How the West will be won in '08

As a nice follow on to yesterday's piece in the Washington Times about how the Democrats won the West, today the Denver Post has an interesting story today about how Democratic governors are planning on helping Obama pick up some key swing state.

Prominently mentioned is Colorado.

And whenever Colorado is mentioned Ritter and Wadams are both sure to get plenty of ink.

Although polls show Obama with a slight lead in Colorado, not much should be read into it.

"Where the Democrats have done well statewide," one Democrat from the southern part of the state told the Inside Edge, "has been when they field a candidate that can bring some conservative ideals and credentials to the race, like Ritter and Salazar. Obama, on the other hand swung father to the left as the campaign wore on. His success in the general election will depend on his ability to retake that middle ground."

That's where Ritter will be helpful. Ritter's popularity combined with a general view of Ritter being a conservative Democrat, could help Obama.

Wadhams on the other hand makes the case in the Post story that many of the comments Obama made about rural America will hurt him with independents in Colorado.

Obama, the Post quotes Wadhams, "disparaged rural America and therefore rural Coloradans" because of Obama's comments about bitterness, guns and religion.  

Obama last week began his march back to the center with a speech to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee with his strongest indication of support to date for Israel by saying: "Any agreement with the Palestinian people must preserve Israel's identity as a Jewish state, with secure, recognized and defensible borders. Jerusalem will remain the capital of Israel, and it must remain undivided."

Obama has been accused by some of being moderately pro-Arab.

If Obama's not successful in selling the new, more moderate Obama to the electorate, it could hurt him in places like Colorado. And that could have implications for the rest of the state.    

"It will be interesting," says one DC-based political strategist "if the Udall people will welcome Obama or shun him. Wadhams has done good job tagging Udall with the ‘Boulder-Liberal' moniker. As a Republican I'd want Obama campaigning with Udall as much as possible."