I have been involved with the Salazar campaign a bit, and I think I have an idea on why he was one of the few sucessful senatorial campaigns. Simply, he exudes the "values" of both the conservatives and liberals in red state Colorado.
As the Denver Post said in there endorsement of Salazar below:
"As a fifth-generation Coloradan whose family has ranched and farmed in the San Luis Valley, Salazar connects with rural citizens and their concerns. He lingers in a meeting to hear every side of an argument, the better to forge a fair middle course.
Some Democrats criticize Salazar for his middle-of-the-road approach, but it reflects cornerstone Colorado values, and his ability to work closely and cordially with Republicans and independents is a definite plus in a state that is split three ways."
Unfortunately, many of the other senate canidates couldn't get past the liberal monicker. Many, espeically Carson in Oklahoma tried to maintain their moderateness, but honestly in states that are very coservative, that is going to be hard to do. Sure, Coburn said ridiculous things like "lesbianism is rampant in our schools." But the reality is that probably many if not most Oklahomans not only believe that but are genuinely concerned about it as well. If you don't believe me, take a look at this article from the Washington Post.
In Colorado, Pete Coors became the social liberal with his company's support of benefits for gay couples, and the lowered drinking age. Although, he tried to distance himself from that, Salazar was right there with his farm-boy background and moderate agenda to win the value-war with Coors.
As the post said: "On the critical issues of the day, Salazar comes closer to the Colorado center than Coors."
Maybe we can learn a lot about how to win the battle of values from Salazar.