Colorado has been a swing state in the last six presidential elections, but Republicans have the early edge over the Democrats in this perennial battleground, according to a new poll looking at the? ?2016? ?presidential election.?
After supporting Bill Clinton over George H.W.? ?Bush in? ?1992,? ?Colorado swung back to the Republicans for the next three elections as? ?Bob Dole and George W.? ?Bush carried the state.? ?But Barack Obama proved popular in Colorado and beat John McCain by? ?9? ?percent there in? ?2008.? ?In? ?2012,? ?Obama won by a smaller margin,? ?beating Mitt Romney by? ?5? ?percent in November.?
But a poll from Quinnipiac University released on Friday finds Colorado voters have turned against Obama in recent months which gives potential Republican candidates the advantage over Democratic hopefuls with ties to his administration.?
The poll finds? ?54? ?percent of Colorado voters disapprove of Obamas job performance while? ?43? ?percent continue to approve of it.? ?Obama is also in bad shape with Colorado independents, with? ?58? ?percent disapproving of his job performance.?
Tim Malloy,? ?the assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute,? ?offered a blunt assessment of the presidents standing in Colorado.? "?Colorado voters have little love for President Barack Obama,?" ?Malloy said on Friday.?
With that being the case,? ?it comes as no surprise that Republican presidential hopefuls have leads over their Democratic counterparts in Colorado.? ?Gov.? ?Chris Christie of New Jersey leads over former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton,? ?44? ?percent to? ?41? ?percent.? ?Christie has a much stronger lead over Vice President Joe Biden,? ?beating the Democrat? ?48? ?percent to? ?32? ?percent.?
Chrsitie does better in the poll that another potential Republican candidate -- U.S.? ?Sen.? ?Marco Rubio of Florida.? ?Rubio leads Clinton by the narrowest of margins,? ?beating her? ?46? ?percent to? ?45? ?percent.? ?Rubio does much better against Biden,? ?routing the vice president? ?48? ?percent to? ?35? ?percent.?
"Colorado has emerged as an important swing state in presidential politics and these very early numbers reinforce that perception.? ?New Jersey Governor? ?Christopher Christie,? ?former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Florida Senator? ?Marco Rubio are in a real horse race? -?-? ?a long horse race? ?-?- ?for the White House in? ?2016,?" ?said Malloy.? "?Way behind is Vice President Joseph Biden.?"
The poll finds Christie,? ?Rubio and Clinton in good shape with Colorado voters.? ?Almost half -- 49? ?percent -- of those surveyed have a favorable view of Christie while only? ?17? ?percent see him as unfavorable.? ?Rubio also gets good marks with? ?39? ?percent seeing him as favorable and? ?22? ?percent as unfavorable.? ?Clinton is more known with? ?53? ?percent seeing her as favorable and? ?44? ?percent as unfavorable.?
Biden,? ?on the other hand,? ?is not popular in Colorado.? ?Only? ?39? ?percent see him as favorable while? ?49? ?percent have an unfavorable view of the vice president.?
The poll of? ?1,065? ?registered Colorado voters was taken from June? ?5-?10? ?and had a margin of error of? ?+/-? ?3? ?percent.?
Tallahassee freelance political writer Jeff Henderson wrote this piece exclusively for Sunshine State News.
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