Is CO a Democratic state?

[5280]

Is CO a Democratic state? It trended strong Democratic in 2008, trended slight GOP in 2012. Looks like Trump might not win in 2016 against a weak candidate Hillary. With the demographics shifting because of migrations from California and high COL east coast, it makes it difficult for it to trend GOP.

[Virginiá]

Republicans can still win it if they put up the right candidate, but every year that passes the state appears to be getting more Democratic. However, various issues in the future could change this. At the state level, the trend is pretty heavy Democratic since the early 2000s-now and with minority growth, I'd expect this to slip out of reach for Republicans sometime in the 2020s, assuming current trends continue uninterrupted.

[Kingpoleon]

No, and once someone competent like John Suthers takes over as State Chair it will start trending R.

[RINO Tom]

No.

[Asian Nazi]

Yes.

[Figueira]

It's currently a Democratic-leaning swing state.

[Obama-Biden Democrat]

Colorado and Virginia seem to be sister states in terms of trends. Both were traditionally strong Republican states up until the mid 2000's. Both solidly voted for Bush in 2000. Bush won them both in 2004, but there was a big trend in both towards the Democrats. The lightning fast trend continued again in 2008, making both states now legitimate swing states.

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

Yes

[RINO Tom]

What are we defining as a Democratic state?

[Virginiá]

What are we defining as a Democratic state?

I assume a mostly Democratic state government and Democratic at the federal level as well (obviously not 100% Democratic all the time for all federal races, though).

If that's the foundation of 'Democratic state', then Colorado has some strong pro-Democratic trends but it's not quite there yet.

[beaver2.0]

Yes.

[Figueira]

What are we defining as a Democratic state?

I assume a mostly Democratic state government and Democratic at the federal level as well (obviously not 100% Democratic all the time for all federal races, though).

If that's the foundation of 'Democratic state', then Colorado has some strong pro-Democratic trends but it's not quite there yet.

I don't think we need to take anything into account besides presidential elections, honestly.

[RINO Tom]

What are we defining as a Democratic state?

I assume a mostly Democratic state government and Democratic at the federal level as well (obviously not 100% Democratic all the time for all federal races, though).

If that's the foundation of 'Democratic state', then Colorado has some strong pro-Democratic trends but it's not quite there yet.

I don't think we need to take anything into account besides presidential elections, honestly.

Then I'd say it's not.  It'll usually go with the winner.

[Figueira]

What are we defining as a Democratic state?

I assume a mostly Democratic state government and Democratic at the federal level as well (obviously not 100% Democratic all the time for all federal races, though).

If that's the foundation of 'Democratic state', then Colorado has some strong pro-Democratic trends but it's not quite there yet.

I don't think we need to take anything into account besides presidential elections, honestly.

Then I'd say it's not.  It'll usually go with the winner.

New Mexico has consistently gone with the popular vote winner in all but one election, but I think everyone agrees that it's currently a Democratic state.

[RINO Tom]

What are we defining as a Democratic state?

I assume a mostly Democratic state government and Democratic at the federal level as well (obviously not 100% Democratic all the time for all federal races, though).

If that's the foundation of 'Democratic state', then Colorado has some strong pro-Democratic trends but it's not quite there yet.

I don't think we need to take anything into account besides presidential elections, honestly.

Then I'd say it's not.  It'll usually go with the winner.

New Mexico has consistently gone with the popular vote winner in all but one election, but I think everyone agrees that it's currently a Democratic state.

Do you think NM is going to vote with the next winning Republican?  I don't.  I don't see a scenario the GOP wins without CO, honestly.

[Attorney General, LGC Speaker, and Former PPT Dwarven Dragon]

It depends on your definition of a democratic state. I define the term as a state where Democrats will always win presidential and senate elections comfortably without campaigning. I'm fond of using purple-blue/purple-red characterization (usually non atlas scale) for states that don't quite fit in the swing state category or democratic/republican state category, but honestly I wouldn't even put Colorado in that territory - The only reason it is a Toss-Up or maybe Tilt D this year is because republicans nominated TRUMP. It would have been Lean R with Cruz and Safe R with Kasich.

[ElectionsGuy]

No.

[5280]

When a Republican president wins without Colorado, it's considered a Democratic state.

[Prince of Salem]

We should see this year. After pot legalization, things may have changed at least a bit.

[Sir Mohamed]

No, it's leaning Dem. But winnable for the GOP under favorable circumstances. Just like NC for Dems.

[5280]

No, it's leaning Dem. But winnable for the GOP under favorable circumstances. Just like NC for Dems.

Explain how a GOP president can win Colorado if its one of the top states with the most educational people that hold Bachelors degrees. Will the GOP have to radically change it's principles to an intellectual party to get their votes? That means, they'll have to change their positions and stop attracting social conservative religious people.

[RINO Tom]

No, it's leaning Dem. But winnable for the GOP under favorable circumstances. Just like NC for Dems.

Explain how a GOP president can win Colorado if its one of the top states with the most educational people that hold Bachelors degrees. Will the GOP have to radically change it's principles to an intellectual party to get their votes? That means, they'll have to change their positions and stop attracting social conservative religious people.

It is truly amusing how Democrats view themselves.  The GOP regularly wins White college graduates by a very comfortable margin.  Their problem is with minorities of all affluence levels (though they do slightly better among wealthy minorities, according to 2008 exit polls), not among the college educated.  There are plenty of college educated Whites who vote Republican, in fact more than vote Democrat.

This idea that an anti-Wall Street party that regularly loses the wealthy vote and regularly wins lower income voters is "elite" in any way, shape or form just because they win PhDs whose salary and life's work relies heavily on increased government spending is maddening, especially when so many Atlas posters are gladly buying into it.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

No, it's leaning Dem. But winnable for the GOP under favorable circumstances. Just like NC for Dems.

Explain how a GOP president can win Colorado if its one of the top states with the most educational people that hold Bachelors degrees. Will the GOP have to radically change it's principles to an intellectual party to get their votes? That means, they'll have to change their positions and stop attracting social conservative religious people.

It is truly amusing how Democrats view themselves.  The GOP regularly wins White college graduates by a very comfortable margin.  Their problem is with minorities of all affluence levels (though they do slightly better among wealthy minorities, according to 2008 exit polls), not among the college educated.  There are plenty of college educated Whites who vote Republican, in fact more than vote Democrat.

This idea that an anti-Wall Street party that regularly loses the wealthy vote and regularly wins lower income voters is "elite" in any way, shape or form just because they win PhDs whose salary and life's work relies heavily on increased government spending is maddening, especially when so many Atlas posters are gladly buying into it.

Shhh... Remember, Democrats represent the cream of the intellectual and moral crop....

[hopper]

Its a purple state.

[Smash255]

It is a Democratic leaning state.  The GOP can win it under the right circumstances, but those chances are diminishing rapidly and it will only continue to get more and more difficult.