Poll: Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet Potentially Vulnerable -- But GOP Field Running Weak, Too
A new survey of Colorado from Public Policy Polling (D) finds that Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet, who was appointed to the seat in January, has a lackluster approval rating and isn't polling too well against his potential GOP opponents -- but the Republicans aren't doing well, either.
Bennet trails former Congressman and 2006 gubernatorial nominee Bob Beauprez by 42%-39%. Bennet leads Weld County District Attorney Ken Buck by 39%-35%, and leads Aurora City Councilor Ryan Frazier by 38%-33%. The margin of error is ±3.2%.
All candidates have net negative ratings. Bennet's approval rating is 31%, to 38% unfavorable. Breauprez's favorable-unfavorable is 30%-40%, Buck's is 17%-18%, and Frazier's is 17%-18%.
"Colorado voters continue to be pretty uninspired by their choices for the US Senate next year," said PPP president Dean Debnam, in the polling memo. "You still have to peg Bennet as the favorite because of his superior fundraising but it doesn't look like a slam dunk by any means."
Josh
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Brian
Bennet has hopped on the bus for the public health care option and pretty much broadcast his position on Huff Post recently. For this reason, I'll be doing my utmost to support him in the next election. I guess you could say he's coming around to our way of thinking.
August 18, 2009 3:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
He fights for us, we fight for him. PERIOD.
August 18, 2009 4:19 PM | Reply | Permalink
As one of Bennet's constituents, I can tell you that he has done little to nothing to endear himself to the folks he's supposed to represent: there hasn't been any real outreach to any of Colorado's working and middle class, and many lifelong Dems, myself included, view him as nothing more than a economically priviledged interloper. He was a failure as Superintendent of Denver Public Schools, hyping the private sector at the expense of genuine public school reform, and as a wealthy white guy with great connections, failed upwards to the Senate seat.
I hope the support for health care reform is real, but I have my doubts as to his intentions, especially in light of his support for the Thune amendment, which thankfully tanked.
Maybe this polling will convince him that he needs our support not the other way around. This is the second (and harder) part of Change: first more Dems, then better Dems.
August 18, 2009 6:31 PM | Reply | Permalink