So what happened in Colorado?

[Lief 🗽]

The GOP is still very weak in CO and last night proved it again.  Hickenlooper was one of the few Democrats in high profile races that met his final polls.  Udall's victory was weaker than expected. 

Ousting an incumbent Senator and coming very close to defeating an incumbent governor, both of which  won by double digits last time = very weak?

Plus BOTH houses of the state legislature.

They might, but it's not certain yet.

[Lief 🗽]

Vox Populi, don't you have to change your avatar to R-CO now?

Oh yeah, guess I'm a Rethuglican now

RIP.

[Lief 🗽]

In the end, Hickenlooper probably wins by a larger margin than Gardner. Udall, who ran an awful campaign, will only barely lost to the best Republican candidate of 2014. It looks like Colorado is still a Lean D state, especially with higher Hispanic turnout in presidential years.

[Lief 🗽]

Me and Panda are radical lefties...

Less radical than Lief, but he is from another universe.

No, no. Just Texas.

[Lief 🗽]

Colorado's a swing state (not purple-blue like MI, not purple-red like MT, but pure purple), Udall ran a terrible campaign focused on only one issue, and Gardner was an excellent candidate who will be a great Senator. Had it been Scott Gessler facing Hick instead of Beauprez, that race would have gone to the republicans as well.

If Colorado were a pure purple swing state, and Udall ran a terrible campaign and Gardner ran an excellent one, Gardner would have won by more than 2.5% IMO. Iowa is a better example of a pure swing state, especially because of its demographics (white working class) compared to Colorado's.

[Lief 🗽]

I'm not sure. It's not as Democratic as states like Michigan, but it's much, much more polarized than a state like Michigan. Democrats seem to have a very high floor in the state.

[Lief 🗽]

Colorado's a swing state (not purple-blue like MI, not purple-red like MT, but pure purple), Udall ran a terrible campaign focused on only one issue, and Gardner was an excellent candidate who will be a great Senator. Had it been Scott Gessler facing Hick instead of Beauprez, that race would have gone to the republicans as well.

If Colorado were a pure purple swing state, and Udall ran a terrible campaign and Gardner ran an excellent one, Gardner would have won by more than 2.5% IMO. Iowa is a better example of a pure swing state, especially because of its demographics (white working class) compared to Colorado's.

What state is Colorado most like then?

Actually I've been thinking about it and I think the best comparison is Virginia. 2013 in Virginia and 2014 in Colorado are very similar. It looks like Democrats have figured out how to squeeze out 49% coalitions in both states, unless the Republicans nominate a truly excellent candidate.

[Lief 🗽]

If that was the best night the CO GOP is capable of, then yes, it's still a Lean D state.

And the GOP hasn't taken the state senate yet. They're still counting votes: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1kvSCx7-trOot0Y0y6Et_KMuu4NRQQtSRm5i0kXRx7JA/edit#gid=0