A GOVERNOR AFRAID TO GOVERN?:

How did a governor who strove to maintain good relationships across the aisle while presiding over a rebounding economy get in so much trouble?

Colorado political experts, including several close to the governor himself, say the issue has been Hickenlooper's difficulty showing decisive leadership, especially on a few high-profile issues.

Republicans have been most critical of Hickenlooper's handling of Nathan Dunlap, a murderer convicted of the shooting deaths of four people at a Chuck E. Cheese restaurant in suburban Denver in 1993. Dunlap's execution has been put on hold several times, both by Hickenlooper and his predecessor, Bill Ritter (D). In 2013, Hickenlooper granted what his office called a "temporary reprieve."

Hickenlooper initially said he was unlikely to revisit Dunlap's case before he left office, and that voters ought to decide whether Colorado should still use the death penalty. But in an interview on CNN in August, Hickenlooper hinted he might grant clemency if he loses his re-election bid this fall.

Democrats have fretted that the case presents Republicans with a huge opportunity to portray Hickenlooper as indecisive and weak. Republicans are well aware of the chance before them.

"Beauprez will be able to correctly hit the governor on the fact that he couldn't make a decision," said state Rep. Frank McNulty (R), the former speaker of the Colorado state House.

And he has. Beauprez has promised Dunlap would be executed if he is elected. The Republican Governors Association ran an advertisement critical of Hickenlooper's statements in the CNN interview. "I think that's the coward's way out," the husband of one of Dunlap's victim tells a reporter in the ad.

Hickenlooper has also refused to make clear his position on the Keystone XL pipeline. Though governors have little say over the project, Republicans have used the issue to drive a wedge between the Denver Democrat and constituents around the state who rely on the booming energy industry. And during a heated debate over gun control legislation, Hickenlooper told a group of sheriffs he had not spoken to New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg about new gun measures he would eventually sign, then admitted a few days later that they had.

Hickenlooper has even drawn scorn for the title he chose for his economic plan: TBD.

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