Coors' Name ID A Major Hurdle For Salazar

• Originally published in The Frontrunner September 21, 2004 

Copyright 2004 Bulletin News Network, Inc.


The Hill (9/21, Savodnik) reports Ken Salazar, "the twice-elected Democratic attorney general of Colorado, faces just one big hurdle in his bid for the seat held by outgoing Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell (R- Colo.). Every time countless Coloradans pop open a beer, go to a ball game or glance at their paychecks, they see the same name - Coors." The family name of Pete Coors, "the Republican beer magnate turned Senate candidate," is "woven into the fabric of everyday life here as much as the Rockies and the right to bear arms are." Not only does "the Coors Brewing Co. directly and indirectly employ thousands of brewery workers, barley growers, engineers, distributors, truck drivers and others across the state; the Adolph Coors Foundation funds scores of worthy causes, from a cerebral-palsy foundation to a center for poor Hispanic women to the Colorado Symphony Orchestra. And then, of course, there's Coors Field, smack in the middle of Denver, with its brick exterior, its hunter-green, wrought-iron girders and its American flag flapping on top." Salazar is "an experienced politician with a statewide network and a colorful biography," and if he wins, "he would be the only Hispanic senator."

Salazar Leads Coors By 11 Points Poll.

Roll Call (9/21, Cillizza) reports in its "At the Races" column that state Attorney General Ken Salazar (D) "held a double-digit lead over brewing magnate Pete Coors (R) in a new independent survey on the open-seat Senate race." Salazar "took 53 percent to 42 percent for Coors in the Rocky Mountain News poll, which was conducted by Public Opinion Strategies, a Republican polling firm based in Alexandria, Va. The survey was in the field Sept. 18 and 19 testing 500 registered voters with a 4.3 percent margin of error."

Coors, Salazar Don't Put Too Much Stock In Recent Polls.

KRDOTV.com (9/20, Zelinger) reports, "With a little more than six weeks until election day, the most recent Colorado poll, conducted by the Rocky Mountain News, shows a tight race for President, but for U.S. Senate the race is a lot closer. Democrat Ken Salazar leads republican Pete Coors in the poll by 11-percent. The margin of error, however, is just over 4-percent. But how serious do the candidates take these polls and are they really indicative of how the public will vote come November? We went straight to the horses mouth for some answers. Republican Senatorial Candidate Pete Coors told us, 'Different people react differently, some will say, I need to go support my candidate because he's behind and some will say, I don't need to go because he's winning by a big margin.'" Meanwhile, "Salazar says he's not surprised but he remains skeptical about the polls. He tells News 13, 'We have a very effective campaign and I think that explains why we are ahead in the polls, but I don't trust the polls.'"

The United Press International (9/20) reports, "The poll showed Salazar winning the Hispanic and rural vote -- critical voters blocs in the upcoming election. Pollster Lori Weigel of Public Opinion Strategies, the firm that conducted the poll, said, 'The thing that is difficult for Coors right now is his image is beer and not much else,' Weigel said. 'A third of the voters look at him and think 'beer.''"