Obama Fights for Latino Vote

Their support in key Western states could decide election

(NEWSER) - Campaign workers walking Latino precincts in Las Vegas are finding padlocked doors, foreclosed homes, jobless residents—and more voters supporting Barack Obama, the Los Angeles Times reports. "The economy is so bad, and I am afraid McCain has the same ideas as President Bush," one man told a canvasser. And Nevada is only one of three Western battleground states where Latinos could ensure an Obama victory. More»

(NEWSER) - One question hanging over Super Tuesday primaries was whether Barack Obama could attract white supporters across the country more effectively than he had in his South Carolina win. Obama answered that in the affirmative, losing white voters last night to Hillary Clinton by a much narrower margin of 44% to 50%. Clinton dominated among Hispanics by 61% to 38%, while Obama grabbed 80% of African-American voters, the New York Post reports. More»

What Super Tuesday may settle

(NEWSER) - The Washington Post runs down the major lessons to be learned fro Super Duper Tuesday:

• Will either race end? The GOP candidate will almost definitely be decided; the Democratic nominee won't.
• How do we score victories? The GOP has winner-take-all primaries; the Democrats will debate delegate count, popular vote, and statewide wins.
• Which states matter? For both parties, California; for Democrats, Missouri and Arizona, too.

Party boasts strong voter registration, turnout in Mountain states

(NEWSER) - The Mountain West has historically gone for the GOP, but thanks to aggressive grass-roots organizing, Democrats believe they have a shot at turning red states blue, Politico reports. More field offices, opened much earlier than the GOP's, have boosted registration in Colorado, New Mexico, and Nevada. “This presidential cycle is different,” says the head of New Mexico’s Democratic Party. “The ground game is completely different.” More»

Washington's neglect has voters yearning for change, Colo. senator writes

(NEWSER) - The West has long been a Republican stronghold, but Democrats have a chance there in November, Ken Salazar writes in the Los Angeles Times. Salazar himself beat the Republican establishment to win a Colorado Senate seat in 2004. Independents are now the region’s largest voting bloc, he writes, and communities are frustrated by 7 years of “feeling like an afterthought in Washington's policies.” More»