Southwest is hot spot among Democrats

[RamboLiberal]

http://www.boston.com/news/politics/president/articles/2003/11/24/southwest_is_hot_spot_among_democrats/

Most can only stumble through stock Spanish phrases -- and none can claim roots here -- but Democratic presidential candidates are flocking to the Southwest, talking water rights, immigration policy, and gaming before audiences of Native Americans, Latinos, and Northern transplants as the region assumes wild-card status in the battle for the Democratic nomination.

Arizona and New Mexico have not been traditional power players in the nomination process, often holding their elections too late for the results to register nationally. But for the 2004 presidential race, both have pushed their elections to the front of the nomination calendar, part of the contingent of seven contests scheduled for Feb. 3, a week after New Hampshire's primary.

Within that group, New Mexico and Arizona are particularly significant because voters there seem more undecided than in South Carolina and Missouri, where US Senator John Edwards and US Representative Richard A. Gephardt, respectively, are native sons, and Oklahoma, where Edwards and US Senator Joseph I. Lieberman have invested heavily.

Winning the Southwest, some political analysts say, would be a dramatic show of strength. With their urban centers and sizable Latino populations, Arizona and New Mexico are possible bellwethers of the monster electoral prizes of California and Texas, which vote a month later.

[Gloria]

1. I guess it's going to be a wild January because

right now, it seems awful quiet down here in Las Cruces, NM, the state's second largest city.

Dean opened an office a couple of weeks ago. Just before that, Edwards made an appearance at a health clinic. I'm trying to remember how far back it was that Lieberman came down...but it was quite awhile ago...at least, I think he was here!

I'm waiting for Clark. We're surrounded by military bases and the local rag has been doing a series on the possibility of base closures.

NM eliminated the primary and has gone to caucuses. I'm not really happy about that because I think primaries get more people involved and may get more press leading up to them. I don't know much about the party down here, except that from my volunteer experience that it's pretty "ingrown"---probably not radical enough for me!!

[phillybri]

2. Richardson for VP!

:dem:

[Zomby Woof]

3. I am a new AZ Democrat

Having been a WA state resident for the prior 15 years. AZ is definitely a swing state, as it went for Clinton in 1996. We should go Dem again 2004.

[Padraig18]

4. My uncle lives in Phoenix.

He thinks AZ is ripe for picking this year; he says in his 25 years of living in AZ, he has never seen a Repug president so unpopular.