The Most Important Political Race That No One’s Talking About. Yet.

While Colorado and the rest of the country have been focused on Obama, Clinton, and McCain, Republican Bob Schaffer and Democrat Mark Udall have been quietly laying the groundwork in their campaigns for Colorado’s open U.S. Senate seat. Though their political philosophies couldn’t be more different, both men are following remarkably similar strategies. Here, we trace the 10 steps Schaffer and Udall are taking in what promises to be one of the most fiercely contested races in the country.

The Boss

Leah Daughtry is a single African-American woman, an evangelical pastor—and she happens to be the CEO of the upcoming Democratic Convention Committee. You got a problem with that?

See Jane Run

The White House Project inspires women to plunge into politics.

Life According To…

Web Exclusive: Interview with Little Rock Nine pioneer Carlotta Walls-LaNier

A half-century after being part of one of the most pivotal moments in the Civil Rights Movement, Carlotta Walls-LaNier recounts her place in history. Listen to her describe her experiences in this extended podcast.

Life According To… Carlotta Walls LaNier

An interview with Little Rock Nine pioneer Carlotta Walls-LaNier.

Chips Barry: Water Wrangler

Denver enjoys some of the nation’s cleanest drinking water, thanks to Hamlet “Chips” J. Barry III, manager of Denver Water for the past 17 years. Here, the 64-year-old Denver native and Theodore Roosevelt look-alike expounds on family, global warming, and water usage in the West.

Nobody’s Hero

Reservists and National Guardsmen returning from Iraq are guaranteed to get their civilian jobs back. But is Uncle Sam really looking out for our troops? Not in Colorado. Just ask Jim Vigil

And on the Eighth Day, Dr. Dobson Created Himself

James Dobson launched his evangelical empire, Focus on the Family, and became the most influencial Christian in America. He’s lectured millions of parents on how to spank their children and advised President George W. Bush on how to spank the Supreme Court. How did the once lonely son of a preacher man rise to such heights? It’s no miracle.

Final Cut

Finding Motherland

Journalist. Mother. Denver’s First Lady. In three short years, I lost the self I’d always known. Could I ever find my way back?

Al Qaeda’s Greeley Roots

How the intellectual father of Osama Bin Laden’s terrorist network learned to hate America in a tiny Colorado town.

The Life of the Party

Bob Beauprez came off the ranch to lead the state GOP, won one of the tightest U.S. Congressional races in history, and now he’s the Republican frontrunner in the Colorado governor’s race. What would JFK say?

Melo’s Transition Game

Drug bust. Bar fight. Gangster cameo. Benched at the Olympics. Feuds with his coaches. After a season to forget, 21-year-old Carmelo Anthony is an NBA star who’s now learning to live without the ball.

The Chief Concern

Police Chief Gerry Whitman is respected by ministers and reviled by his own cops. Should Denver be worried?

Elway Alone

Project: Cheerleader

Thirty-six-year-old wife, mother, and career woman Leigh Gauger embarkd on a secret mission to be a professional cheerleader. Again. If only for a little while.

Broken Treaties

Government officials promised Arlo Looking Cloud a deal if he’d help them solve one of the most notorious murders in Native American history. So what’s he doing in prison?

Private Stites Should Have Been Saved

Why are so many army soldiers committing suicide? Take a look at its basic training and the tragic death of Private Nolan Stites.

Conduct Unbecoming

Is he a rapist or a pawn in a military game to discredit the Air Force Academy sex scandal? For the first time, Douglas Meester answers the charges.