MESSAGE MELTDOWN: Comms Director Departure Precedes Pace Debate Difficulties

UPDATE: The Federal Election Commission website further confirms that outside groups have abandoned Pace. There has not been a single dollar spent on advertising in his CD3 race in all of 2012.

Sal Pace’s embarrassing debate performance at the Club 20 debate last Saturday, where he refused to let the words “Barack Obama” pass his lips, may be a harbinger of things to come. His campaign has been slowly collapsing, going from the top targeted race in the state a few months ago, to practically an afterthought for national party committees and outside groups.

The latest sign in the Pace campaign collapse is the departure of his Communications Director, Megan Dubray, who, according to Colorado Peak Politics sources, left the campaign the week before the Club 20 debacle.

Dubray was previously the Deputy Communications Director for the State House Democrats. An email to the Pace campaign to confirm Dubray’s departure was not returned.

Our sources tell us Chad Obermiller, Pace’s campaign manager, has been forced into double duty with Dubray’s departure. Based on Pace’s performance at Club 20, it doesn’t appear communications is Chad’s strength.

Revealing Politics brings us video of that awkward moment Pace was asked who he is endorsing for President.

The message meltdown over at Team Pace follows a meltdown in outside group support as well. Over the last couple of months when outside liberal groups, like Nancy Pelosi’s House Majority PAC, spent money on Colorado Congressional races, Pace’s CD3 never seemed to make the cut. Recently, money has been going to defend Ed Perlmutter in CD7 or prop up Joe Miklosi in CD6. Pace, it seems, hasn’t been given a pot to piss in (get it?).

With Pace’s campaign seemingly collapsing — losing staff and outside support — it makes more sense why he was buying advertising time in the Denver media market recently. It wasn’t going to touch a lot of his persuadable voters, as the Denver media market covers barely any of CD3, but maybe it was intended to remind the Denver establishment he still exists. Hey guys — don’t forget about me!