The Colorado Sun reports that Attorney General Phil Weiser is leading U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet in a new poll of Colorado’s Democratic primary for governor, but the fine print matters more than the headline. The poll says Weiser sits at 45%, Bennet at 36%, and 19% of likely Democratic primary voters remain undecided. It was commissioned by Fighting for Colorado, the super PAC supporting Weiser’s campaign, which means this number should be handled like gas-station sushi: maybe fine, but do not build your week around it.
The poll, conducted by Public Policy Polling among 600 likely Democratic primary voters, has a 4-point margin of error. The Colorado Sun also notes turnout has been low so far, with county clerks expecting the usual late ballot rush. So no, this is not a coronation. It is a warning label.
The real story is not that Weiser has cracked the code or that Bennet is finished. The real story is that nearly one in five voters in a primary between two very known quantities is still saying, politely, “Is this the whole menu?”
The Bullet Point Brief
- Weiser leads Bennet 45% to 36% in a poll paid for by a super PAC supporting Weiser. Subtle as a campaign mailer in a windstorm.
- Nineteen percent of likely Democratic primary voters remain undecided, which is a big flashing dashboard light in a race between Colorado’s attorney general and a sitting U.S. senator.
- The poll surveyed 600 likely Democratic primary voters by landline and text message, with a 4-point margin of error. Translation: snapshot, not scripture.
- The Sun reports turnout has been low so far, with county clerks expecting ballots to pile in late, because Colorado voters treat deadlines like a dare.
- Democrats are choosing between the attorney general lane and the D.C. senator lane. Different lapel pins, same managerial progressive pod.
My Bottom Line
Weiser and Bennet are being sold as a heavyweight Democratic clash, but from the cheap seats it looks more like Colorado Democrats deciding what flavor of elite progressive management they want poured over the state next. One comes from the legal command center. The other comes from the U.S. Senate escalator. Either way, regular Coloradans are being offered more of the same policy class that helped turn a once-great state into a case study in affordability pain, public disorder, regulatory overreach, and smug self-congratulation.
That does not mean Weiser’s lead means nothing. It means the Weiser world wants momentum, and this poll gives them a nice shiny object to wave around. That is politics. Bennet’s people want inevitability. That is also politics. The press loves a horse race because it gives everyone something to chew on between fundraising emails and debate clips.
But the undecided number is the giant neon sign here. Nineteen percent undecided this late does not scream excitement. It says voters either are not paying attention yet, or they have looked at the menu and asked if the kitchen has anything else. That is not a landslide. That is a room full of Democrats waiting for somebody to make the sale.
So treat this poll as a clue, not a commandment. Weiser may be ahead. Bennet may still have room. The late ballots may matter. The super PAC spin certainly will. The only thing leading by a landslide right now is uncertainty, followed closely by Colorado’s political class pretending another round of the same ideas will somehow fix the damage caused by the last round of the same ideas.
Source: The Colorado Sun
Share your thoughts...