The newest polling from Rasmussen in Colorado’s wacky gubernatorial race still indicates quite a bit of turmoil, as the polling outfit moves the race back from “Solid Democrat” to “Leans Democrat.” Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper’s inability to break out of the mid-40s (in fact, he has lost a few points in this survey) is allowing Tom Tancredo to remain within striking distance, even with Dan Maes absorbing the remaining voters:
The Colorado governor’s race is increasingly looking like a contest between Democrat John Hickenlooper and independent Tom Tancredo.
The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of Likely Colorado voters shows Hickenlopper [sic] still ahead with 43% support, but Tancredo now earns 35% of the vote, his best showing so far. Republican candidate Dan Maes trails with 16%. One percent (1%) like another candidate in the race, and five percent (5%) are undecided.
This race now moves from Solid Democrat to Leans Democrat in the Rasmussen Reports Election 2010 Gubernatorial Scorecard.
Tancredo announced a raft of new Tea Party support, even as the rift within the Colorado liberty movement of Tea Party and 9/12 groups remains heated:
The endorsement list includes a number of leaders from the Denver-based Hear Us Now! and members of various other Tea Party and 9.12 groups across the state. It also includes people identified simply as grassroots activists with no group affiliations noted.
“Colorado citizens need assurance that we are doing the best we can to support a solid and winning conservative candidate to represent us,” said Bob Marshall, secretary of Hear Us Now!, in a statement. “Based on polling trends and the direction that the governor’s race has taken over the course of the last several weeks, we firmly believe that candidate Tom Tancredo represents Colorado’s best choice in this race.” […]
Analysts say it’s unlikely Tancredo can win in a three-way race, though he may succeed in beating Maes down to the single digits in the polls.
That’s an unsettling prediction for Maes backer and Vail Valley 9.12 Project organizer Michael Schneider.
“If Hickenlooper wins this election by less than 50 percent, Tancredo is the pariah of the conservative movement,” Schneider said. “He blackmailed the Republican Party. That’s Washington politics. How can we support anybody like that?”
The biggest news of the day comes from one of the most prominent citizens in the state that carries a great deal of weight–conservative blogger extraordinaire and Colorado resident, Michelle Malkin, who urges Maes to move on:
The GOP gubernatorial candidate in Colorado, Dan Maes, is now in full meltdown mode. I mentioned his campaign briefly back in August on primary night, but have been tracking developments closely here in my home state. Republican primary voters were forced to choose betweenentrenched, ethics-challenged establishment candidate Scott McInnis and untested businessman Maes. GOP voters made the right choice given the options at the time. Maes and his supporters deserve deep thanks for sparing us a McInnis massacre. But it’s time to pass on the baton. […]
Third-party challenger Tom Tancredo, who has pleaded for weeks for Maes to step aside, has eclipsed him. The writing is on the wall: There is one conservative in the governor’s race who can win — and it is not Maes. […]
Voters on the center-Right in Colorado have been blessed with the time and opportunity to change course before Election Day and unite behind one viable conservative candidate with the momentum to win. Seize the moment.
Malkin has an extensive list of Tancredo’s endorsements as well.