Colo. Caucuses Point Way for Democrats

By Richard Martin, 2-04-08

Tomorrow’s caucuses in Colorado will apportion 55 delegates to the Democratic presidential candidates (46 to Republicans), and it’s a bit of an irony that neither Barack Obama nor Hillary Clinton has spent significant time in the state that will host the Democratic National Convention next summer. In other ways, though, Colorado – which went 52 percent for George W. Bush in the last presidential election – “offers a microcosm of the national picture,” as Laura Flanders, a political correspondent for the left-leaning Nation, puts it.

Despite Clinton’s dominant position with the Democratic establishment here – she snagged most of the significant endorsements including that of The Denver Post—Obama has raised more than twice as much money has HRC. And despite the vaunted Clinton political machine, Obama has apparently done a better job of grassroots organizing, as well.

The result, as with the national race, is that Clinton has seen a formidable lead wither. After enjoying a double digit-lead throughout 2007 in Colorado, she now actually trails Obama slightly according to the latest Post poll.

I don’t necessarily buy the argument, voiced by political writer David Sirota claims in his new syndicated column, that “With the South stymieing Democrats and the Northeast rejecting Republicans, the West is 2008’s big prize.” Aren’t Florida and Ohio the big prizes in the national race?

It is certainly true, though, that the success of the Democrats in the West will be a weathervane for the general election. There are enough cross-currents here to bolster an argument for either Clinton or Obama: Colorado is a “purple state,” which helps the less polarizing Obama. Colorado is 20 percent Hispanic, a blue-collar Democratic bloc that favors Clinton. A strong military presence will boost the more hawkish Hillary; the university enclaves of Ft. Collins and Boulder will give the inspirational Obama the edge. And so on.

Here’s one more indicator, for what it’s worth: Our family has received three calls (plus an invitation from a friend) from Obama’s campaign asking us to show up and caucus for him. Hillary hasn’t phoned yet.