And my conclusion isn’t hidden in some secret, inaccessible code no one can look at as the ultimate proof. It’s actually rather obvious after spending an hour watching the public relations video for Tina Peters and Sherronna Bishop.  

Tina Peters needs to resign.  

This doesn’t mean Tina can’t fight her voter fraud battle or criminal charges. But it’s time to stop doing so in the name of Mesa County citizens. Tina is no longer working for the people of Mesa County. 

(Full disclosure, I’ve met with Tina a few times about her fight and some project ideas, but nothing came of them.) She seems to focus all her energy on making speeches about election fraud nationally instead of working to make license lines shorter, cleaning up voter rolls, getting back in her office (might be a sign) and doing whatever else a county clerk should be doing. Frankly, Tina seems to have forgotten actually proving fraud in Mesa County should be a main goal — a proof she claims in the video is as plain as the nose on our faces, yet shows only theories, no proof — and not some afterthought. 

Given Tina’s desire to speak at symposium after symposium on the My Pillow Guy’s dime, it’s evident Tina’s focus is becoming the voice and face of voter fraud in the country and not the voice of the people of Mesa County. The video “(S)election Fraud” feels like a PR attempt to make Tina and Sherronna sympathetic victims of those who’d cheat us out of our votes. The fact is, Tina brought all of this — and some of her opponents’ tactics are questionable — on herself.  

The video opens with Tina declaring she’s a cancer survivor, Gold Star mother and patriot. While each of those attributes bring some value to a person as an individual, they are by no means evidence of expertise or a righteous vision.  

There are millions of cancer survivors in the United States alone. While surviving cancer was obviously a turning point in Tina’s (and many others’) life, it in no way qualified her to be county clerk. Being a Gold Star mom (I know this might be touchy for some, but it needs to be said) draws deserving sympathy for the loss of a child in service to our country, but puts Tina in a category with thousands of other moms. It doesn’t mean every action said mom takes is in the best interest of the people. As for being a patriot, let’s face it, plenty of Democrats have identified as patriots while yelling voter fraud for decades. And let’s face this as well: It’s only yelled when one’s side loses. 

Next the video goes into the political tactic of divide and conquer. Or worse, destroy. Yet Tina seems to forget this tactic is a favorite of the left in inserting itself into every aspect of our lives while constantly inserting herself into our lives. Heck, as I typed this, she distributed a press release about the district attorney’s office refusing to let her travel to see her mother and family. Perhaps such a request would be granted if all of Tina’s other requests weren’t to go seek fame and fortune as the voice and face of voter fraud at events funded by the My Pillow Guy. Lastly, the divide, conquer and destroy irony must be lost on Tina given the demise in Tina’s and Sherronna’s names of a local, vocal group who used to meet on Monday nights at a church on the north end of town. 

And that’s from just the opening. I have three pages of notes from just two perusals of the video. Even as I type, my brain buzzes with what feels like a need for several more. 

Here are a few general questions.
Why didn’t Tina go public with concerns at the time they occurred? Why were almost all of Tina’s actions clandestine when she claims to be a champion of transparency? Why would Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold insert herself into our city council race? Why is the video basically a professionally done message of claims that have been covered, investigated and answered? And lastly, why is Sherronna’s role so big in the video? 

For the last question, some answers are obvious, but others I’ll leave in the gray areas like the video did as they relate to people’s intentions. That said, what happened at Sherronna’s and Tina’s homes seemed to be out of line, but way less out of line than the accusations made about the district attorney’s office. What happened at those homes might be situations that got out of hand, but what the DA was accused of in the video is reprehensible.

To paraphrase Sherronna’s online, cherry picking of Proverbs 18, the truth might be in other side of the story. But that’s karma when mocking the Word. 

We’re all on the side against voter fraud. But this video does little to prove Tina’s on the right side of anything. 

Well, except Tina being on one side. The side she, Sherronna and their benefactors want to promote. And that doesn’t improve the life of one person in Mesa County.  

Craig Hall is owner and publisher of the Business Times. Reach him at 424-5133 or publisher@thebusinesstimes.com.