The degree to which voters think a candidate understands and responds to them are every bit as important as issues.

The issues where the Port is failing are not ideological. Voters are sick of divisiveness and ideological candidates.

We're going to talk to the voters about the issues Colorado cares about. We don't begrudge him bringing in Eastern Bloc friends, but I suspect that the cowboys down at the coffeehouse in Delta are more interested what the candidates have to say about water and health care than whether or not the president of Poland is backing you.

This is the advantage of having a candidate knowing where he stands on the issues,

Voters don't decide issues, they decide who will decide issues.

Because the voters are going to decide this issue one way or the other, I just don't think the candidates' positions are that big of a deal.