Denver – Blue City Swirling with Red on Debate Night

Denver is a very blue city in a state best described as purple. Drive around town and you’re likely to see Obama-Biden lawn signs and Obama 2012 bumper stickers in vast numbers.

Tonight, the Mile High City welcomed the candidates for the first of three presidential debates. And while the Obama placards outnumbered those supporting GOP nominee Mitt Romney at the University of Denver, which hosted the affair, Red Staters clearly made their presence felt.

A “Fire Obama” gathering roared roughly a block from campus, and “Fire Obama” signs could be seen across the urban university.

MSNBC’s massive presence at DebateFest, the university’s party for roughly 7,000 curiosity seekers, dwarfed the footprints left by other cable networks. MSNBC host Chris Matthews was on hand, conducting yet another Obama-fawning interview on site. This time, the network was force fed a modicum of balance as “Fire Obama” signs and “Romney” placards waved in the air mere feet from the impromptu stage.

Denver is known for the calm demeanor of its citizens, and Wednesday’s debate scene certainly lacked the fiery presence other cities inspire.

A few anti-banker protesters tried to convince passers by that we are all at the mercy of these evil money lenders, but their numbers were limited to less than a dozen. One protester carried a sign saying, “The War on Terror is a Hoax.”

A tiny group of Gary Johnson supporters, grumpy their candidate wasn’t allowed to join the debate, also lingered on campus.

Those hoping to see some good ol’ fashioned puppetry had to settle for a pro-illegal immigration march with less than 30 members. The group chanted, “why are people doing time? immigration is not a crime” along University Boulevard, the street marking the start of the main university campus.