We all need people to throw tomatoes at sometimes.

Boulder is known for a lot of things: its booming tech sector, being home to one of the nation's top schools, a concerning surplus of Subarus, and most importantly, the ability to add granola to anything for an extra boost of fiber before we scale a frozen waterfall while listening to a special about Tibetan prayer rituals on NPR.

Some of the things we are not  known for? Republicans. Conservativism. Wanting to call Donald Trump "POTUS."

So then, why has Boulder, of all places in this huge-ass country, been chosen to be the location of the upcoming GOP debate?

Yep, Boulder, the world's most liberal city, is for some ungodly reason, hosting the world's most conservative politicians as they embarrass themselves during a televised, moderated argument.

The Republican bitch-fest / Donald Trump meme generator will be held October 28 at Coors Event Center on the CU-Boulder campus.

And to celebrate this momentously weird occasion, residents and students are preparing a, um … very "Boulder" welcome wagon.

According to the New York Times, "Immigrant groups and anti-fracking activists are organizing a march that they hope will draw thousands of people" and "labor unions will rally in a 'free speech zone'" (even though the entire country is a free speech zone, giggle).

There will also be "original artwork and maybe and installation on white privilege," as well as a "rehumanizing zone" for people who want to share personal stories of trauma or discrimination.

Okay wait … an installation on white privilege in a town where minorities make up only nine percent of the population, and only one percent of them are African American? That's about as Boulder-y as Boulder-y things come. A bunch of privileged white people artistically expressing the pitfalls of privileged white people in honor of a political party known for catering to privileged white people? It's a little hypocritical given that Boulder has made it almost impossible for oppressed minorities to live within city limits due to skyrocketing rents, hence the regretful, ultra-low minority population here.

But, to lift the dreary mood, there'll be protest clowns there! How could we forget the protest clowns? They'll be on hand wearing wigs and red noses to "offer a peaceful, out of the box, Boulder-style reception."

Let's just hope the Republican candidates don't build a fence around them so they can share their peaceful, totally logical clown mission with everyone around them.

With all this excitement and protesting, it seems as though this Republican debate is shaping up to be the entertainment event of the year. As such, CU-Boulder students who didn't snag one of the scarce tickets to the debate early enough are writing indignant letters and waging protests for a greater presence at the event. Only 100 student tickets were issued out of 1,000 total, which is weird considering Coors Event Center has enough seating to comfortably accommodate up to 11,000 Republican-hating souls.

If Boulder being host to the Republican debate seems strange and contradictory to you, that's because it is. See, Boulder's Republican presence is about as strong as humanity's presence on Mars; we're talking about a city whose registered Democrats outnumber Republicans five to one. There is one Republican on the City Council and none elected countywide. In fact, Republicanism is so rare and disdained in Boulder that Ted Hine, treasurer of the Boulder County Republican Party once referred to running as a conservative in this town as a "suicide mission."

“We’re definitely a minority,” Mr. Hine said to NYT. “When we take our booth around to public events, street fairs, people walk by and say, ‘I didn’t know there were any Republicans in Boulder County!’"

Why should there be? Conservatives here are accustomed to losing votes on bike lanes, wildlife and open-space preservation, fracking bans and carbon taxes.

This all begs the question: why the shit is this debate being hosted at CU then? In short: it's a branding opportunity for the school. The televised debate will showcase CU's gorgeous campus and pink sandstone buildings nestled against the natural wonder of the Flatirons, and everyone will get a college boner for Boulder.

Yet, not everyone at CU is happy about that.

“It feels like a sham, and that the students are being used as a marketing opportunity,” said Aaron Estevez-Miller, an economics professor at CU to NYT.

But probably the weirdest thing about all this is that extreme liberal votes like the ones you'd garner from Boulder are not what the GOP needs right now. The GOP needs the support of minorities and the 99 percent of the country who doesn't own a pharmaceutical conglomerate. They need real, working class Americans to believe they're invested in their causes. Yet, they've decided to bring the debate to Boulder, where there is almost zero diversity and everyone is rich enough to merit a rock climbing fetish.

We're not rocket scientists or anything, but it seems like the GOP is much more interested in pandering to Boulder's ultra-rich, ultra-rare conservatives who are so aroused by the idea of having a Republican debate in their liberally dominated city that they're likely to sprint towards their Teslas for their checkbooks.

Also: marijuana legalization can't not be a part of this GOP debate. You know it, we know it. The setting in Boulder offers an opportune chance for the Republican candidates to say something borderline agreeable about marijuana legalization in a state where people light up more than they blink. No doubt this is a tactic to ensure they secure the votes and funding of Colorado conservatives who believe in the economics of medical and recreational weed.

Still, people really want to be a part of this historically odd debate. CU-Boulder students are furious there aren't more available student tickets to the event, and that frustration is echoing in letters, an online petition and a resolution by the student government.

“No one’s coming away from this with positive feelings toward the GOP.,” James Cross, 19, tells the New York Times. He's a sophomore who grew up in conservative Colorado Springs and has been looking for his political center of gravity. “This is the first election I’m going to be able to vote in. I want a firsthand account.”

Alright, "James" … no one here really had positive feelings towards the GOP to begin with, so no love lost. Plus, that's what TVs are for!

Well, despite the fact that NYT reports "people here [Boulder] are amazed Republicans are coming to a town that is home to the Shambhala Center, a meditation community, and Naropa University, a private college with deep roots in Tibetan Buddhism," it's happening. So, our advice? Come Oct 28, sit back, relax and enjoy the shit show from the comfort of your own dormitory beanbag chair.

That, or sign up to be a protest clown. Those guys need all the help they can get.