Ken Buck Wins Colorado GOP Primary
Politico reports on Ken Buck's win in the Colorado GOP senate primary:
DENVER – So much for that neatly woven package that journalists and political observers commonly refer to as "the narrative."
While appointed Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet withstood an onslaught of late attacks from an aggressive challenger running against the ways of Washington, tea party favorite Ken Buck ground out a grassroots victory over a candidate hand-picked by D.C. Republicans.
A week ago no one would have taken that outcome to the bank.
Bennet's victory was powered by a significant financial advantage that allowed him to smother the airwaves with television ads early -- when he began introducing himself to the electorate last spring - and in the final weeks when he was forced to combat former House speaker Andrew Romanoff's attacks.
He also had help from traditional Democratic constituencies like the League of Conservation Voters, which spent $100,000 on phone calls on his behalf in the closing days and the Service Employees International Union, which made more than 14,000 calls for his candidacy. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and the White House were also firmly behind the unelected incumbent.
Throw in what the campaign characterized as a top-flight get-out-the-vote effort -- producing an above average turnout -- and Bennet strolled to a comfortable victory.
"Bottom line is Dems made the pragmatic choice over the emotional choice. My vote for him all along is because he's done a good job, he's voted for the Obama agenda. We should cheer, not run away from and there was no reason to turn him out," said former state party chair Tim Knaus.
On the other hand, Buck, who ran an upstart, topsy-turvy campaign fit for an outsider, began as an underdog, leapfrogged to frontrunner status by midsummer but then lost traction in the final weeks due to a string of verbal gaffes that had the GOP consultant class rolling their eyes.
But he also eviscerated the conventional wisdom that the record-breaking GOP turnout would benefit his opponent, former Lt. Gov. Jane Norton.
"The conventional wisdom turned out to be wrong. The anti-establishment message was the decisive factor," said Rob Witwer, a former GOP state representative.
While Bennet allies claimed Romanoff's ads backfired, political observers from both sides of the aisle said Norton's decision to bring Sen. John McCain into the state amounted to political malpractice.
"Who had that bright idea? This was a big Romney state. The Republican activists hate McCain," said Knaus.
