When asked about the catfight over his run for the U.S. Senate nomination, Andrew Romanoff usually repeats some variation on this line, first offered up at his Pueblo campaign announcement two weeks ago: "Democrats are a lot like cats. When you hear them making a lot of noise, it sounds like they're fighting. But really, they're just making more cats."

And how are Republicans like cats? When the noise is over and they've settled on a candidate, they generally lick themselves -- without much help from the Democrats. Think Pete Coors; think Bob Beauprez.

But 2010 could be another animal entirely.

• Calhoun: Wake-Up Call