“Colorado U.S. Sen. Mark Udall trails U.S. Rep. Cory Gardner, his Republican challenger, 48 – 40 percent among likely voters, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released today. Independent candidate Steve Shogan gets 8 percent. With Shogan out of the race, Rep. Gardner leads 52 – 42 percent, the independent Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe-ack) University poll finds. This survey of likely voters can not be compared with earlier surveys of registered voters” – Quinnipiac

Another poll, taken by Mashable.com, claims that 9.7% of the US workforce shows up high to the office. Senator Udall can only hope there’s a causative linkage between the two surveys. If people were sober when Q came calling, I’d say that in my totally biased opinion Mark Udall is pretty much baked, roasted, stoned and toasted. You could even say he’s pretty much burned down. He isn’t going back to DC so he should make like The Dude from The Big Lebowski and abide.*

So how has the long, strange trip that led Mark Udall to hold an office far above his cognitive level come to such a sad, sad juncture in the fall of 2014? A bunch of it isn’t quite Udall’s fault. Quinnipiac claims 37% of the electorate views the 2014 Election as a symbolic vote against President Obama. Udall happens to be one of the two most powerful Dems on the ticket. He’s the target reference point for mortar rounds fired at Obama when Obama is not on the ballot.

Another thing Udall can’t control or has failed to control effectively is what Colorado voters care about this time out. Q opines that 34% care about the economy, 18% about ObamaCare and 13% about Immigration Issues. So Udall probably doesn’t have much in stock that this electorate would probably buy for a dollar.

So what do we learn from all of this?

1) A lot of people wish they were voting against President Obama. Don’t let any Dem on the ballot claim that they will be working for anyone else. Gardner has people thinking Udall = Obama.

2) The issue environment can be totally tilted in a Republican’s favor. Remind us all that it’s called !OBAMACARE! If Colorado is indicative of the rest of America, America still hates !OBAMACARE! Don’t let them get away with calling it obamacare.

3) Oh, and make sure people are subtly reminded that Barack Obama has promised an amnesty. Make the Dems own this. Don’t mug on the issue, but make sure it’s mentioned in a debate.

Take care of the three items above, and Kay Hagen, Bruce Braley, and numerous other endangered Democratic Senate or Gubernatorial Candidates can all join Mark Udall at home.**

*-Which is pretty much what he would do in DC if he were reelected.

**-That is if any of these Dems come from anywhere other than Northern VA.