Wow, those Baggerz in Colorado sure loves them some Democrats. If they didn't love Dems why would they spend the entire year painting the "Big Square C" blue for the rest of this young decade? This dairy is even inspired by FOX newsance of all folks. The Foxers recently decided that Rasmussen wasn't putting up enough meme-setting data to be balanced enough so they subcontracted Ras to put up a cheap junk poll (think Zogby Interactive circa 2004, channeled through Roger Ailes' colon). Here are new numbers that they put up today. No doubt, Reds are trumpeting this as proof that Buck is winning and Hick is vulnerable. Not so fast...
On the Senate side, the poll, conducted October 16, shows Republican Ken Buck (46%) with a one-point lead over Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet (45%). The previous Fox News poll, conducted Sept. 25, had Buck at 47% and Bennet at 43%....
(snip)
In the gubernatorial race, the poll shows Democrat John Hickenlooper (45%) leading third-party candidate Tom Tancredo (40%), with Republican Dan Maes (10%) a distant third. In the Sept. 25 poll, Hickenlooper was at 44%, while Tancredo was at 34% and Maes was at 15%.
I come not to bury Ras but to praise them. Yes, we all know that they push the envelope of Likely Voters to the extreme and are consistantly outliers saturating the data pool to push the messaging median to the right, but they are consistant. Year after year, cycle after cycle they pump out temperature polls that push a message but they avoid looking like stooges when the numbers count. Trust that as we get closer and closer to election day their results will come closer and closer to the mean averages of all public poll. When they start pimping Reds for the Pres election in 2012 they want to be able to say "Hey, dispite all the crap we took in 2010 our final numbers where darn close"... and they will be. Cook the books for a year and then get it right at the finish line, that's there modus operandi.
So what's that got to do with Colorado?
Three points of note and the last ones the best (by FAR):
Uno - If they are showing Bennett only down by 1 we can only assume that this race is as dead even as a race gets. With another two weeks to explain Rape-Gate away Buck doesn't look to pad his support any. If Bennett wins this state will probably have 4 years to institutionalize Dem supremacy in this rapidly progressing state.
Dos - Considering that a Ras poll is usually a worst case scenario, you have Hick with a 5% lead over a guy who will be three lines down on the ballot... and is batshit crazy!
Tres- (REALLY BIG THING) "with Republican Dan Maes (10%) a distant third. In the Sept. 25 poll, Hickenlooper was at 44%, while Tancredo was at 34% and Maes was at 15%." The REAL Republic' in this race is being polled, by the home team, as being AT 10%, hemoraging like crazy from 15% three weeks ago!
In Colorado, if a Guv'nor candidate fails to clear 10% in the general election that party does not get on the state ballots as a major party... no one, not even the Republican dog catcher will be able to get on top of the ballot. They will be stuck downline with the Greens the Liberaterians and all the other assorted riff-raff. If it's any consolation that will also put Tancredo's American Constitutional Party up on the topline with the slightly better know Democratic Party. No doubt Teabaggerz will be piling on the ACP ballot for the next 4 years, if not longer. Oh, and it gets better...
DENVER (AP) — GOP gubernatorial candidate Dan Maes, who has touted his business experience running telecommunications and credit reporting companies, says he filed personal bankruptcy 20 years ago. According to The Denver Post, Maes filed bankruptcy in 1989 when he was 29 years old and single. Maes spokesman Nate Strauch says Maes has no plans to drop out of the race.... Maes has lost support from a number of Republicans, including former U.S. Sen. Hank Brown, who cited character issues.
I'm very glad to see Maes doesn't intend to drop out of the race. Technically he can't though. His name will be on the ballot with a big "R" next to it. But apparently some Rocky Mountain Teabaggerz think bribing him to drop out would be mighty patriotic and constitutional:
Republican Dan Maes, facing calls to drop out of the Colorado gubernatorial race as Tom Tancredo’s third-party campaign surges, has reportedly rejected money in exchange for taking his name off the ballot.
The Denver Post reports that a "wealthy donor was willing to pony up money" to give to Maes, noting that if that he dropped out, "political observers believe Tom Tancredo, a former Republican running on a third-party ticket, stands a chance of beating the frontrunner, Democrat John Hickenlooper, for governor." Maes declined the offer, according to a supporter. "Dan Maes was offered money from a 501(c)4 non-profit foundation, in exchange for getting out with the money coming from some unnamed wealthy donor," Maes supporter Joe Harrington told the Denver Post. "Two of three who made the offers to me commented that they found the offer repulsive but felt it their duty to pass it along."
It's nice of Dan to reject the money, especially since it would be illegal for him to take it and moreso for a "wealthy donor" to offer it. I have to praise the "two of three" who only made the offer with remorse... clearly 2/3s of TeaBaggerz endeavor election fraud with discomfort... that should make for a GR8! bumpersticker.
UPDATE:
Great catch in comments by Ptolemynm, who is more diligent than I:
CO Rev. Stat. 1-45-115. Encouraging withdrawal from campaign prohibited.
No person shall offer or give any candidate or candidate committee any money or any other thing of value for the purpose of encouraging the withdrawal of the candidate's candidacy, nor shall any candidate offer to withdraw a candidacy in return for money or any other thing of value.