Public Policy Polling (PDF) (registered voters, 8/14-16, 4/17-19 in parens):
Michael Bennet (D-inc): 39 (42)
Bob Beauprez (R): 42 (43)
Undecided: 19 (16)Michael Bennet (D-inc): 38 (39)
Ryan Frazier (R): 33 (35)
Undecided: 30 (26)Michael Bennet (D-inc): 39 (40)
Ken Buck (R): 35 (34)
Undecided: 26 (26)
(MoE: ±3.2%)
Michael Bennet’s approval rating is just as bad as it was when we polled Colorado in April but voters in the state don’t like any of his possible Republican opponents either, leaving this Senate contest pretty wide open.
38% of voters in the state disapprove of Bennet’s job performance so far with 31% approving. Those numbers are roughly equal to our previous survey which found the numbers at 41% disapproval to 34% approval. There are two primary reasons for Bennet’s net negative ratings. The first is that Republicans disapprove (62%) of him more than Democrats approve of him (57%). The second is that he’s getting unfavorable reviews from independents, 36% of whom disapprove of him compared to 29% approving. …
Potential Republican opponents Bob Beauprez, Ryan Frazier, and Ken Buck all get overall negative reviews from voters in the state as well. 40% have an unfavorable opinion of Beauprez to 30% with a positive one. For Frazier it’s 19% negative and 11% favorable and for Buck the numbers are 18% unfavorable and 17% favorable.
Though he calls the race “wide open,” Jensen also thinks Bennet would only lose to Beauprez in a 1994-style meltdown. Still, it’s depressing to even be thinking in those terms, and it’s dispiriting to see Bennet locked in at about 40% regardless of his opponent. (In case you were wondering, Frazier is an Aurora City Councilman and Buck is the Weld County District Attorney. Both jurisdictions are in the quarter-million range in terms of population.)
PPP will have more Colorado numbers over the course of the week, including GOP primary numbers for both the Senate and gubernatorial races, as well as Obama approvals.
SSP currently rates this race as Lean Dem.
RaceTracker Wiki: CO-Sen
Although, really, even if things stay bad, I can’t quite wrap my mind around the idea of Beauprez winning.
To Bennet’s credit, I read this long profile about his tenure, and if nothing else, he seems pretty resourceful and like someone who knows how to recognize that his current strategy isn’t working. He might get swept away in the tide if 2010 is really ugly, but otherwise, I’m sure he has a lot fight left in him.
This could’ve been much much worse given the plunge of Obama since April. Bennet is in decent shape given how unknown he is. But, as Nico points out, it doesn’t take away from the fact that this appointment was an epic fail.
should have been an abundance of riches. DeGette, Perlmutter, Hickenlooper, John Salazar, and Andrew Romanoff all would have loved to be a senator, but Ritter had to go pick some guy who was, and still largely is, a complete unknown.
And because the party is so screwed up Hickenlooper won’t primary him.
Nothing more doofusy than Democrats self-destructing.
Still though, people know Bob Beauprez, he isn’t going to be the one able to trend upwards.
appeal Michael Bennet brought to the table that a governor would want to appoint him. Gillibrand and Kaufman had at least something to offer. Gillibrand was very electable, was Chuck Schumer’s protege, considered to be an up and coming star in NY politics, and gave representative to upstate New York. Ted Kaufman was Joe Biden’s chief of staff and would continue to uphold Biden’s views and intentions till 2010. When it comes to Michael, I don’t see anything. I have always said that if someone should primary challenge him it should be Angie Paccione.
Agree with the sentiment here of WTF was Ritter smoking. Romanoff would have been much better.
Ryan Frazier seems to be an attractive candidate and polls remarkably quite close to Bennet but people don’t know him — undecideds are 30% when Frazier is matched against Bennet.
He needs to raise a lot more money. However, I suspect the GOP party bigwigs are pushing for Beauprez (with some justification given polling results) and will direct party donors to Beauprez in the primary.
Makes me wish Ken Salazar was still running for reelection. I mean, Obama can pick anyone for Interior Secretary, so why a Senator with rural appeal who’s also a Democrat? (Okay, last point is self explanatory). Still, there were plenty of Democrats from Western states that could have served in that post.
Now it seems, by picking Salazar, Obama accidentally gave the GOP a sliver of hope in picking up a Senate seat. Bennett’s behind Bob Beauprez, for God’s sakes! Perhaps someone should primary Bennett, like Romanov or Hickenlooper, because they seem to be better candidates.