Buck leads Bennet by 8 points in new poll; Hickenlooper far ahead for governor

[frontrange]

Source: Denver Business Journal

Republican Ken Buck leads Democrat Michael Bennet by eight percentage points among likely voters in Colorado's U.S. Senate race, a new poll says.

Read more: http://denver.bizjournals.com/denver/stories/2010/09/27/daily79.html

[msongs]

1. that's too funny nt

[Hawkeye-X]

2. I'm still debating whether to vote for Bennet or just leave it blank

I'm leaning towards to leaving it blank.

But the rest are D's.

Bennet has still not earned my vote. Romanoff would have been beating Buck's pants off by now.

I'd rather deal with an useless Senator for 6 years and see him booted for a true progressive with understanding of Colorado's needs. Bennet knows NOTHING of what we need.

Udall barely scrapes by.

Hawkeye-X

[Frances]

4. I suppose you would have sat out the CA election

that propelled Ronald Reagan into the White House. And I suppose you voted for Nader over Gore in 2000 because Gore was too corporate friendly.

[Hawkeye-X]

5. I was 4 when RR was elected

so I couldn't, for obvious reasons, vote.

My vote went to Gore, not Nader. I knew Nader was going to play the spoiler.

Bennet is my US Senator, and I'm not happy with him and the circumstances surrounding his appointment.

[Name removed]

7. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[karynnj]

11. Four Presidential elections?

Are you meaning 1992, 2000, 2004, and 2008? That would mean that you couldn't find sufficient difference between Bill Clinton and GHWB; Gore and W; Kerry and W - where even Nader admitted Kerry was good and bizarrely argued that his running helped Kerry; and Obama and McCain (with Palin as a likely President if his health failed.)

Grayson seems more about outrageous statements than sponsoring good legislation and his ad is inexcusable in that it completely distorts a taped quote of his opponent. This was wrong when the republicans did it and wrong when he does it.

[zenprole]

21. "Let the party begin." - Bill Hicks

Hi, karynnj. I think there was an election in '96. That was the one where Nader used less than $5,000 and got 685,000 votes; an object lesson in democracy, even before the multibillion dollar campaign cycles we're now used to.

Like many, I voted for Clinton in '92 because anything seemed better than the last 12 years. Come the next spring, after the attempted eradication of over 300 Native American tribes and his support of NAFTA, I resolved 'no free passes for Democrats' - speak to things that matter to me or do without my vote. Some call that approach democracy, but here on DU that can be a very knotty issue.

As for Alan Grayson, I see you're confused about his tactics. The school of thought he represents is known as 'putting up a fight.' You might try convinving others on this forum to stop taking 'No' for an answer and giving it a shot.

[karynnj]

24. I hadn't realized that Nader ran in 1996!

I think that John Kerry and Al Gore are both better than Grayson - in that both have seriously worked on issues from climate change to investigating illegal American actions in Central America. Kerry, with his investigations, fought the Republicans far more seriously than Grayson's statements ever did - and he did it with integrity, honor and respect for what Congress should be.

What you call "putting up a fight" is not that - it is attacking in colorful outrageous ways - and being willing to put out an ad that distorts what an opponent is saying by taking part of a sentence - and using it to mean something the full sentence did not. This is not something to be proud of - and it may very well cost him a win.

[Name removed]

13. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Name removed]

22. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[olegramps]

28. Thanks for confirming that you aren't a Democrat. and never have been.

[t0dd]

38. Just because someone doesn't want to vote for a corporatist like Bennet

doesn't mean they deserve your condemnation for not "being a Democrat". I have news for you: most Democrats aren't Democrats. Or what some of us (erroneously) thought it meant to be a Democrat.

[olegramps]

47. What in the hell do you think Buck is? You have to be kidding.

Next you will be condemning Hickenlooper because he is a businessman and urging people to vote for Tannitwito.

[zenprole]

23. Professor Troll

Q: I wonder how many consider my comments trolling, and how many an appropriate airing of crucial issues? If DU is to merely be an echo chamber, then I doubt it will accomplish much.

[Trajan]

37. What DU is ...

Is a website that supports Democratic party members ....

This is stated clearly in the forum rules ....

While David Allen (Skinner) wants to hear and allow to be heard the opinions of progressives or every stripe, he and the other admins will not brook anti-Democrat rhetoric ...

You are staking a ground that is amazingly similar to RW hacks everywhere .... Hence those questioning your motives ... Surely you are intelligent enough to understand that ....

Also take note: Many Nader supporters have been booted over the years ..... Many for taking such arguments to the 'nth' degree, whatever the admins might consider over the top ...

So, know that Progressives can come here to express their views, but those with an anti-democratic party rhetorical worldview may not last very long ....

And that's the way it is ...

[JTFrog]

39. Obvious troll is...

Obvious.

:shrug:

[madamesilverspurs]

6. Leaving the vote blank would delight Rove no end.

For what it's worth, Bennet is by far the better choice than Buck. We've had to deal with Buck as DA, he's slime. He trained under Dick Cheney, for pity's sake. A former campaign manager for Marilyn Musgrave, he picked up on much of her snippiness; and he isn't above using his office to retaliate against those whose politics vary from his own. Nor does he deem rules and boundaries as applying to himself. Between his politically driven vindictive prosecution (unsuccessful, by the way)of a constituent who pissed off Musgrave and his defense against a recent ACLU suit before the state Supreme Court (which he also lost), he's cost Weld county taxpayers around $250K -- so his claims of fiscal restraint are laughable. His fingerprints are all over the warrant violations that took place during the raids on the Swift plant in '06. He's demonstrated that he is no friend of women or Hispanics, he views liberals as equal to criminals. When he worked at the US Attorney's office in Denver, he went to a defendant to warn him of the USA's prosecutorial plan, earning him a permanent ethics violation notation; it was his continuing disregard for rules and ethics that brought the ACLU lawsuit.

Bennet might not suit your fancy, but I guarantee that Buck in the Senate would disgrace that body and the state of Colorado. We sure as hell don't deserve that.

[SkyDaddy7]

12. Is this just wishful thinking...

"Romanoff would have been beating Buck's pants off by now" or is there a poll that backs at up?

[harvey007]

14. Yes, Romanoff would have beaten Buck

.....but that's water over the dam.

This mess could have been prevented if only.....

1. Gov. Ritter had appointed Romanoff, not Bennet, to fill Salazar's Senate seat.

2. President Obama hadn't meddled in Colorado's primary election.

3. Democratic party leaders had realized there is a real populist uprising going on in this country. Hope is not as powerful as anger and fear.

[RBInMaine]

16. Please vote for Bennet. He's 100 times better than any fucking TeaSCUMBAG ! Thanks.

[defendandprotect]

33. What is Bennett?

[earthside]

17. Today's Denver Post poll.

Buck polling better than Bennet in Senate race-Denver Post; October 3, 2010

Bennet - 43 percent
Buck - 48 percent
Other - 8 percent
Undecided - 1 percent

Let's just get real here. The establishment Democrats in Colorado screwed this up from the beginning.

And the White House involvement only made things worse.

Former Phil Anschutz stooge, Michael Bennet was a terrible choice politically to be given the Senate appointment ... it reeked of an insider, elitist, "we know what's best for you" attitude.

And now Bennet and the Democrats are paying the price of Gov. Ritter's decision.

I detect no enthusiasm for Bennet's election in the western suburbs of Denver -- but I see signs and campaigners for Buck everywhere.

For me, Bennet's alliance with Arne Duncan and the teacher bashing education "reform" plans of Bill Gates and Bush/Spellings disqualifies him from getting my vote.

I too am leaning towards leaving this ballot line blank.

Perhaps in 2012, Democrats will be chastened sufficiently to understand that insulting the base and marginalizing progressives has consequences.

If you want to know why Democrats are in trouble around the country, just look at the U.S. Senate race in Colorado.

[uncle ray]

19. has Buck not earned a vote against him?

christ, i voted for nader in 2000 and i can see the folly in your plan.

[No Elephants]

40. Republican Senators are far from merely useless. For example, they've blocked more than one

extension of unemployment benefits. Two phrases: "cloture vote" and "confirmation vote."


And, if, heaven forbid, they take back Congress, look out.

Besides, unseating ANY incumbent U.S. Senator is very difficult. Just ask Strom Thurmond. Was he 96 or 97 when he won his last election? (Didn't follow his primaries, if any).

Name recognition alone is crucial. Pork brought back home and favors done for individual constituents all but guaranty a sealed deal. (Romanoff v. Bennet is a good example of the advantage an incumbent has.)

True, you would not be fighting the DNC policy of supporting incumbents in a primary, as you would if Bennet wins. However, that's a drop in the bucket compared to trying to unseat a sitting Republican U.S. Senator, esp. in a reddish purple state like Colorado.

And, we don't know how things will go after the Citizens United case. Seems as though Republicans have been getting most of that money so far.

I feel your pain. I REALLY do. But, being active in your state and donating and volunteering your heart out in primaries is the route to moving America from center right, not allowing Republicans to win in barely purple states. The latter will only move BOTH parties further right and 97% of Americans will suffer even more if that happens.

As Jon Stewart told Tim Kaine, "'We suck a lititle less' is a really bad campaign slogan. However "Permanant Republican Majority" is a much worse slogan.

Please think it over. Peace.

[Freddie Stubbs]

44. If Romanoff had been such an amazaing candidate, he would not have lost the primary

[bluestateguy]

3. No more polls

nt

[Supply Side Jesus]

8. BUCK NO!

fuckin colorado....

[Iwillnevergiveup]

9. First do no harm

Please don't not vote.

[countmyvote4real]

10. What is it about the crazy white people that has made them so stupid?

http://www.villagevoice.com/2010-09-29/news/white-america-has-lost-its-mind/

Already one poster in this thread is willing and self-enobled to sit this one out because the Democratic candidate doesn't meet our progressive ideals when the alternative is even worse. I get the first part of that, but I can't accept or allow the wing-nut fringe to be swept into power over an ill timed pissing match. That's what the primary elections are for.

So, if our only Democratic choice now is a blue dog or a DINO, it at least will tip the majority in favor of Democratic leadership in the House or the Senate. We can deal with that later or give it all away now by staying away. I'm not sure there will be an opportunity to take it back if we give it up now by sitting this election out.

[Hawkeye-X]

35. The problem, as I see it, was the interference with the WH and the special interest $$ to Bennet

Romanoff was doing fine and actually won caucuses after caucuses. Obama stepped in and interfered with the political process, and poured money that was not even clean to Bennet. I worked and voted for Romanoff. It left a very bitter taste. I'm going to mail my vote in, and at that time I will decide if I will mark it for Bennet or not.

[RBInMaine]

15. Bennet needs to start BASHING the TeaFuckWad as the raging nutjob PUKE that he is.

[otohara]

18. I'm Holding My Nose - For Bennet

cuz Senator Buck is a BAAAAAAAAAAAAAD choice.

[WhiteTara]

30. I'm holding my nose for Lincohn, cause

Boozeman will be a nightmare.

[defendandprotect]

20. Hickenlooper will be an odd win for Dems .... he's for CHARTER schools and thinks

the state should be "pro-military" -- ???

That's all I caught watching for a few minutes yesterday -- they all suck!

[paulk]

25. not so odd when you consider that the "new dem" Dem party

is basically the Republican Party of 30 years ago - before it got taken over by the religious right

Hick is a conservadem, always was, always will be...

I've never understood his popularity among liberals in this city, myself.

He's been the teflon mayor

[defendandprotect]

29. Too bad .... these are the Dems we need to be targeting, not electing -- !!!

[paulk]

31. well, considering the alternative

Tom Tancredo or Dan Maes, I guess we in CO will have to take what we can get.

What bothers me the most is that politicos like "Hick" have become the new "liberal". I don't think that a lot of younger voters understand what a real liberal is - instead we get Hickenlooper and Obama and a lot of Dems out there think that is what is progressive...

[defendandprotect]

32. DLC/Rahm certainly played a large role in encouraging rw Democrats ....

even pushing aside liberal/progressive Democrats to do it --

What you're describing in CO, is exactly what has been happening all over US with

help of DLC and corporate power over our elections -- and sadly infiltrating the Democratic Party!

Many here on DU find it troublesome to have attention drawn to corporate-Democrats

and corporate infiltration of the Democratic Party -- !!

[No Elephants]

41. "before it got taken over by the religious right " Haven't you been listening to Obama, both

candidate Obama (for Senate and for the Presidency) and President Obama?


Not long after Obama had won his U.S. Senate seat, a reporter asked Bill Clinton about a Democrat who had lost a different race. Clinton replied (not exact words) "I don't think you can win without mentioning religion. You know, Obama campaigned with his minister." (before Wright hit the fan, of course)

I kinda figured then the DLC (and "DLC adjacent" types) had decided to eliminate yet another historical difference between Republicans and Democrats. Ironically, many Republicans seem to be soft-pedaling their santi-choice, homophobic, public displays of religion stances.

"Attention, ladies and entlemen, and children of all ages (over 18)! Step right up to your local voting booth. Don't be shy. You can't go wrong. Both Republicrats and Demlicans will treat you right--and I do mean right."

But please see Reply #40, which I stand by as much as I stand by this post. It's Catch 22, at least on the national level--and members of the professional center right Know it. That's why they know they are perfectly safe scolding us so disrepectfully and calling liberals "fucking retards--then apologizing only to the developmentally challenged. (I guess we should be grateful they didn't apologize to fuckers, too?)

I hope my party wakes up and goes back to giving voters a starkly clear choice. IMO, the more the two parties look alike, the likelier people are to vote for the group that allegedly stands for lower taxes, smaller government/greater freedom and strong defense/safety and patriotism.

[Freddie Stubbs]

45. Nonsense. Many Democrats, including President Obama, support charter schools

[paulk]

26. if we lose this seat

you can pin the blame DIRECTLY on Barrack Obama for his interference in our primary.

Fucking period.

[brentspeak]

27. This possible lost race is probably one of the reasons Rahm left the WH

He was central to steering White House meddling in the Colorado primary, and understandably doesn't want to be around if/when the you-know-what hits the fan.

[defendandprotect]

34. What did he do?

[paulk]

36. endorsed a candidate (Bennet) in a competitive primary

which is unprecedented, also he gave Bennet the use of his campaign organization (OFA) and raised 3/4 of a million dollars for him.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michele-swenson/restoring-democratic-elec_b_690682.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michele-swenson/how-the-dnc-sandbagged-th_b_708145.html


----------------


What went down in Colorado was absolute fucking bullshit

[No Elephants]

42. DNC policy is backing incumbents in a primary, no matter what,

Lamont was more than competitive against LIEberman in a primary. We did not have the Oval Office then but Obama, Clinton, Schumer, et al. went after Lamont hammer and tongs in the primary, then left him, damaged, to twist in the wind during the election campaign.

[paulk]

43. it's a recent development

for the White House to become involved

[johnhkennedy]

46. Our Colorado US Senate primary was “compromised to the core”-WRITE-IN "Romanoff" or Leave it "BLANK"

Our Colorado US Senate primary was “compromised to the core”


The greatest evil that can be committed by any political party is for it’s national leader and state party leaders to conspire to sell out rank and file voters by corrupting the election process, in this case, the 2010 Colorado Senate Primary.

The Greatest Good that can be achieved from the Colorado Senate race
is Getting Back Our Honest Primaries.

A partial list of evidence of primary interference by Obama, DNC, DSCC and Organizing For America.

Gov. Ritter appointed Bennet even though none of the Democratic rank and file recommendation/emails that Ritter asked for mentioned Bennet “even once”.

Prior to our primary vote:
Obama endorsed Bennet prior to our Caucus, County Assemblies or Primary vote.
Obama directly raised Hundreds of Thousands of Dollars for Bennet in Denver.
Obama Personally Campaigned for Bennet in Colorado and elsewhere.
Obama caused 460,000 Robo-Calls to be placed to CO Dems with his endorsement.
Obama Joined a 20,000+ telephone conference call to CO Dems with his endorsement.
Obama caused thousands of Telemarketing Calls to be made to CO Dems From Washington DC, just prior to the Primary on Aug. 10.

Our State Democratic Party leaders allowed OFA to officially organize for Bennet and do it out of the State Democratic Party offices.

The DNC and DSCC gave all their Colorado Senate race money to Bennet, thus financially handicapping Romanoff and removing him from prime individual donor lists and preferential media treatment, A huge “Breach Of Trust” With Rank and File Colorado Dems.

As one Colorado Democrat said “the Colorado Democratic Party has had its appropriate roles abrogated by the DNC, DSC, OFA, the Executive Branch, and that our state primary elections for Congress are, for these reasons,
compromised to the core”.

A great many Romanoff supporters will send a message to Obama and our State and National Democratic Party leaders that we will not tolerate this Theft and

Do that by WRITING IN “Romanoff” or leaving the Space “BLANK”.

.