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Chris Stireawlt and Allison Shelly discuss the crucial swing state of Colorado and its role in the 2012 election.
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And that is President Obama just about an hour ago heading to Marine One at the White House to take off for a trip out to Colorado.
To -- damage done by horrible wildfires that are burning through big sections of that state and this is power play.
And as the president goes to Colorado.
He is not just going to a disaster scene he's going into a state.
That is crucial to his reelection plans because remember.
President expects to lose some ground back east in states like Indiana North Carolina maybe Virginia and he needs a bull work out in the west that includes Colorado Nevada and New Mexico to offset those losses.
And give himself.
After the 270.
Electoral votes he needs to gets one back into office on January 20 -- thirteen.
And we're gonna talk about Colorado today because it is battleground Friday.
So we have brought to you Internet before you -- edification.
Alison Sherri she is the Washington bureau chief for the Denver Post -- newspaper.
It doesn't real -- Washington reporting so we're real glad to have you here okay so the first thing let's do.
Is let's listen let's take a look we went earlier this week we snuck -- I've got on the big board and look at that so let's take a listen to what I had to say and then we come back -- you tell me what went wrong.
And that is why people love living in Colorado so gosh darn much it's beautiful.
Rocky Mountains great powder and super delicious wildlife.
So it's a good thing because the presidential candidates Barack Obama and Mitt Romney.
Are gonna spend an awful lot of time there this year because it's crucial to both of them.
Particularly.
These nine electoral votes are crucial for President Obama.
Who needs to win Nevada Colorado.
New Mexico to be ready to offset expected losses in Indiana and North Carolina possibly Virginia the president's path to 270.
Very much wants to Colorado Mitt Romney who believes he can do well out west.
Thanks to a lot of conservative substantial Mormon population etc.
Thinks this is a place that he could actually put a break.
On the president so Colorado matters very much.
And here's what Colorado look like in 2008.
-- blue and it's in a fielder Brett.
But here's what Colorado has looked like for most of its history which is part of a solid band of bright red in the mountain west.
These are traditionally very Republican states for -- six.
That Barack Obama was the first Democrat to win Colorado.
Since Bill Clinton in 1992 when Bill Clinton only did it then because Ross Perot did very well with the anti establishment folks out there and cut into George HW Bush's lead.
Prior to that this is a very Republican state.
So why did it go blue in 2008 how to Barack Obama win that.
What's the key to winning this time.
And what's the variable for Mitt Romney what is the X-Factor for Mitt -- I'm glad to us because I have answers to that let's take a look here at Colorado.
In 2004 that's what Colorado.
Is has traditionally looked like maybe a little -- down here there's been some change there but.
2008.
This whole suburban slow off right here west of Denver.
Was blue all of a sudden now that's not how it's supposed to be one more look.
That's the traditional look.
That's the Obama look how do you do it here's -- In -- -- there's Adams county but let's look right here in Denver.
So in Denver.
Look at that 77%.
Think about this this is where huge Hispanic population is in the state and getting huge -- all the time.
41 point 2% that's the rate of increase that's percent increase of the Hispanic population in Colorado from 2000 to 2000 intent now it's twenty point 7%.
Of the State's overall population.
That's how Barack Obama won there before that's how he won by ten points in 2004.
Earned 2008.
And he did it.
So he did it that way.
With this boom in the Hispanic population which voted for him in very large number but he also did it here Adams county and he did it here.
He did and he did it.
And -- -- and he also did it in Jefferson County Jefferson and Adams -- These should be or have traditionally been Republican counties.
And they did it.
Because just like back east and just like in places all over the country.
The president did very well with moderate suburbanites especially women in in these areas where there with big economic insecurity.
Now there you have it so Mitt Romney.
Needs to get these voters.
Moved back to the right side of the -- -- to get them back on the red team he's going to be trying to do that.
So that's the those those are big tool in metro Denver where most of the votes are but let's talk about -- the key the -- the variable from Mitt Romney.
-- and here.
Colorado Springs.
This is.
El Paso County.
This is a big deal.
And you see how John McCain did they're seventy to thirty.
Largest I believe El Paso County is the largest geographically -- -- up here in Colorado Springs.
McCain 6040 what he needs with what McCain needed and what Mitt Romney is going to demand.
And spend a lot of money to try to do is get these folks who are very conservative very conservative out to the polls.
They languished a little bit in 2000 -- they didn't do have the hustle on like they did before Mitt Romney has got to get those folks out of the doors and out -- vote.
So the keys Ford Colorado very simple.
Hispanic population for Obama he battle in the suburbs Adams and Jefferson County particularly.
And then down -- Colorado Springs.
And and those social conservatives and fiscal conservatives down there for -- Those -- the -- three keys to Colorado.
That's what we'll be watching on election night and you'll be one of the first to know so that's another episode another installment of battleground Friday.
All right Alison Cherie you're in my grade -- I -- I actually think you got an okay.
Thought whoa okay all right I'll take the minus its okay we grade on -- -- here.
No actually I think you are spot I I think the only thing that I would -- is that.
2010 might be even more illustrative -- 2008 because it's more recently had a huge senate race to let you remember -- do and the senator the democratic senator won by less than 1% of the I mean Republicans in the air and this -- This is -- this is this is Michael -- Who is -- former state chancellor of education or it does superintendent of school.
Looks okay -- -- -- he is indicative right of a brand of moderate fairly moderate western Democrats like.
The governor now John Hickenlooper right who are -- -- business friendly fairly moderate Democrats right right.
Right but he still had a hard -- to -- because he was going in against in in a Republican year.
Against Ken -- who up until maybe the last few weeks with a pretty good candidate.
He stumbled a little bit Q&A few issues which you know we're going to right it was the -- stuff.
I guess -- yet about appearance on meet the press and a few other things but I do think that.
The way Bennett wants and it is is -- a way of looking at because if that's about it talked a lot of how that one Kyra it's going to be -- Obama -- Kyra and that is obviously by targeting Hispanics that she talked a lot about.
But it's also attacking suburban women suburban women arts among its key yeah -- they swing both ways they're not ideologically.
Liberal and they're not ideologically conservative.
They are day and they are publicly to be honest paying attention quite yet they're busy at their Summers they're they're they're taking care of the kids home from school.
But in the fall we'll start picking up the paper an image of turning on the TV and wondering what's going -- and that boat is extremely important and it.
The way than it did it was painting -- back as anti woman anti you know very non aggressive you know.
Saying things about him that scared women even women who aren't ideologically liberal just that that you know that he is -- sort of anti woman -- And you know whether all of that would have been -- it can happen and senator you know that's just politics that.
That was the huge -- that that Wednesday and I think that Obama's gonna get an attractive with Romney now Romney didn't land states' primaries.
Haven't -- torrent -- this is true.
111 -- he won the nomination he did win the nomination but he's gonna have to do some work there he had not made a lot of work hasn't had a lot of working Kyra I had it not mean a lot of appearances.
The appearances -- had been very.
Pretty tight smile smile alone you know county's rural areas in the eastern plains.
Alison we've got to go we thank you very much and our message the take away for Mitt Romney don't get -- In Colorado so take -- take that into the -- Alison thanks for being with -- have a great weekend.
