Republicans Struggling in Colorado

[DoYouEverWonder]

October 26, 2006

DENVER -- Colorado could give Democrats a real Rocky Mountain high on Election Day.

The governorship and three GOP-held House seats are within Democratic reach in the state that backed a Republican in the past three presidential elections and is home to military bases and the prominent religious conservative group Focus on the Family.

A confluence of growing voter unease with the Iraq war, President Bush's sagging poll numbers and Republican blunders and intraparty fighting have undercut the GOP -- a reality Republicans acknowledge.

"The West is probably going to be a good battleground to watch and see if we're in a period of change," said Republican Rep. Bob Beauprez, who is running for governor.

http://www.newsday.com/news/politics/wire/sns-ap-colorado-politics,0,7624590.story?coll=sns-ap-politics-headlines


Shouldn't this be the headline for every state? :bounce:

[Kolesar]

1. GOPs been on the decline in Colorado for a while

It could be a lack of focus and neglecting fundamental organizing techniques.

[paulk]

7. it's more that they let the fundies take over the party

and it's produced a backlash among moderate Republicans and Independents.

Republicans controlled both the state house and the Governor's office from 2000 (I think) until 2004, when the Democrats took both Houses of Congress for the first time in about 40 years. They used that control to push the right wing social agenda , you know, the whole God, guns, and gays thing - while the state was undergoing a real economic crisis. People got fed up with it and voted them out of office.

I really see what happened in Colorado as a harbinger of what's going to happen in thirteen days.

[Kolesar]

8. Someone like you or I would find the Talibornagain to be insufferable

I am glad to hear the wider Colorado electorate felt the same. In my experience, the religious right wingers in Ohio have been getting away with all manners of extremism, but the objection has only been slight. They have way overreached with creationism in schools, the anti-gay marriage referendum, funding for religious schools, but have only been tasked on the creationism in schools issue. Ohio shares a lot of its culture with the South.

[tanyev]

2. That ought to put Dobson's knickers in a twist.

Good. :P

[Kber]

3. If an east coaster can offer her views

many people have moved to and settled out west in search of personal freedom. As the republicans continue to invade our personal lives, telling who and how to love, what kind of families to have, how to raise our children and what churches are and are not acceptable, they are bound to run up against a streak of independence that isn't going to like that kind of interference in private matters.

my observations anyway

[Blaq Dem]

4. Nuestros Amigos de Mexico could play a huge factor

Don't forget about the growing Latino population in that region. And they're angry.

[DinahMoeHum]

5. It's not just in Colorado they're struggling, either. . .

it's the whole "Mountain West"

Montana - John Tester (Senate) could knock out Conrad Burns
http://www.testerforsenate.com/

Idaho - Larry Grant (Congress)
http://www.grantforcongress.com/

Eastern Washington state - Peter Goldmark (Congress)
http://www.votepetergoldmark.com/

Wyoming - Gary Trauner (Congress)
http://www.traunerforcongress.com/

New Mexico - Patricia Madrid (Congress)
http://www.madridforcongress.org/

Arizona - Gabrielle Giffords (Congress)
fordsforcongress.com/

I'm sure there's more, but by now, hopefully, you get the picture.

:kick:

[AlCzervik]

6. yesterday cspan had a really good segment on Co politics, i admit

i didn't know much before and i'm sure no expert now but that had a polsci prof. on and the dissected the state and had many callers, in the end i had a good feeling.

[greenman3610]

9. people that move out West are looking

for some outdoor lifestyle values.

They see what the Bushies have in mind
for their land, and don't like it.
That and backlash against the fundamentalist freaks.