Denver Dems in Trouble

In 2008, Barack Obama and the Democratic Party brought their convention to Denver, Colorado, a symbol of the party's rising fate in the western state. Today, that fate is falling and the sinking attitude toward local candidates has a become a symbol of the difficult road ahead for Democrats in 2010. Three major state party officials, including the governor, are up for difficult elections. Their wobbly futures have made some strategists think that 2008 was the height of Democratic achievement, not a sign of things to come, as they watch voters turn away from the party, troubled by a tough economy and increasingly unsure of the President's leadership style.