He wants hand counts done and will investigate the termination of Park County’s contract with Dominion. He says this is necessary because “there is enough evidence to justify people’s concerns of election fraud and general lack of integrity.”
“Yes, the evidence provided by My Pillow Guy, Tina Peters, ‘2000 Mules,’ ‘[S]election Code,’ Ron Hanks, Sassy Pants Boebert, and indeed the South Park Outsiders makes for good reading. Even better reading if you’re convinced Donald Trump won in 2020. Or sincerely believe there’s a bunch of surly bottom-feeding deep-state operatives crawling from under rocks in Park County intent on manipulating vote counts on election day.
“Election integrity is worth every penny spent on it. But why throw the baby out with the bathwater when no VALID evidence supports a substantial or incidental breach of election integrity? So where’s the proof Park County elections lack integrity?”
Patriots found a slew of mules in Park County on election night in 2022. I assume they were Patriots? SPO Patriots. They saw the County Assessor, Monica Jones, toting ballots into her office in blue bags. The skullduggery on election night was disgusting!
Or was it?
Even Commissioner Amy Mitchell, on behalf of the Patriots, initiated a CORA (open records) investigation to get the bottom of it all. After the evidence was scrutinized, Mitchell’s response: “They didn’t see what they thought they see.”
Let’s cut to the chase. I’ve opined that the new far-right majority on the BOCC, Mitchell, and Wissel, will gradually ease into subject matter that tickles the toes of the SPO and their like-minded comrades. Subject matter that won Wissel his seat with a 4% margin. It’s what they owe their most fervent supporters, those peas all mixed up in the same pot: Christian Nationalists, Trump and Boerbet loving, insurrectionists as Patriots, narcissistic demagogues who believe We the People is only them. Others not inclined to share their beliefs need not apply.
First, Chair Mitchell brought her God into the semi-judicial regular commission meetings, instituting Christian invocations at the beginning of every meeting. Now comes “voter confidence.” Who is fooled by that phrase? Who uses that phrase to incorporate all the lies, innuendoes, and baloney in Dinesh D’Sousa’s, Mike Lindell’s, and David Zuniga’s (founder of Tactical Civics) fantasies? Who? And after Wissel and Mitchell bloviate about “voter confidence,” what’s next? Will they resurrect the anti-abortion proclamation of a year ago, disguised as a declaration that Park County protects life? And when will the Red Flag state statute become fodder for Wissel and Mitchell to bloviate some more on, feeding the insatiable palates of We the People?
Do Mitchell and Wissel make a fundamental mistake in believing most Park County residents are happy to be along for the ride? A ride to the far-right where only a Christan God is relevant? Where the Big Lie is not disputed? Where a woman’s right to her own conscience is denied? Where the best interests of all Park County residents are encompassed by a fantasy? A fantasy that declares We the People, only the Patriots, only the SPO and their comrades make up the citizenry, the best interests of Park County?
