Katherine from Colorado, by all appearances, is a stereotypical soccer mom (note the alphabet magnets on the refrigerator behind her). She may be one of the state’s independent female voters, a bloc that’s often credited with nudging Michael Bennet past Ken Buck in his 2010 midterm-election bid for U.S. Senate. Katherine is among a notably “diverse” group of Americans from across the country who provide testimonials for Barack Obama’s first commercial in his 2012 presidential re-election run (watch it below), which officially launched yesterday, 20 months before voters will head to the polls (Salon).

In another appeal to the female vote, Obama and his wife, Michelle, recently invited Colorado media outlets to attend a press conference on bullying, “a topic that polls indicate to be of great interest to women” (New York Times).

One Colorado gal who almost certainly won’t be voting for Obama is Katie McBreen, who’s joined the staff of Minnesota governor and possible GOP presidential contender Tim Pawlenty (The Spot).

Meanwhile, the University of Denver is competing with 11 other colleges nationwide to host one of the 2012 presidential or vice presidential debates (The Spot).