Tancredo tops McInnis in Post poll of strongest GOP candidates

According to a new Denver Post poll, Republicans likely to vote in next month’s gubernatorial primary like former Congressman Tom Tancredo over scandalized former Congressman Scott McInnis, prompting Tancredo to tell the Post he’s “surprised and flattered” and that both McInnis and Evergreen businessman Dan Maes should get out of the race.

“Neither can win the general election [against Democrat John Hickenlooper],” Tancredo told the Post after he beat out McInnis 29 percent to 19 percent, with 13 percent going to Maes. The other three choices for “strongest Republican gubernatorial candidate” – Jane Norton, Josh Penry and Bruce Benson – got 11 percent, 7 percent and 3 percent respectively.

“I want us as a party to get this governor’s seat. If I can do it, believe me I will,” added Tancredo, whose outspoken and often controversial positions on illegal immigration have made him a conservative lightning rod over the years. Last weekend Tancredo put GOP Senate candidate Ken Buck in an awkward position by claiming at one of his fundraisers that Barack Obama represents the greatest threat to the United States.

Buck first called the comment a “Tancredoism,” but two days later said “there is a lot of truth to what Tom Tancredo said.”

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