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Battle for Swing States: New Mexico

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    What's impacting race in key state?

  • Duration 3:34
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Every state counts in this very close election race but we're gonna continue our look at the battleground states that likely will determine.

The outcome in November today we're checking out New Mexico.

This is one of the western states that President Obama won pretty handily last time around.

If you look at the stats there are five electoral votes up for grabs in New Mexico.

The unemployment rate though looking pretty good there six point 6% is the rate.

Compare that the national average of eight point 3% a New Mexico is doing pretty well.

It may be the reason that President Obama has not visited there yet in this campaign season Mitt Romney has been there once.

Part of the reason is because of the poll numbers you can see there President Obama with a 5238%.

Lead.

Over Mitt Romney in New Mexico Michael Coleman is the Washington bureau chief for the Albuquerque journal he joins us from Tampa.

Is that unemployment rate connected to the president's popularity you know a lot of the conventional wisdom is that when the unemployment rate.

Continues the way it has nationally.

An incumbent has problems getting reelected if New Mexico is at six point 6% that's look.

I'm pretty good.

Yeah I'm sure that -- doesn't help that New Mexico as a relatively unemployment.

Low unemployment rate.

We we also have a lot of state government jobs and federal jobs there are so that sort of factors and I think in part to help keeping it low.

But certainly that doesn't heard Obama's chances that they you know he -- laid a good ground game in 2008 New Mexico and I think he's been able to perpetuate there.

That there -- New Mexico and you know so far so good for him but we've still got a little ways ago.

And yet you've got Susanna Martinez addressing the Republican National Convention what does that do for your state.

Well I think that'd -- in and fired -- the Republicans last night here in the convention hall in Tampa and you know I think that it elevates New Mexico's profile certainly by all accounts that virtually she did a good job last night.

Delivering that speech most people that know who she was before last night but not millions of people do and I think -- be a very effective surrogate for Mitt Romney especially with Hispanics and women.

But obviously the people of New Mexico know her -- if she is up there endorsing Mitt Romney and I mean does her political star power.

In your state carry enough weight that she might deliver it.

To the to the Romney called.

It certainly doesn't hurt that it I think it depends on what she does in the ground in the state you know her endorsement.

Helps Mitt Romney.

Yeah I think it depends on how much does she works and gets out in this southern part of the state where all the conservatives are try to get them enthusiastic about the base.

And I know can -- Republican congressman Steve Pearce is also doing a lot Mitt Romney.

You raise a million and a half bucks for him last week in New Mexico itself they're working hard to try to get those numbers go to the other direction for Mitt Romney.

I noted a moment ago that Mitt Romney has made a campaign appearance in New Mexico when he did so the backdrop was energy and oil drilling.

He has made that a significant part of his campaign and and stresses the president's opposition to things like the Keystone Pipeline.

Is he -- any votes there.

It certainly doesn't -- we've got a lot of oil and gas.

People in New Mexico especially southern New Mexico he went to visit you misdemeanor and further Obama hasn't been to New Mexico he actually was -- New Mexico campaigning in.

Interestingly enough he he also went to southern New Mexico to the oil patch and talked about energy so energy oil and gas and the jobs associated with those industries are huge in New Mexico.

Well five electoral votes up for grabs there in New Mexico and they could be crucial Michael Coleman.

Thank you.

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