Sen. Michael Bennet, who was appointed to the seat in 2009, has been struggling in the polls for several months now. A poll released Monday by Public Policy showed Bennet leading former Colorado House Speaker Andrew Romanoff 49 percent to 43 percent.
Romanoff, meanwhile, appears to have benefited from a fundraising letter sent out on his behalf by Clinton, who stunned his party when he broke with Obama and announced he was backing a man who supported wife Hillary Clinton in the presidential Democratic primary race two years ago.
"That is the kind of thing that matters to Democratic primary voters," University of Denver political science professor Seth Masket said. "They look for big name endorsements on these kinds of things. The fact that you have one president going one way and another president going another is a pretty big deal in this race."
Political strategists note that Obama so far has done little to help Democratic candidates win big elections, pointing to losses in Massachusetts, where Republican Scott Brown was able to win a U.S. Senate seat long held by Democrats, and in Pennsylvania, where Obama's backing didn't stop incumbent party-switcher Arlen Specter from losing to fellow Democrat Joe Sestak.
Clinton's campaigning, on the other hand, is credited with helping Sen. Blanche Lincoln win the Arkansas Democratic primary and Democrat Mark Critz win the Pennsylvania House seat left open when Rep. John Murtha died.
"If Bennet loses, it would be a huge rebuke for Obama," Democratic strategist Doug Schoen said.
Obama, Schoen said, "has put his prestige on the line again in Colorado."
Good point, VH. I'm sure corpses and cartoon characters from all over the state will turn out for this election - trying to save face for The One.
How great would it be if Romanoff pulled off a win?!
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It was we, the people; not we, the white male citizens; nor yet we, the male citizens; but we, the whole people, who formed the Union.... Men, their rights and nothing more; women, their rights and nothing less. ~Susan B. Anthony