Rocky Mountain News: "Colorado voters are in a 'blue' mood over the war in Iraq, the economy and a host of other issues, and that's putting a serious scare into candidates with 'Republican' associated with their names. A new Rocky Mountain News/CBS 4 poll shows Coloradans are mirroring a national trend that gives Democrats a serious head start going into the seven-week sprint to November's mid-term elections. With President Bush's popularity sinking in Colorado, Republicans have a steep uphill climb, said pollster Lori Weigel. At the same time, the state's key unaffiliated voters are leaning Democratic, said political consultant David Kenney...
"The survey found that 61 percent of the respondents feel that the country is on the wrong track - even as 51 percent said the state of Colorado is going in the right direction. Bush comfortably won Colorado in 2000 and 2004, but in the latest survey only 37 percent of those polled said they approved of his performance as president. That's down from 61 percent who approved in December 2003 and a 45 percent approval rate in October 2005. One big reason is the war in Iraq. The survey showed a sharp drop in those who said they have always believed going to war was the right thing to do (from 55 percent in 2003 to 33 percent this month) and a sharp increase (from 30 percent to 41 percent) in the number who claim they have 'always believed' that going to war in Iraq was the wrong thing to do. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, the cabinet member most closely associated with the war in Iraq, has a 29 percent approval rating in the Colorado survey, down from 47 percent in the months following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks...
"Beyond the basic numbers are some demographic trends working against Republicans. Traditionally, Republicans score higher among men and Democrats score higher among women. In Colorado, Democrats like gubernatorial hopeful Bill Ritter have virtually eliminated the gender gap among men, while women - particularly career women - are giving the Republican Party low marks. Men over age 55, who tend to be more independent-minded, give Republicans some of their lowest marks, according to the survey. Unaffiliated voters, who made up 21 percent of the respondents, were almost as likely as Democrats to say the country was on the 'wrong track.' Only 20 percent of independents approve of the job Bush is doing. To avoid getting caught in any national tidal wave, Colorado Republicans have to prove their independence from the Washington establishment, Weigel said."
"denver 2006"
8:22:43 AM 
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