U.S. Presidential Election

Why do musicians endorse candidates?

There's probably a certain amount of sincerity involved when a famous musician endorses a political candidate. But even the most un-cynical, democracy-loving patriot will have to admit that there's a hell of a lot more to the rock star/candidate public union than just fiscal policy. Endorsing a poli ... More >>

Mitt Romney on "supercharged" campaign, "handiwork of our creator" at Red Rocks

Standing in front of around 10,000 supporters at by far his most extravagant Colorado rally of the presisdential race, Mitt Romney last night took in the breathtaking sight of Red Rocks Amphitheatre filled with cheering swing-state voters who want him to be the next president. "Wow, that's a Color ... More >>

Photos: Colorado Democrats push early vote (for Obama) on heels of high registration numbers

Today is the first day that voters can cast their ballots in person as part of early voting in Colorado -- and the state's top Democratic officials set an example by voting in front of a bunch of cameras in Denver. The photo op underscores how important the ground game is for Obama in key swing stat ... More >>

Romney/Ryan Victory Rally Tuesday to feature Kid Rock and Rodney Atkins at Red Rocks

Okay, so just when we thought we heard the last chords ring out for the year at Red Rocks comes word that the hills will once again be alive without the sound of music tomorrow night. There's another show slated for the Rocks, and this one's rather last minute and features a pair of acts supporting ... More >>

Thanks to their no-thanks, Rosa Linda's business is booming

See also: Rosa Linda's Mexican Cafe becomes a campaign hate stop after Mitt Romney turn-down

Reader: Romney visits Chipotle to support Latinos? Gotcha

Campaigning in Colorado yesterday in advance of his appearance at tonight's debate at the University of Denver, Mitt Romney stopped at the Chipotle in Stapleton -- where he ordered extra guac with his burrito. He also got a side of sarcasm from our readers. - See also: Photo: Mitt Romney at Stapl ... More >>

Why the Obama campaign might want to rethink continuing to use U2's "City of Blinding Lights"

There's no question that the President -- in town this evening to debate Mitt Romney -- is a huge music fan. From quoting Sam Cooke during his '08 acceptance speech to randomly singing Al Green verses during a fundraiser to citing Stevie Wonder as being responsible for his marriage, Obama is far and ... More >>

Libertarians, religious leaders criticize two-party debate, push Gary Johnson

As Mitt Romney and Barack Obama prepare to attack each other head-on at the first presidential debate tonight, a group of Libertarians in Colorado -- and others dissatisfied with the two-party system -- are attacking the Commission on Presidential Debates for excluding third parties. A local Liberta ... More >>

Ditch the drinking games and start the 2012 Presidential Debate At-Home Boot Camp

If your plan is to drink 47 shots every time Barack Obama chides Mitt Romney over his "47 percent" remarks during tonight's presidential debate, you're going to have more immediate problems than the latest jobs report. For an alternative to debate-night drinking games that will absolutely be better ... More >>

Mitt Romney stopped at Chipotle this morning -- but is not invited to Rosa Linda's

Y'all, Mitt Romney ate at Chipotle earlier today. According to hungry and expert sources, the GOP's main man stopped by the Stapleton location of the Colorado staple and chowed down on a burrito with black beans, pork and pico de gallo. He even added guac -- which, as you know, costs extra. But, hey ... More >>

Photos: Mitt Romney says our rights come from God in Jeffco speech

After a week of particularly difficult headlines, and nearly two months since his last rally here, Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney returned to Colorado last night, delivering a stump speech focusing on the economy and President Barack Obama's record -- and not on the recent controversies ... More >>

Videos: Maria Ciano, Colorado ex-Republican, sparks non-controversy controversy at DNC

Last night, a number of folks with Colorado ties spoke at the Democratic National Convention, including Representative Jared Polis and Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar. But the one to arguably get the most attention was Colorado's Maria Ciano, who conservative media outlets like this one have d ... More >>

Videos: Mitt Romney's Todd "Legitimate Rape" Akin dodge overshadows CBS4 interview

Yesterday, CBS4's Shaun Boyd got a one-on-one opportunity to quiz presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney -- a nice coup for a local reporter. But Boyd's chat with Romney, seen in multiple clips below, made more news for his refusal to talk about Todd "Legitimate Rape" Akin than the ... More >>

Reader: I wanted to see Paul Ryan speak, not disrupt event

Yesterday, while covering veep candidate Paul Ryan's speech in Lakewood, our Sam Levin spoke with six students banned from the event because they weren't enthusiastic fans of presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney. Lots of intriguing comments followed, including this from one of the ... More >>

Judge Judy: Mitt Romney camp also buying ads on show targeted by Obama forces

Editor's note: This election cycle,Westword is exploring the public records of television stations for information about how candidates are spending money on ads in Denver. Seems that Jude Judy has bipartisan appeal in Denver. After reporting last week that Barack Obama's campaign is pouring money ... More >>

Paul Ryan in Lakewood: Veep candidate talks economy, his love of Colorado

Had six non-Romney fans not be banned from attending, they would have learned that Congressman Paul Ryan is just a family man with a lot of love for the State of Colorado. That's how the newly announced vice presidential candidate presented himself at the start of his speech at Lakewood High School ... More >>

Obama campaign ads in Denver target viewers of Judge Judy (and Divorce Court!)

Editor's note: This election cycle,Westword is exploring the public records of television stations for information on how candidates are spending money on ads in Denver. Our latest dive into the political ad spending records at Denver television stations reveals that President Barack Obama's team i ... More >>

Reader: Barack Obama is a war president, whether supporters want to admit it or not

Yesterday, while Barack Obama's Denver appearance, Sam Levin asked ten supporters of the presidents explaining why they attended the speech. One person who spoke with him said she feared presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney would lead the nation into war -- which prompted this fie ... More >>

Marijuana: Could Amendment 64's success hurt Barack Obama in Colorado?

The presidential contest between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney will likely be very tight in Colorado, a key swing state -- and a close vote is also expected for Amendment 64, the Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol Act. But could a big turnout for the latter undermine Obama in the state? This theory is b ... More >>

Aurora theater shooting: Latino officials backing Obama respond to gun control debate

The thorny political territory of gun control can be especially challenging for President Barack Obama's cheerleaders in Colorado, where debates about access to guns have great local significance after James Holmes shot seventy people in an Aurora movie theater. Since the attack, Obama has called fo ... More >>

Mitt Romney backers tout poll showing him behind Barack Obama -- but not by much

In addition to campaigns and super PACs pouring money into local television ads, one of the many (dubious?) perks of Colorado being a key swing state in the presidential election is lots and lots of polls. And there's good reason for all the attention: It's shaping up to be a very close race here. ... More >>

Reader: Mitt Romney to claim he'll be the first black president?

Yesterday, we recapped presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney's trip to Colorado, during which he labeled President Barack Obama the "outsourcer in chief" amid claims Romney did likewise during his business career. This I'm-rubber-you're-glue tack left one reader wondering what Mitt ... More >>

Photos, videos: Mitt Romney in Colorado calls Obama "outsourcer in chief"

Mitt Romney spent yesterday in Colorado: raising cash in Aspen, visiting the fire zone in Colorado Springs and speaking in Grand Junction, where he attempted to flip the script on some of the many Barack Obama campaign commercials currently running in the state by labeling the President the "outsour ... More >>

With Mitt Romney fundraising in Colorado, state Dems jump on his offshore accounts

Illustrating the importance of Colorado as a key battleground in the presidential election, Mitt Romney is campaigning in the state this week -- and the Dems aren't letting him get away without a counterattack. Romney is hosting a fundraiser in Aspen tonight and has an event tomorrow morning at a hi ... More >>

Gary Johnson, Libertarian presidential hopeful, on pot, pride and Jon Stewart

Former Governor of New Mexico Gary Johnson, who is now running for president as a Libertarian, stopped in Denver yesterday for Pridefest. He took a break from schmoozing with potential voters to chat with Westword about his campaign, the Libertarian Party, marijuana, gay marriage and his ongoing bat ... More >>

Video: Mitt Romney using Craig as symbol of damage by energy regs

Why is presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney scheduled to make a campaign stop in the Town of Craig at 8:30 a.m. this morning? After all, the community's population -- 9,464, according to the 2010 census -- makes it the sort of place most candidates fly over. The answer can be foun ... More >>

Top ten recent politicians to excuse stupid comments with "I misspoke"

Earlier, we reported about Representative Mike Coffman's excuse for a comment he made suggesting that Barack Obama may not have been born in the U.S.: "I misspoke." By making this claim, Coffman is in good company: It's become a favorite of politicians who say something dumb or inaccurate but want t ... More >>

Rick Santorum polling better against Obama in Colorado than Mitt Romney?

Denver blog posts make all the difference. In a poll shared by Colorado Pols, President Barack Obama is ahead of Mitt Romney in a handful of states that include Colorado, but narrowly trails Rick Santorum. That's a conservative estimate. DenverRadio.net collects the day's radio news -- and there's ... More >>

Why do Mexicans find Mormonism so fascinating?

Ryan Call on why Colorado Republican caucuses mean more than ever

Colorado's first caucuses were modestly attended affairs that didn't have a sizable impact on the presidential choices of either major party. But turnout jumped four years ago, especially for the Democratic caucus that boosted Barack Obama. Predictably, Colorado Republican Party chairman Ryan Call i ... More >>

Mitt Romney's win in Iowa could threaten immigrants, say Colorado Democrats

Rick Palacio​Colorado's Democratic leaders are worried that last night's win for Mitt Romney in the Iowa caucus could spell trouble for immigrants in Colorado. "Folks, it takes an alarming event to bring the likes of us together to weigh in on the Republican nomination," Colorado Democratic P ... More >>

Newt Gingrich's plan for letting some illegal aliens become citizens got its start in Colorado

Newt Gingrich is taking heat for the comment he made during this week's Republican debate on a possible path to citizenship for some illegal aliens. And that path starts at a foundation based at a horse ranch in Parker and run by Helen Krieble, profiled in our 2006 cover story, "Guest Wishes.""We ne ... More >>

Wake-Up Call: Barack to the future

In so many ways, the Democratic National Convention of last August seems like a dream, a dream that packed the streets and businesses of Denver, and sent images of this city around the world. Looking out the window now, I can barely make out the silhouette of Invesco Field at Mile High, where Bar ... More >>

Sloppy Joes at McCain headquarters

Four Days in Denver: Behind the scenes at the DNC

The bad economy and the Barack Obama's-a-Muslim lie

CNN reports John McCain secures the... Democratic nomination?

Shocker: Focus on the Family's James Dobson loves supporting McCain now

The Denver media gets ready for its DNC close-up

The Curse of Coors

McCain’s Vietcong Endorsement: Believe It...or Not!

The Ralph Nader-Barack Obama Controversy, or Lack Thereof

Waxing Poetic about Obama

Shlock Value: Dem Gear for Sale Here

If you’re buying what the Dems are selling, this gift guide is for you.

Seminal Election, Centennial Race: The General Election Begins and Ends in Colorado

Eye of the Tiger: State of the Obama/Clinton Race on the Eve of the Pennsylvania Primary

Alternative Funding Suggestions for John McCain

Tancs for the Memories, Tom

Tom Tancredo Stumbles On an Effective Campaign Strategy