Portman stumps for Romney, 'so goes Colorado, so goes the nation'
(CNN) – Rob Portman, campaigning for Mitt Romney in Colorado on Wednesday, reminded supporters of the state's election-day importance saying, "so goes Colorado, so goes the nation" and invoked President Barack Obama's 2008 presidential campaign.
The Ohio senator is shadowing Obama's two-day, four-city swing in the state.
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Portman is on a bus tour through Colorado hopping on and off Romney's campaign bus to greet and thank volunteers and supporters at the presumptive GOP nominee's campaign offices and other locations.
Portman is assumed to be on Romney's vice presidential shortlist. The candidate's V.P. pick could be announced as soon as the end of this week, fueling running-mate speculation and hype around Portman's schedule in Colorado.
So far, the Romney campaign has only granted that the announcement will happen before the third day of the Republican National Convention in late August. Earlier Wednesday, however, the candidate's mobile smart phone application "Mitt's VP"–said to be the way the campaign will announce the news–sent out an alert that didn't contain the V.P.'s name, only a message for supporters.
A loyal Romney surrogate, Portman told a small crowd of supporters in Lakewood, Colorado that recent polling in the state speaks for itself.
"President Obama is in Colorado today being greeted by a poll put out by CBS, the New York Times, Quinnipiac showing Mitt Romney winning Colorado by five points," said Portman, adding that the data shows a trend in favor of Romney.
The Quinnipiac University/CBS News/New York Times poll released Wednesday morning indicates that Romney holds a 50%-45% advantage in Colorado, a state that Obama won by nine points in 2008. Romney's five point edge is just within the survey's sampling error.
According to the poll Romney also has a ten point advantage over Obama in Colorado when asked which candidate would do a better job fixing the economy.
Portman also said that Obama, while campaigning for president in 2008, said then-opponent Sen. John McCain couldn't run on his record and he so would run negative campaign. Portman says Obama is now doing just that because he can't run on his record.
"He said, you know look, if you don't have fresh ideas he said, you turn to stale tactics and attack your opponent. He said that if you don't have a record to run on, then you make your opponent unacceptable. He said you make a big election about small things," said Portman. "That was President Obama four years ago. Folks, that's exactly what he's doing today in Colorado and in his campaign, negative attack ads, trying to distract people from his record."
Portman continued, "The facts are that he made certain commitments and promises and he hasn't kept them."
Colorado has nine Electoral College votes and is considered a state that could swing either right or left and key to winning November's election.
- CNN Political Editor Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report
- Check out the CNN Electoral Map and Calculator and game out your own strategy for November.
What? Colorado? Are you kiding me? Is this the best that this unknown portman has to give the flip flopping campaign?
I like my version better . . . . ""That was 'the twit bully bishop since he started running for president years ago.' Folks, that's exactly what he's doing today in Colorado and in his campaign, negative attack ads, trying to distract people from his record."
I would like to add his time at bain and lying about it and all those taxes that he still refuses to show us!
I think romney will pick portman for VP candidate
Romney will not be elected President
These guys are flat out boring
Well that's good news, because I think the number of sane voters in the rest of the State outnumber the fundie bigots who creep out of their caves in C. Springs to spew invective.
Seems as if every state is touted as being the "key state" to winning in November.
Wake up Colorado! Romney is a crook and a liar that can't even keep his lies/stories/beliefs straight!
hopefully the people in colorado are smart enough to see that mitt is a lying rich guy who is more interested in the wealthy forward 2012
PORTMAN "so goes Colorado, so goes the nation"
SO BE IT !!!
Of course Romney will win Colorado but he won't win the needed electoral votes. Our wonderful country would be destroyed if that empty suit were to win. But it won't happen. Thank God.
All Obama an crew is doing this time around are sliming up Romney. When the debates come around, Obama will get knocked off propmter and start blubbering like a baby. He has no record, he has no major acheivements, all he has is his charm.
Romney ought to chose Paul Ryan for VP. He is smart, wise, and doesn't take any guff from the Dems.
Dont get too excited. The same was enthusiasticly said about Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Ohio. And those states are now leaning to Obama.
When its all said and done the MIDDLE-CLASS shall vote for President Obama
Colorado is important, but it isn't that important. Get over yourself Portman!
Something about him I just don't trust. Maybe it's his close ties to W's budget that put us into this hole.