OnTheIssuesLogo

Tom Tancredo on Principles & Values

Republican Representative (CO-6)

 


Won't debate in GOP primaries; will debate Dems

Tom Tancredo's decision not to debate his Republican primary opponents is the correct one. In 1996 & 2000, I ran in GOP primaries for Montana governor. Like Tancredo, I was a conservative with high statewide name recognition, but not favored by most of the party establishment. I participated in numerous public debates against my more liberal primary election opponents. Our experience confirmed Tancredo's view that primary debates increase acrimony among party activists and make it more difficult for the party to unite for the general election.

We also discovered that primary election debates pose a major downside risk but don't offer much upside. Relatively few people who watch them do so with open minds.

Tancredo has said that if he prevails in the primary, he will debate his Democratic opponent in the general election. That also is the correct decision. General elections engage a much larger electorate, a larger undecided contingent, a wider audience, and greater contrast on the issues.

Source: Denver Post OpEd on 2014 Colorado gubernatorial race , Dec 24, 2013

Obama is greater threat to our way of life than any enemy

Tancredo, a vocal anti-immigration crusader, made headlines in 2010 when he said that President Barack Obama constitutes a greater threat to the American way of life than any foreign enemy the US has faced. In 2011, after President Obama released his long-form birth certificate, Tancredo said that Obama withheld his birth certificate to make Republicans look foolish.
Source: Huffington Post on 2014 Colorado Governor race , Dec 6, 2013

Denounce the cult of multiculturalism

In Feb. 2010, at the first national convention of the "Tea Party Nation," in Nashville TN, Tom Tancredo, a former congressman and presidential candidate from Colorado, brought the crowd to its feet by denouncing the "cult of multiculturalism" and accusing immigrants of threatening America's Judeo-Christian values. "This is our country," he declared to wild cheers. "Take it back!"
Source: Aftershock, by Robert Reich, p.118 , Apr 5, 2011

Won’t vote GOP if nominee is lesser of two evils

Q: Would you pledge now to support the nominee of your party?

A: I am absolutely tired and sick and tired of being forced to go to the polls and say I’m going to make this choice between the lesser of two evils. I really don’t intend to do that again. I am hoping, of course, that whoever we nominate will be the principal flag carrier for the Republican Party, but if that is not the case, no, then I will not.

Source: 2007 Republican debate in Dearborn, Michigan , Oct 9, 2007

Degrading morals could make us lose clash of civilizations

Any great civilization cannot be conquered from without until it actually destroys itself from within. I think most of us are here tonight because we share some sort of concern. We share the general feeling that there is a degradation of our own society, especially the morals of our society. We recognize that it is important for us. This is an important issue in order for us to survive in this clash of civilizations in which we are engaged.

A president has relatively few options available to him in order to direct the moral course of the nation, but can certainly be profoundly influential. George Washington was by himself a leader, and set the soul of this nation, created the soul of the nation. Ronald Reagan, constantly uplifting the nation. Bill Clinton redefined morality to the level of an alley cat. We know that this can happen. We know presidents have this kind of thing. I guarantee you that I will try my level best as long as I breathe to take us in a different direction.

Source: 2007 GOP Values Voter Presidential Debate , Sep 17, 2007

Defining mistake: waiting 30 years to accept Jesus as savior

Q: What is the defining mistake of your life and why?

A: I have no doubt of what the greatest mistake in my life has been. And that is that it took me probably 30 years before I realized that Jesus Christ is my personal savior.

Source: 2007 GOP Iowa Straw Poll debate , Aug 5, 2007

We can no longer afford political correctness

Q: What will you restore to the Oval Office?

A: Hope. Hope in America itself. We made mistakes that have turned our friends against us, have encouraged our enemies. I believe that it is going to take a leader committed to speaking out about the values of Western civilization. We can no longer afford political correctness. We have to tell people that there is something good--not just good, but great--about who we are. That will restore America’s faith in itself and the world’s faith in America.

Source: 2007 GOP Iowa Straw Poll debate , Aug 5, 2007

Only Republican to appear at NAACP annual convention

GOP presidential hopefuls have shied away from appearing before organizations and groups deemed to have a liberal slant. But don’t tell that to Tom Tancredo, the lone Republican to appear this morning at the NAACP’s annual convention in Detroit.

After he came out, Tancredo wandered around the empty stage, not knowing which podium to use. “Oh, right here?” he said when led to the center lectern. “Oh my gosh, this is amazing. Do you think we should wait a few minutes to see if these other guys show up?” Tancredo said, drawing a big laugh from the crowd. The NAACP has set up placards for all of the Republican candidates at each podium--highlighting the no-shows except for Tancredo. “Do they know something I don’t know, is that it? I think actually I know something that THEY don’t know.”

That line drew a loud cheer from the audience, clearly appreciative that Tancredo had bothered to show up. He noted that while he & the organization “don’t agree on every issue,” they share “a very common cause.”

Source: News feeds on the 2007 NAACP Presidential Primary Forum , Jul 12, 2007

As president, would tell Bush to never visit White House

Q: How would you use George W. Bush in your administration?

A: Some time ago, 2003 I think it was, I got a call from Karl Rove who told me that because of my criticism of the president, I should never darken the doorstep of the White House. I have been so disappointed in the president, not just the immigration issue, but the massive increase in government that we call Medicare prescription drug, that I’m afraid, as president, I’d have to tell George Bush exactly the same thing Karl Rove told me.

Source: 2007 GOP debate at Saint Anselm College , Jun 3, 2007

Bush’s mistake: ran as conservative; governed as a liberal

Q: What has been President Bush’s biggest mistake since taking office?

A: The biggest problem, I think, in this administration has been the fact that the president ran as a conservative and governed as a liberal. That is what has really been the basis, I think, of the distrust that has developed among the Republican base. It’s well-founded. We have to do something about that.

Source: 2007 GOP debate at Saint Anselm College , Jun 3, 2007

Opposes McCain as nominee; wouldn’t support him if nominated

Q: McCain says you have to find a way to have comprehensive immigration reform. He doesn’t like the idea of building a fence along the US-Mexican border. He wants the reform to include not only the guest worker program, but the pathway towards citizenship.

A: McCain also said, essentially pointing to, you know, the unwashed masses, all the stupid people out in the US who are demanding a fence, if they really want it, he’ll give them a g-d fence. It goes to show you what his attitude is toward the American people. I mean, he’s quite an elitist there.

Q: If he’s the Republican presidential nominee, would you vote for him?

A: No, I would not. And I’m going do everything I can to make sure that he is not the Republican presidential nominee.

Source: CNN Late Edition: 2007 presidential series with Wolf Blitzer , Mar 4, 2007

Audacious agenda: limited government & individual freedom

“This guy’s got an agenda,” my opponent screamed at me. The charge has been hurled at me in almost ever political campaign I have ever waged. Every time, I answer the same way: “You bet your life I do!”

I have always wanted to advance the agenda of limited government and enhanced individual freedom. I want to participate in the reintroduction of the concept that America is a unique place, not just a place we can reap the economic & political benefits afforded by the labors of those who lived before us. I want our borders to be secure and those who have violated them to be deprived of the benefits lawful citizens enjoy. I want immigrants seeking that citizenship to assimilate & sever their ties to their country of origin. I want to do what I can to defend the West in the clash of civilizations that threatens humanity.

The parts of my agenda that have generated the most trouble for me deal with the security of our borders and with my criticism of what I refer to as the “cult of multiculturalism.”

Source: In Mortal Danger, by Tom Tancredo, p. 9 , Jun 6, 2006

Label “lightning rod” suits me fine

I have lived by my commitment to do everything I can to avoid falling into the political pitfall that happens to so many congressmen after a few years: simply taking up space. To my surprise, perhaps the phrase “lightening rod” is used more often than an other to describe me. Although writers or speakers in a negative connotation use it, the description suits me fine.

There is a price to pay for standing up for what I believe rather than going along. My differences of opinion with my GOP colleagues & m willingness to voice them mean that I almost certainly will never be the chair of a major House committee. After Karl Rove told me to “never darken the door of the White House” because of my criticism of the president, I expected no calls to confer with him on immigration issues. If ever Congress does pass immigration reform, my name won’t be on it as a principal sponsor. During a debate with a colleague, he said I should resign from the party because my views were not the same as his or the president’s

Source: In Mortal Danger, by Tom Tancredo, p. 10-11 , Jun 6, 2006

We’ve lost 1950s selfless devotion to civic duty

In America in the 1950s, the term “civic duty” had the connotation of selfless devotion to the American creed. Students once learned of the hardships endured by patriotic volunteer soldiers who made sacrifices for the ideas and ideals embodied in the documents that that were read to them by their officers at Valley Forge. In the 1950s, people of faith were regarded as the pillars of their community, and it was perfectly acceptable to display an American flag.

Today, our schools and almost every social institution send a totally different message. Civic duty, for instance, is currently considered by too many office holders as an obligation to erase any vestige of pride in the symbols or the substance of the land of the free and home of the brave.

Source: In Mortal Danger, by Tom Tancredo, p. 22 , Jun 6, 2006

Terrorists have no identity crisis, while we do

The battle for our way of life must continue beyond Congress into the streets. We must talk about the value of Western civilization and the principles it embodies. If we just live in America with no particular philosophy, no set of ideals that are worth our allegiance, then the opponents of Western civilization will continue to corrupt our children’s minds with false ideas.

The terrorists who seek to kill us know exactly who they are. They have no identity crisis. They know and believe with all their being the philosophy and religious underpinnings of their worldview. They are intent upon spreading it with word and deed, by violence, if necessary.

We must use our schools, churches, and government to reestablish an allegiance to the principles of Western civilization. Those principles are embodied in the Judeo-Christian ethic and whether we follow them or not will surely determine the fate of the nation.

Source: In Mortal Danger, by Tom Tancredo, p. 24 , Jun 6, 2006

Religious affiliation: Presbyterian.

Tancredo : religious affiliation:

The Adherents.com website is an independent project and is not supported by or affiliated with any organization (academic, religious, or otherwise).

What’s an adherent?

The most common definition used in broad compilations of statistical data is somebody who claims to belong to or worship in a religion. This is the self-identification method of determining who is an adherent of what religion, and it is the method used in most national surveys and polls.

Such factors as religious service attendance, belief, practice, familiarity with doctrine, belief in certain creeds, etc., may be important to sociologists, religious leaders, and others. But these are measures of religiosity and are usually not used academically to define a person’s membership in a particular religion. It is important to recognize there are various levels of adherence, or membership within religious traditions or religious bodies. There’s no single definition, and sources of adherent statistics do not always make it clear what definition they are using.

Source: Adherents.com web site 00-ADH5 on Nov 7, 2000

Other governors on Principles & Values: Tom Tancredo on other issues:
CO Gubernatorial:
Bob Beauprez
Cary Kennedy
Cynthia Coffman
Donna Lynne
Doug Robinson
Ed Perlmutter
George Brauchler
Jared Polis
John Hickenlooper
Matthew Hess
Mike Johnston
Steve Barlock
Victor Mitchell
Walker Stapleton
CO Senatorial:
Amy Stephens
Cory Gardner
Darryl Glenn
Jon Keyser
Ken Buck
Michael Bennet
Owen Hill
Peg Littleton
Randy Baumgardner
Ryan Frazier
Tim Neville

Gubernatorial Debates 2018:
AK: Walker(i) vs.Dunleavy(D) vs.Chenault(R) vs.Huggins(R) vs.Begich(D) vs.Treadwell(D)
AL: Kay Ivey(R) vs.Countryman(D) vs.Tommy Battle (R) vs.Walt Maddox (R) vs.George(R) vs.Carrington(R)
AR: Hutchinson(R) vs.Henderson(D) vs.West(L)
AZ: Ducey(R) vs.David Garcia (D) vs.Farley(D)
CA: Newsom(D) vs.Chiang(D) vs.Villaraigosa(D) vs.Delaine Eastin (D) vs.David Hadley (R) vs.John Cox (R) vs.Zoltan Istvan (I) vs.Allen(R) vs.La Riva(P)
CO: Johnston(D) vs.Mitchell(R) vs.Cary Kennedy (D) vs.Doug Robinson (R) vs.Barlock(R) vs.Lynne(R) vs.Polis(D) vs.Coffman(R) vs.George Brauchler(R,A.G.) vs.Stapleton(R)
CT: Malloy(D) vs.Lamont(D) vs.Stefanowski(R) vs.Srinivasan(R) vs.David Walker (R) vs.Lumaj(R) vs.Visconti(R) vs.Lauretti(R) vs.Drew(D)
FL: Gillum(D) vs.Graham(D) vs.Putnam(R) vs.Levine(D) vs.DeSantis(R)
GA: Kemp(R) vs.Cagle(R) vs.Hill(R) vs.Abrams(D) vs.Levine(D)
HI: Ige(D) vs.Hanabusa(D) vs.Tupola(R) vs.Carroll(R) vs.McDermott(R)
IA: Kim_Reynolds(R) vs.Leopold(D) vs.Boulton(D) vs.McGuire(D) vs.Glasson(D) vs.Hubbell(D) vs.Porter(L) vs.Battaglia(L)
ID: Little(R) vs.Fulcher(R) vs.Labrador(R) vs.Ahlquist(R) vs.Minton(D) vs.Jordan(D)
IL: Rauner(R) vs.Kennedy(D) vs.Pawar(D) vs.Daniel Biss (D) vs.Pritzker(D) vs.Ives(R)
KS: Brewer(D) vs.Wink Hartman (R) vs.Colyer(R) vs.Kobach(R) vs.Orman(I) vs.Kelly(D)
MA: Baker(R) vs.Gonzalez(D) vs.Setti Warren (D) vs.Bob Massie (R)
MD: Hogan(R) vs.Alec Ross (D) vs.Cummings(D) vs.Madaleno(D) vs.Jealous(D) vs.Quinn(L) vs.Schlakman(G)
ME: Mayhew(R) vs.Mills(D) vs.Boyle(D) vs.Thibodeau(R) vs.Moody(D) vs.Capron(I) vs.Caron(I)
MI: Whitmer(R) vs.El-Sayed(D) vs.Tim Walz (D) vs.Schuette(R) vs.Calley(R) vs.Tatar(L)
MN: vs.Smith(D) vs.Coleman(D) vs.Murphy(D) vs.Otto(D) vs.Tina Liebling (DFL) vs.Tim Walz (DFL) vs.Matt Dean (R) vs.Pawlenty(R) vs.Johnson(R) vs.Swanson(D)
NE: Ricketts(R) vs.Krist(D)
NH: Sununu(R) vs.Jarvis(L) vs.Steve Marchand (D)
NM: Lujan-Grisham(D) vs.Pearce(R) vs.Cervantes(D) vs.Apodaca (D) vs.Jarvis(L)
NV: Fisher (R) vs.Sisolak(D) vs.Laxalt(R) vs.Schwartz(R)
NY: Cuomo(D) vs.Nixon(D) vs.Hawkins(G) vs.Molinaro(R)
OH: DeWine(R) vs.Husted(R,Lt.Gov.) vs.Kucinich(D) vs.Sutton(D,Lt.Gov) vs.Taylor(R) vs.Jim Renacci (R) vs.Connie Pillich (D) vs.Schiavoni(D) vs.Whaley(D) vs.Cordray(D)
OK: Stitt(R) vs.Cornett(R) vs.Edmondson(D) vs.Richardson(R) vs.Johnson(D) vs.Powell(L) vs.Maldonado(L)
OR: Brown(D) vs.Scott Inman(D) vs.Buehler(R)
PA: Wolf(D) vs.Fetterman(D,Lt.Gov.) vs.Wagner(R) vs.Barletta(R) vs.Krawchuk(L)
RI: Raimondo(D) vs.Brown(D) vs.Fung(R) vs.Morgan(R)
SC: McMaster(R) vs.McGill(R) vs.Pope(R) vs.Templeton(R) vs.Smith(D) vs.Warren(D) vs.Bryant(R)
SD: Noem(R) vs.Jackley(R) vs.Sutton(D)
TN: Green(R) vs.Dean(D) vs.Black(R) vs.Lee(R)
TX: Abbott(R) vs.Glass(L) vs.White(D) vs.Valdez(D)
VT: Scott(R) vs.Moody(R) vs.Hallquist(D) vs.Stern(D)
WI: Walker(R) vs.Harlow(D) vs.Vinehout(D) vs.Evers(D) vs.Roys(D) vs.Anderson(L)
WY: Throne(D) vs.Dahlin(R) vs.Gordon(R) vs.Rammell(R)
Gubernatorial Possibilities 2019:
KY: vs.Grimes(D) vs.Chandler(D) vs.Gray(D)
LA: vs.Edwards(D) vs.Kennedy(R)
MS: vs.Baria(D) vs.Sherman(D) vs.Reeves(R) vs.Lott(R)

Retiring 2018:
AL-R: Robert Bentley(R)
(term-limited 2018)
CA-D: Jerry Brown
(term-limited 2018)
CO-D: John Hickenlooper
(term-limited 2018)
FL-R: Rick Scott
(term-limited 2018)
GA-R: Nathan Deal
(term-limited 2018)
ID-R: Butch Otter
(retiring 2018)
ME-R: Paul LePage
(term-limited 2018)
MI-R: Rick Snyder
(term-limited 2018)
MN-D: Mark Dayton
(retiring 2018)
NM-R: Susana Martinez
(term-limited 2018)
OH-R: John Kasich
(term-limited 2018)
OK-R: Mary Fallin
(term-limited 2018)
SD-R: Dennis Daugaard
(term-limited 2018)
TN-R: Bill Haslam
(term-limited 2018)
WY-R: Matt Mead
(term-limited 2018)
Abortion
Budget/Economy
Civil Rights
Corporations
Crime
Drugs
Education
Energy/Oil
Environment
Families/Children
Foreign Policy
Free Trade
Govt. Reform
Gun Control
Health Care
Homeland Security
Immigration
Infrastructure/Technology
Jobs
Local Issues
Principles/Values
Social Security
Tax Reform
War/Iraq/Mideast
Welfare/Poverty

 





Page last updated: Sep 24, 2018