August 10, 2010 08:50 PM UTC

The Hill:"Sen. Bennet faces uphill battle if he wins the primary"

• 12 Comments
• by: wade norris

There are many reasons for supporting or not supporting a candidate in a primary race. I could cite many reasons to support either Andrew Romanoff or Michael Bennet -but for Democrats there is really only one thing that they should know about this primary.

It’s that Michael Bennet can’t win against the Republicans.

From the Hill:

Sen. Bennet faces uphill battle if he wins the primary

The troubling news for Bennet – and other Democratic incumbents – is that only 42 percent of the Colorado voters polled approve of him, and 44 percent disapprove. Moreover, asked whether they wanted to elect a new person or reelect their incumbent, just 34 percent would vote for their incumbent, while 55 percent prefer a new person.

Bennet’s approval rating is under 50% – Bennet at only 42% is a sign of trouble for an incumbent, but it is his disapproval ratings that are most troubling – his disapproval rating is higher than his approval at 44% – a sign of a toxic candidacy for a general election.

These negatives are sure to climb as the  recently announced investigation of Mr. Bennet starts up.

Conclusion?

With an anti-incumbent mood still festering, Colorado Democrats might be better off nominating former House Speaker Andrew Romanoff instead of Sen. Michael Bennet

No matter how you feel about the candidates, what good does it do to back a candidate who will lose the General?

At the end of the day, this primary is about who has the best chance to  hold the seat.

This is bigger than either primary candidate, this is about the balance of power in the Senate. Losing Colorado to the Republicans would be another step closer to a Republican majority able to block the Obama administration at every turn.

Mr. Romanoff presents voters with a choice – he can both run as a democrat, and as an anti-incumbent and a way to preserve a Senate Seat for Democrats.