Colorado 2014 Megathread

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

Election news from Colorado has been rather slow in the past week, but I thought we ought to have a thread for one of 2016's prospective Democratic candidates.  Obviously, Hickenlooper has to win this if he wants half a chance at getting the nomination in a couple years, and although the CO GOP is currently in its weak phase, his victory this November is far from guaranteed.

Anyway, you know how it goes.

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

Tancredo to try bypassing the GOP caucuses and go directly to the primary ballot by collecting petition signatures

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

Tancredo wants heads to roll over Colorado’s ‘investigation’ into Sen. Udall’s office

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

State Republicans are proposing bills that would let voters opt out of receiving a ballot by mail, and allow anyone to challenge the validity of ballots cast by mail.

[Flake]

State Republicans are proposing bills that would let voters opt out of receiving a ballot by mail, and allow anyone to challenge the validity of ballots cast by mail.

lolwhy

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

As expected - failed in committee on a party-line vote.

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

Summit County to host Republican gubernatorial candidate for community meeting

[TX Conservative Dem]

Hickenlooper should win reelection in November with 57%

[Rocky Rockefeller]

Hickenlooper should win reelection in November with 57%

^Agree

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Remember, there could very well be some third partiers and I think Tancredo gets at least 42% maybe 45%. That reduces Hick down to 53%-55%.

[publicunofficial]

He was always DOA anyway, but State Sen. Bernie Herpin (Who beat John Morse in the first recall election) is still doing his best to make the CO-GOP look good.

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Like the people who put him in office, total scum.

[TX Conservative Dem]

I'm waiting to see if the Colorado Dems pickup one of the down ballot statewide offices in November

[5280]

I'm waiting to see if the Colorado Dems pickup one of the down ballot statewide offices in November

A realistic scenario would be Hickenlooper winning reelection by a hair, Udall getting defeated by Owen Hill for senate or some other REP candidate and Mike Coffman holding his seat.  All the Democrats holding their seats doesn't sound reasonable.

[International Brotherhood of Bernard]

I'm waiting to see if the Colorado Dems pickup one of the down ballot statewide offices in November

A realistic scenario would be Hickenlooper winning reelection by a hair, Udall getting defeated by Owen Hill for senate or some other REP candidate and Mike Coffman holding his seat.  All the Democrats holding their seats doesn't sound reasonable.

Oh please, GOP will nominate Ken Buck and as a result Udall will win comfortably. If he couldn't win in 2010, he sure as hell won't win this year. And Andrew Romanoff is a strong candidate against Mike Coffman, I say he has about a 50-50 chance of winning.

[5280]

What does everybody think Owen Hill's chances are of winning the primary? I'm hoping he can pull it off.

I would prefer Owen Hill over Ken Buck as he's younger and could bring fresh ideas to CO. Udall was lock in step 99% with Obama and needs to get the boot.

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

Tancredo and Gessler opted to stay out of the GOP debate that was held last Tuesday.  Tancredo was apparently worried that him being at a debate would have provided ammunition for Democrats (he's probably right... but then why bother running at all?) and Gessler didn't attend because Tancredo wasn't there.

[Miles]

Beauprez may still get in; Trancredo would likely then drop out.

[backtored]

I'm waiting to see if the Colorado Dems pickup one of the down ballot statewide offices in November

A realistic scenario would be Hickenlooper winning reelection by a hair, Udall getting defeated by Owen Hill for senate or some other REP candidate and Mike Coffman holding his seat.  All the Democrats holding their seats doesn't sound reasonable.

Oh please, GOP will nominate Ken Buck and as a result Udall will win comfortably. If he couldn't win in 2010, he sure as hell won't win this year. And Andrew Romanoff is a strong candidate against Mike Coffman, I say he has about a 50-50 chance of winning.

Maybe you didn't hear aboyut two historic recalls and a resignation to avoid a third, or a monumental tax hike loss to which the governor pinned his political capital, or the cratering poll numbers for a governor and senator who were supposed to be safe for reelection, or a sitting Democratic President's approval numbers at 37 percent--one of the worst in thie country.

If you don't see a real-deal conservative revolt in there, well, what can I say?  People don't wonder if Democrats will lose here, they only wonder how badly. Does that mean that the GOP will have a banner year here? Well, you know that the local Republican Party is hardly expert at capitalizing on good things. But the dynamics are there for a massive sea change in Colorado politics. To wonder if the GOP will LOSE ground in the state is to pretend that the last six months just didn't happen. Many Democrats here seem to be doing just that. Let me suggest that doing so is hardly a winning political strategy. But I want Democrats to lose, so you all just keep on keepin' on.

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

I'm waiting to see if the Colorado Dems pickup one of the down ballot statewide offices in November

A realistic scenario would be Hickenlooper winning reelection by a hair, Udall getting defeated by Owen Hill for senate or some other REP candidate and Mike Coffman holding his seat.  All the Democrats holding their seats doesn't sound reasonable.

Oh please, GOP will nominate Ken Buck and as a result Udall will win comfortably. If he couldn't win in 2010, he sure as hell won't win this year. And Andrew Romanoff is a strong candidate against Mike Coffman, I say he has about a 50-50 chance of winning.

People don't wonder if Democrats will lose here, they only wonder how badly.

Colorado has snapped back to the right.  I don't know what that portends for the country more broadly, but I won't at all be surprised to see Romney lose by handful and still win in Colorado.  Frankly, the whole "new majority" narrative about Colorado and even Nevada has been wrong for six long years.

In a state where Republicans always outnumber Democrats in elections, and where the GOP has actually made real gains in the voter rolls since '08 (when, yet again, more Republicans voted than Democrats), why would 2012 be the most explosive year for Democratic turnout in Colorado ever?  The notion defies logic.

Did they poll the marijuana referendum?

Yes.  The Post will release those results probably sometime this weekend.  I really don't expect it to pass.  My hunch is that it's polling in the mid-to-upper 40s, as it has been for PPP for a while.  If it isn't well above 50% now, it won't get there before November.  The popular Democratic governor came out against it this week, which will only deepen opposition and will almost definitely bring along some Democrats who have been on the fence about it. 

It will either be real tight, or a real big win for Romney.  I can't decide which.

Which leads me to conclude that Obama can't win Colorado.

Glad to see our expert Colorado elections predictor is back to spread his seeds of wisdom.

[backtored]

Beauprez may still get in; Trancredo would likely then drop out.

Democrats here don't take him seriously because if his '06 whooping. But he was, at one point, the hottest stock in state politics. He has the money to match the incumbent, decent name recognition, and plenty of experience in statewide races as state GOP chair during the GOP's golden years here.

In other words, '06 was probably more of a fluke and he would make a great candidate. And if he can clear the field, he may be able to do what few Republicans have done and unite a party that has a natural advantage in Colorado against the Democrats when firing on all cylinders.

But I'm sure that Democrats will spend their time laughing amongst themselves about the backsides of horses rather than doing the legwork they'll need to do to win in November.

[backtored]

I'm waiting to see if the Colorado Dems pickup one of the down ballot statewide offices in November

A realistic scenario would be Hickenlooper winning reelection by a hair, Udall getting defeated by Owen Hill for senate or some other REP candidate and Mike Coffman holding his seat.  All the Democrats holding their seats doesn't sound reasonable.

Oh please, GOP will nominate Ken Buck and as a result Udall will win comfortably. If he couldn't win in 2010, he sure as hell won't win this year. And Andrew Romanoff is a strong candidate against Mike Coffman, I say he has about a 50-50 chance of winning.

People don't wonder if Democrats will lose here, they only wonder how badly.

Colorado has snapped back to the right.  I don't know what that portends for the country more broadly, but I won't at all be surprised to see Romney lose by handful and still win in Colorado.  Frankly, the whole "new majority" narrative about Colorado and even Nevada has been wrong for six long years.

In a state where Republicans always outnumber Democrats in elections, and where the GOP has actually made real gains in the voter rolls since '08 (when, yet again, more Republicans voted than Democrats), why would 2012 be the most explosive year for Democratic turnout in Colorado ever?  The notion defies logic.

Did they poll the marijuana referendum?

Yes.  The Post will release those results probably sometime this weekend.  I really don't expect it to pass.  My hunch is that it's polling in the mid-to-upper 40s, as it has been for PPP for a while.  If it isn't well above 50% now, it won't get there before November.  The popular Democratic governor came out against it this week, which will only deepen opposition and will almost definitely bring along some Democrats who have been on the fence about it. 

It will either be real tight, or a real big win for Romney.  I can't decide which.

Which leads me to conclude that Obama can't win Colorado.

Glad to see our expert Colorado elections predictor is back to spread his seeds of wisdom.

The Romney campaign itself thought that Colorado was practically bagged. I was hardly out on a limb there. But I was wrong, so if it makes you feel better to discount every assertion I make, well, you go right ahead. Just don't be surprised if you end up a little surprised, because nothing in Colorado politics is surprising anymore.

[publicunofficial]

It's nice to know that the Republican/Libertarian posters from Colorado are just as delusional as the Republican Party of Colorado.

[5280]

It's nice to know that the Republican/Libertarian posters from Colorado are just as delusional as the Republican Party of Colorado.

No, it's not delusional, it's called Colorado being the petri dish experiment for Democrat utopia lifestyles that is being overran in this state with far left ideology from other failed states.

[publicunofficial]

It's nice to know that the Republican/Libertarian posters from Colorado are just as delusional as the Republican Party of Colorado.

No, it's not delusional, it's called Colorado being the petri dish experiment for Democrat utopia lifestyles that is being overran in this state with far left ideology from other failed states.

It's nice to know that the Republican/Libertarian posters from Colorado are just as delusional crazy as the Republican Party of Colorado.

[backtored]

It's nice to know that the Republicanism/Libertarian posters from Colorado are just as delusional as the Republican Party of Colorado.

No, it's not delusional, it's called Colorado being the petri dish experiment for Democrat utopia lifestyles that is being overran in this state with far left ideology from other failed states.

A rightwards swinging Colorado really poops on the party that the we-are-the-future left has been throwing for nearly a decade in this state. They're talking about a blue Texas and Georgia based on exactly the same model that helped them seize Colorado. If conservatives take back Colorado, boy, that sure puts a hitch in the liberal giddy up, doesn't it? I don't know what will happen, but at least we can be honest about what is at stake.