Caldara: In contrast with Democrats, GOP campaign volunteers "are people who have to take time away from their families, because they pay taxes"

On his February 6 Newsradio 850 KOA broadcast, Independence Institute President Jon Caldara stated that "Republicans require a lot more volunteers" for election campaign work than Democrats do, explaining that Republican volunteers "are people who have to take time away from their families, because they pay taxes."

As Colorado Media Matters has noted, while guest hosting the January 17, 2007, broadcast of Newsradio 850 KOA's The Mike Rosen Show, Caldara similarly claimed that when "our team" loses an election, "we get very depressed, and we get very sad, and we go on with our lives," while when Democrats lose, "they become unemployed." On that broadcast Caldara elaborated by saying to a caller, "You and I, we've got families, we've got to pay our taxes, we've got other things to do. So when we give money and when you give time, it's because of our passion, not because we'll lose our jobs." He concluded by stating that "there's an incentive for the left to come out and campaign. And it's harder for us. We have to do it out of emotion."

On his February 6 broadcast, Caldara characterized Republican and Democratic campaign workers while responding to a caller who suggested that "staunch conservatives" have "stopped voting" because Republicans are "getting to be more and more liberal."

From the February 6 broadcast of Newsradio 850 KOA's The Jon Caldara Show:

CALLER: Everything is getting to be more and more liberal. And I'll tell you for a fact, most people I know that are staunch conservatives -- especially those with hard Christian values -- have stopped voting. They've had it.

CALDARA: That's -- now, that's something we can talk about. That's an interesting observation. I look at what has happened here in Colorado, and the Colorado Republican Party is in disarray. I mean, absolute disarray. And it's because of two things. One, a well-funded campaign from the left. This is Tim Gill and Pat Stryker and all the rest putting in all sorts of money and working over a couple election cycles to outspend us, out-strategize us -- they did a great job. But also, Republican failures by endorsing tax increases like [Referendums] C and D, and the growth dividend, and going into debt, and losing those basic values that are Republicans'.

CALLER: I agree with you.

CALDARA: When Democrats go out to work an election, they know that their bread and butter depends on it. That's why you get union members out there knockin' on doors. Republicans require a lot more volunteers. These are people who have to take time away from their families, because they pay taxes. And when you turn off the rank and file -- as the Republican Party has, not only in Colorado but throughout the nation -- it gets harder to run those elections. And there are a lot of people who've just had it. And I feel that frustration. Part of me is like, "Aw, hell -- you know, if this is the Republican Party, I must not belong."

—E.B.