As declared, we at The Seminal will be keeping an eye on the 2008 Senate Race in "colorful Colorado," where I lived for the better part of two years. As you may or may not know, the incumbent Republican Senator Wayne Allard has vowed not to seek a third term, making Colorado one of only two open seats in 2008. That, coupled with the recent blue streak in Colorado politics (all branches of the state's government will have a Democratic majority if a Democrat wins in '08) has made it one of Time Magazine's Top Ten Senate Races to Watch.
At present, Mark Udall, a Congressman since 1998, looks well positioned to be the Democratic nominee. Bob Schaffer, a former Congressman who served from 1997 - 2003, is the only declared Republican candidate.
The outgoing Senator Allard won his 2002 reelection with only 51% of the vote, and in the 2004 Senate elections Coloradoans sent Democrat Ken Salazar to Washington, also with 51% of the vote. Though it has a conservative track record, Colorado is clearly a state that now swings both ways.

MARK UDALL
Udall's family story is an interesting one, and perhaps explains in part his early advantage in fund raising; as the son of Mo Udall (a one-time player for the Denver Nuggets who subsequently served as an Arizona Congressman for 30 years), the nephew of Stewart Udall (Secretary of the Interior during the Kennedy and Johnson Administrations), and cousin of New Mexico Congressman Tom Udall, he's got political pedigree.
In light of our current political situation, many are rightly leery of inherited political positions, but Udall's pre-political career is, to my eyes, an honorable one.
As the Executive Director of Colorado's Outward Bound Program, a non-profit outdoor adventure program that teaches environmental stewardship, facilitates self-discovery and develops personal character, Udall has done service to a set of values that I personally share. I'm an alumni of the Colorado Outward Bound Program, and cite the experience as one of my most unique and fulfilling.
An analysis of Udall's stances on specific issues will be offered in detail in a subsequent post. For the time being, let's move on to…
BOB SCHAFFER
On the flip side, Republican Bob Schaffer is a formidable opponent, as demonstrated by his recent appearance on the television program Independent Thinking. There he expressed views that are bound to resonate with Colorado's conservative voters.
Schaffer positions himself as a discontent who views Congress as an "inherently corrupt institution," and the Republican Party as one that's lost its way. Starting in about 2003, he said, "Republicans abandoned a reform oriented agenda that the vast majority of Americans favor, and went towards log rolling, being part of the pork favor factory … candidates like me are a clear indication that the Republican Party got the message [of the 2006 elections] loud and clear."
In addition to his thoughts on the Republican Party, the show offered a window into Schaffer's thoughts on several other issues.
On economics; "limiting the size, scope, growth and reach of the federal government in a way that empowers states, empowers local communities … people and entrepreneurs."
On Iraq; speaking of his three children who are officers in training, he said "I am willing to send them into harm's way when America's national interests are truly at stake, and at one time they were in Iraq. I'm not willing to send them to go build a democracy for another country … if democracy was such a great idea, our founding fathers probably would have established it for the United States. They didn't. They created a republic, which is different, where states are run under democratic authority but we really are a collection of sovereign independent regions of the country that come together under a national government."
On withdrawal; "I want American troops to come home as soon as we can, but I don't want to lose and I don't want to surrender and I don't want to walk off a field where frankly we are close to some semblance of victory, order, and a peaceful process going forward … we do not want to surrender the Middle East region to the Chinese, to the Russians, or to the Iranians, or anyone else. The importance of America maintaining stability, for American interests in the region, is enormous. That's our objective and I'm willing to commit troops to that. I'm willing to commit money to that."
On climate change; Kyoto is a disaster for the United States economically and would do nothing for improving the environment … I would like to see us talk more in terms of environmental preservation and protection from the standpoint of energy efficiency and American independence rather than the command and control structure."
Chances are, if you are lean left, you will object to some of those views, and share the desire for a Udall victory. For the right, however, he's talking sense. How Colorado's large number of unaffiliated independents will be swayed is anyone's guess at this point.
More clear are the methods conservatives are employing as they try to swell their numbers; they will paint Udall as "other," emphasizing that he is a "Boulder liberal." Boulder, home of the University of Colorado, is a largely affluent, largely liberal community that stands in stark contrast to the rest of the state.
They have underscored his vote not to censure Representative Pete Stark of Cali for saying the following on the floor

They have highlighted his voting record on Defense funding

And, finally, they have painted Udall as an essential pawn in the master chess game of "pro-surrender Democrats." As Schaffer said on Independent Thinking, "Harry Reid and Charles Schumer look at Colorado as one more arrow in their quiver for total dominance."
What effect these attacks will have is anyone's guess. Making the matter even murkier, some of the points used against him could just as easily be used to endorse him.
This contest is assuredly a political litmus test; a race between a liberal Democrat and a conservative Republican, one that will not hinge on religion and its accompanying baggage, but on fiscal vs. social responsibility.
It's going to be a fun one out west.