Intermountain West loosens its embrace of Democrats

Denver Post ^ | 2/18/10 | Michael Riley

[truthandlife]

When Barack Obama accepted his party's presidential nomination 18 months ago in a floodlighted football stadium in Denver, he pinned the hopes of a new Democratic ascendancy on the Intermountain West.

Helped along by demographic shifts in the region, Democrats looked as if they had done everything right over several election cycles, catching a wave of new voters and showcasing a bevy of bright-light politicians who included Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter.

"Western Democrats have enjoyed stunning successes over the last three elections," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid declared at a conference in Denver last August. "The road to the West Wing goes through the American West."

emerging as a test of the staying power of those forces. Although Democrats are facing difficult prospects across the electoral map, nowhere has their light dimmed as quickly as in the Rocky Mountains and Southwest.

President Obama arrives in Colorado today with approval ratings in the state lower than his national average. Early polls suggest Reid's re-election bid may be the biggest loss for the party since the unseating of Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle in 2004. Ritter, lagging badly in polls and saying he needed to dedicate more time to his family, isn't running for a second term.

"Colorado led on one end, and now it looks like it will be leading on the other," said Jennifer Duffy, who tracks Senate races across the country for the nonpartisan Cook Political Report.

She pointed out that both top-line races in the state — for governor and U.S. Senate — are at best toss-ups.

U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, a beneficiary of Obama's fundraising stop today, trails Republicans in most statewide polls. Reid, for whom Obama will appear Friday at a Nevada fundraiser, also lags behind his top Republican opponents in surveys there.

[rstrahan]

The prior election was about anti-encumbancy and a change away from the Washington-way. The Democrats elected in that way didn’t realize it, and , led by the old-guard (Pelosi, Murtha, Reid), tried the old Washington-way, but by spending more and more, imposing more and more anti-growth regulations, etc. What we are seeing now, is an outgrowth of the 2008 elections. Yes, we wanted change, but change in the other direction; a change away from more intrusive government, a change to free up opportunities, a change that would stop Wall Street bailouts. This is not what we got. The retirees in Congress are those who won’t change, and we’re gonna throw out a bunch more. Yes, we will have change we can believe in, not O-change.

[Sybeck1]

Sad when the seed of the Manifest Destiny is deemed to be a target of socialism.

[Mengerian]

The mass influx “Californication” of Montana and Colorado has changed the political demographic. Wish they’d stay in California where they belong.

[grumpygresh]

Any demonstrations planned to greet with the real grassroots 0bama outside the astroturf town hall at Fillmore auditorium?. His town halls are so fake, time for the real town hall outside.

[greatplains]

No argument with his town halls being totally staged. Still, the heart of Denver is Obama-land. But...the further you get away from the city center, the less hallowed the One is considered. Except for Boulder. While beautiful, it’s almost another universe.

[1010RD]

Excellent thinking. The most important change, the one that must stick is a return to the Constitutional underpinnings:

Dear Government, Leave Me Alone.

Stop taxing me, stop regulating me, stop managing my liberties.

If this message is lost in some ambiguous analysis that the voters “threw a temper tantrum” or that it was just an “anti-incumbent” year our efforts will have been wasted.

[happygrl]

The Intermountain West was the recipient of a number of transplanted Californians almost twenty years ago, when the severe recession here, and the trending decline in quality of life, led to a large exodus.

Some of the Californicators have provided the basis for recent "progressive" Democrat successes in election.

The home-grown green Environmentals are part of that base too.

Perhpas as these people are aging, they're coming to their senses.

[happygrl]

Didn't read your reply when I made mine. We came to the same conclusion.

[Mengerian]

No worries; your post offered greater clarity and added depth to our conclusion.

[StAnDeliver]

"President Obama arrives in Colorado today with approval ratings in the state lower than his national average. Early polls suggest Reid's re-election bid may be the biggest loss for the party since the unseating of Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle in 2004. Ritter, lagging badly in polls and saying he needed to dedicate more time to his family, isn't running for a second term."

Ritter sucks, Hickenstupid sucks, FasTracks is 2 billion with a b over budget, property values are imploding...

We flip Colorado, Indiana, and Ohio back and the rest will fall into line. Now all we need is a Reagan for the New Millenium...

[DHSMostWanted]

It’s the home of the Buffs, those fans are bizarre.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks truthandlife.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Thanks.