Gov. Polis attracts applause, criticism at the Western Conservative Summit
Gov. Jared Polis called on conservatives Friday to use lessons from the Bible to guide their work as public servants: Feed the hungry, care for the sick and love your neighbor.
But moments later, an antiabortion activist denounced his message in her own speech before a crowd of 2,000 at the Western Conservative Summit at the Colorado Convention Center.
“It was almost unbearable for me to sit there to listen to his talk,” Abby Johnson said. “And I’m going to tell you why. He kept talking about equality for all persons, yet we live in a society where 60 million innocent human beings have been slaughtered in the name of choice. Where is their justice? Where is their equal rights?”
Polis was the first elected Democrat to address the Western Conservative Summit in the annual gathering’s 10-year history. He was greeted with applause, and several members of the audience gave him a standing ovation. A few booed. Early in his speech, Polis rekindled his pledge to build a “Colorado for all” and talked up bipartisan victories such as fullday kindergarten.
“The truth is, we all have ideas to contribute to moving our state forward,” Polis said. He later added that Colorado “is big enough for all of us to live our lives according to our values.”
He did not mention abortion. The summit is one of the largest annual gatherings of conservatives in the United States. Organizers said attendance this year nearly set a record. Hosted by Colorado Christian University, the event aims to energize conservatives from across Colorado and the West.
Before Polis spoke, Jeff Hunt, vice president of public policy at Colorado Christian University, encouraged attendees to focus on reclaiming the political ground they lost during the 2018 election.
“Our state is going in the wrong direction,” Hunt said. “We need to rally. We need to get together. We need to get inspired. We need to educated. We need to get prepared. Friends, I want you to fight back. … We’ve got to get this state right.”
This year’s summit is focused on religious freedom, a debate that has raged in Colorado for years. Conservative have argued — in public and in court — that the state’s laws, especially marriage equality for same-sex couples, may violate a person’s First Amendment rights.
For years, Colorado baker Jack Phillips has tangled in courts over whether he is required to bake wedding cakes for same-sex couples, something he said would violate his freedom of religion.
Polis, the first openly gay man ever elected to lead a state, acknowledged this year’s theme. Recalling his Jewish grandparents’ immigration to the United States, he said, “I owe my presence in this country to religious freedom.”
Polis closed his speech citing Scripture from the Bible, Matthew 25:36.
“The Bible teaches us to love the stranger as we love ourselves,” Polis said. “Jesus says those who express their faith through good deeds will be welcomed into the kingdom of heaven.”
Scott Kayser, 81, called Polis’ speech gracious. But he was skeptical that Polis meant what he said.
“I’m perhaps overly suspicious of progressives who give lip service to conservatives at gatherings like this,” Kayser said after Polis’ speech, adding that Polis’ record as a congressman from Boulder put him decidedly to the left of most conference attendees.
Polis didn’t just receive criticism from the right. Progressive activists also objected to his appearance at the summit.
“To me, it feels like vanity,” Katie Farnan of Indivisible, a progressive political nonprofit, said in a statement. “He can go and be a hip Democratic governor who isn’t afraid to go into GOP sanctuary. Or maybe it’s recall insurance. But unless he was there to hold them accountable for their support for fascist and racist policies, what’s the point?”
Donald Trump Jr. and Sen. Cory Gardner were scheduled to speak after press time Friday night.