Following Mitt Romney’s controversial comments about a large slice of the American electorate, Colorado Democrats are trying to get the upper hand in the tight presidential race in this battleground state.
During a hastily called news conference in Denver Tuesday, Sen. Mark Udall tore into Gov. Romney, saying what’s said behind closed doors speaks volumes about a person’s character.
"Gov. Romney has failed that test," Udall said. "This is of great concern to many of us here in Colorado, where our politics are based on common sense, working together, inclusion."
In Colorado, Udall said the 47% are actually middle class workers, college students and seniors; not people looking for government handouts.
The state has the nation’s 36th largest shareof tax filers who don’t pay federal income taxes. Many in this sector don’t because they earn too little, but many do pay federal payroll taxes.
"We need a president who’s going to think about every single American in the 21st Century," Udall said.
Romney’s Colorado campaign spent much of Tuesday trying to divert attention away from the story.
They released a new TV adfocusing on women’s issues and touted a new Rasmussen pollshowing how tight the race is here.
It’s not yet clear how the video gaff will affect the polls or the race in the weeks to come in Colorado.
But Kyle Saunders, political science professor at Colorado State University, said coverage of the gaff may end up hurting Romney more than the actual words he said.
"There’s a perception about Mitt Romney’s campaign that it has been relatively tone deaf, and hasn’t been able to hit the right cords with the electorate," Saunders said.
