January 15, 2010 08:35 PM UTC

Romanoff Uncertainty a Nationwide Head-Scratcher

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• by: Colorado Pols

Read today’s story in Politico, and tell us how it can be spun in any way positively for Senate candidate gubernatorial candidate at-large (?) candidate Andrew Romanoff:

In the wake of Democratic Gov. Bill Ritter’s surprise Jan. 6 announcement that he would not seek reelection, Romanoff had been making phone calls to prominent supporters asking them whether he should end his maverick Senate bid and jump into the newly open governor’s race. But that move is now seen as far less likely with Hickenlooper, who entered the race with President Barack Obama’s support, in the contest.

That leaves Romanoff, who was until recently a rising star in the state Democratic Party, with two options: remain in a Senate race where the deck is stacked against him and he risks dividing the party or join Hickenlooper as his running mate for lieutenant governor – a prospect that White House political officials and Senate campaign strategists have discussed with him, according to multiple Democratic sources.

“It’s a tough position largely of his own doing. Instead of being the wonder child, he’s the problem child,” said Eric Sondermann, a Colorado independent political analyst and media consultant. “A lot of people regard him as a spoiler. He risks looking like someone who wants any job.”

…One senior Democratic operative who spoke to Romanoff last week about his intentions said Romanoff has been looking for ways to get out of the Senate race while saving political face [Pols emphasis] – and he had been hoping to enter the governor’s race.

The source said that Romanoff was not inclined to run against Hickenlooper and that Romanoff would be willing to remain in the Senate race if there aren’t any alternatives.

“There’s a good chance that with all the musical chairs in Colorado, he’s still the one without a chair at the end,” said the operative.

“He doesn’t want to be in this Senate race as much as the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee doesn’t want him to be in the race. Everyone knows Bennet’s going to win, and Romanoff knows it could cost him his political future.” [Pols emphasis]

State Treasurer Cary Kennedy, a Romanoff ally, told POLITICO: “I think he’s absolutely committed to staying in the Senate race.”

…Polly Baca, a former state senator and another Romanoff ally, said the former state House speaker was under pressure from supporters to jump into the governor’s race.

“He still hasn’t made his mind up,” said Baca.

…Democratic operatives in the state privately expect Romanoff to report unimpressive fundraising totals when end-of-year finance reports are released in the next several days.

“Bennet has such an advantage over him,” said state Sen. Abel Tapia, a Romanoff backer. “I’m getting less and less confident that Andrew can do it.”

A couple of observations: first, and most obviously, it doesn’t really matter if Romanoff decides at this point to stay in the Senate race or not–press like this, combined with the paltry numbers Romanoff is widely expected to soon post for Q4 of 2009, are quickly rendering him irrelevant in that race with all but a shrinking group of grassroots supporters. For reasons we’ve discussed, Romanoff does not represent a serious threat to John Hickenlooper either. Those are the facts.

What this means for Romanoff’s career is pretty close to the point made by Eric Sondermann: there’s very little left for Romanoff this election cycle, and his continued efforts in 2010 are at the expense of his own reputation. He’s failed to differentiate himself from Sen. Michael Bennet enough to provide meaningful choice to Democratic primary voters, and he was not the strongest candidate to replace Bill Ritter on the gubernatorial ticket. We reiterate that Andrew Romanoff is a smart prospect for higher office under different circumstances, and a few wise choices–even at this late hour–could do his future prospects a tremendous amount of long-term good.