In the 7th Congressional District of Colorado, the going has gotten quite mudslingy, indeed.
Joe Coors, the Republican challenger, originally promised to run a positive campaign, Perlmutter was hopeful he’d actually get to talk about the issues and the policies he’s been fighting for.
But that didn’t last long. The attack ads have been brutal – even labeled “deceitful” by the Denver Post – and while the Perlmutter campaign is fighting back with frequent Fact Checks, they also decided it was time to have a little fun:
Due to the extreme amounts of mudslinging from Joe Coors in the last few weeks, they’ve had to ask all their campaign staff to wear protective ponchos at all times.
While Ed Perlmutter is disappointed his opponent wouldn’t keep his positive pledge, Ed hasn’t lost his focus on job creation, serving our veterans, and making sure our communities’ families are thriving.
The national media spotlight turned on Denver in early October, as the first Presidential Debate got underway at the University of Denver. Looking for new angles and local expertise, reporters turned to OnSight Public Affairs’ Mike Melanson for information and insight.
Quoted in the LA Times and at NBCPolitics.com, Melanson’s pithy and incisive commentary about the character of western voters helped bring the rest of the nation up to speed on the tenor of the contest in this battleground state.
With the election only weeks away and the candidates in what — at the time of this writing– appears to be a statistical dead heat, continue to watch this space for new polling data and insight into what it all means.
If you missed the inaugural Pedal The Plains Ride, there’s plenty of ways to catch up! The event was a major success, with close to a thousand riders (including Governor Hickenlooper) tackling the rolling hills of the Eastern Plains of Colorado.
Pedal The Plains Facebook page and Twitter feed, featuring tons of pics, updates, and comments from participants and sponsors.
Day 1 PTP blog:
The first day of the first ever Viaero Wireless Pedal The Plains is in the books, and what a great day it was. It dawned crisp, calm, and clear, with volunteers bustling around Old Thresher’s Village in Yuma. Riders and locals pouring into the village over the course of the. Pics from Day 1.
Day 2 PTP blog:
The "Top Hogs" performance was a crowd-pleaser in Burlington!
Saturday brought a headwind to frustrate riders, but also rolling hills, gorgeous vistas, and educational stops including tours of the historical Beecher Island battle ground. Trivia signage dotted the roadside to keep cyclists alert and informed about the history and industry of the local countryside. Pics from Day 2 and Party on the Plains.
Day 3 PTP blog:
A slight overcast on Sunday allowed riders to ease more smoothly into the morning, and kept temperatures seasonably cool and pleasant throughout the day. After loosening up sore muscles heading west into a stiff and chilly headwind, the course turned northward, and the wind assisted riders along. Over rolling sage-brush hills, through now-familiar corn crops, past farmsteads both active and abandoned, and alongside some unexpected spectators, cyclists pedaled the ride’s longest leg, covered over 80 miles. Pics from Day 3.
Pedal The Plains was designed to provide numerous economic benefits and opportunities for host communities’ lodging, restaurant, retail businesses, as well as entertainment, community meals, home stays and transportation.
All event proceeds will benefit The Denver Post Community Foundation in support of Future Farmers of America, 4-H and Rural Solutions.
The campaign is focused on passing Amendment S. Colorado’s personnel system, which affects nearly every business and private citizen in the state, has not been updated in more than 40 years. Amendment S will modernize government so that we hire and promote the best employees, increase accountability and help veterans who serve our country.
People who are interested in helping the measure pass can sign up for emails on the campaign web site and like the campaign’s page on Facebook (which jumped from 27 to over 600 fans in less than a week).
The issue will be on ballots in Colorado this November.
The President leads Romney 49 percent to 44 percent as unaffiliated voters swing to the incumbent.
DENVER _ President Barack Obama leads Gov. Mitt Romney 49 percent to 44 percent in the first survey of likely Colorado voters since the party conventions.
Obama’s five-point lead is due largely to growing support among the key demographic of unaffiliated voters, according to the second survey in a series of live-interview tracking polls released by Keating Research, Inc., Onsight Public Affairs and Project New America leading up to the November election.
“The fact that the race for Colorado is still very close may be the only good news for Mitt Romney coming out of the conventions,” said Mike Melanson, senior partner at OnSight Public Affairs. “Romney needed to improve his likability, but it appears Coloradans find him less likable than they did before the convention. Meanwhile, Obama has made significant gains among unaffiliated voters and maintained a solid lead among women.”
A poll conducted August 21-22 showed Obama with a four-point lead over Romney, 48 percent to 44 percent. Since that poll, Obama has added nine points to his advantage among unaffiliated voters, improving from a 50 percent to 36 percent margin in August to a 55-32 percent advantage in the latest survey.
A majority of Colorado voters, 51 percent, are now favorable toward Obama compared to 47 percent favorable toward Romney. Obama improved his standing with unaffiliated voters by four points, from 52 percent favorable and 43 percent unfavorable in August to a 55-42 split after the convention. But just 37 percent of unaffiliated voters view Romney favorably, while 59 percent say they have an unfavorable view of him. In August, the GOP challenger’s favorability split was 40 percent favorable, 56 percent unfavorable among unaffiliated voters.
“President Obama’s numbers are up among unaffiliated voters suggesting that the Democratic convention helped him connect with Colorado’s critical voting block,” said Jill Hanauer, CEO of Project New America. “The favorability gap between the President and Romney represent a key advantage going forward.”
Overall, Coloradans are paying attention to the race, with 56 percent of those polled saying they watched some or all of both candidates speeches. And regardless of whom they favor, voters are nearly twice as likely to predict a victory for Obama. Only 27 percent of those polled said Romney would win in November, compared to 52 percent predicting Obama. Obama also leads Romney by 10 points – 52 percent to 42 percent in the two suburban counties, Arapahoe and Jefferson, that are considered key indicators to winning in Colorado.
The candidates remain virtually tied among men – 46 percent for Obama and 45 percent for Romney – while women favor Obama 51 percent to 43 percent. Among whites, the candidates are tied at 46 percent, but 67 percent of Hispanics favor Obama.
The poll is based on 503 live telephone interviews with likely voters across Colorado on Monday and Tuesday of this week. For this sample of 503 interviews, the worst-case margin of error at the 95% level is plus or minus 4.4 percent. Respondents were chosen at random from a list of voters with phone numbers, including cell phones.
