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What are key issues for Colorado voters?

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    CO journalists speak out about 2012

  • Duration 5:46
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Bob back to wrap Polk County Colorado we -- -- jacking brilliant little tend to talk to a local panel about the situation.

On the ground politically.

Here in this swing county.

Joining us now.

Johnny eagle from the Denver Post.

Stefan -- -- morning news news radio 850 KOA and -- so close political reporter fox 31 Denver.

Thank you all being here by the way we don't have -- uniform.

Code there -- no even though we're -- worms and then.

Listen it's very close depending on the poll you look at recently it's still it's just a few points.

Margin of error.

This.

-- Arapahoe County went President Obama -- did back in 200855%.

John McCain.

42%.

But Colorado switch back and forth went to President Obama 2000 -- President Bush 2000 President Bush.

Where is this place now -- what's the biggest issue.

Here for folks that you hear.

We'll -- -- -- a huge Bellwether here in the intermountain west has been for a few cycles now.

And this county is a big Bellwether in terms of which way the State's gonna go hasn't always been a swing -- it was fairly conservative going back just about ten years or so but.

A lot of new population here Arapahoe County has sort of changed things lot of folks moving from other states from California.

So it's got a little more liberal in the suburbs here and it's pocketbook issues at the same thing.

You hear in all the swing states it's soccer moms and families who were worried about you know make in their budget.

Worried about holding onto their home those -- the kind of things that really resonate.

In the summer.

And -- and both candidates the president and Mitt Romney have been here a number of -- clearly that the campaigns.

Believe that this date is within.

Both breasts absolutely you know you you look at the amount of time.

That President Obama has spent -- be here a couple of days from now for the debates.

-- Romney the same thing you cannot go an hour without seeing for -- for political ads.

You know there's a big portion of -- least our audience on the radio that they're ready to vote now.

Early voting here just yet.

I did vote early voting and there is mail in voting.

The state has about one point six million active full time -- and voters -- on October 15 their ballots are going in the mail.

Will be getting him starting the next day and they can pass them and -- and I mean that's big giving that there's maybe two point six million voters in -- and in 2008.

Do you see an issue that is that either campaign is really grasping onto the try to move the needle.

Well certainly as the I mentioned jobs and the economy are -- here just like they are prosperous country unemployment and arapahoe is is about where the national averages sure -- it.

And end out of -- actually gone to areas of Colorado unemployment higher.

You know feeling that his his message resonate better there.

Women's issues.

It seems like.

The percentage of women voting in Colorado.

And maybe even in this area in particular is higher.

Women vote more than men do in Colorado I think last time it was when they were 53% of the vote but.

That is the road map that's the model the democrats' abuse in this difficult but Bennett model because senator Bennett won this way by winning big with Republican women and women overall.

Two years ago but the model goes back.

You -- several cycles past the 2004.

And Democrats have had a successful strategy.

Of winning Republican women because they might be sort of a push on economic issues but Democrats have picked them off.

By talking about social issues but talk about women's health care.

And that's something that they really feel resonates in suburbs like Arapahoe County where you do have soccer moms they're on offense and they feel like that's an issue that can push them off the fence.

There's a growing Hispanic population in Colorado as in much of the west.

How does that factor and staff.

I think it does you've seen in certain portions of Colorado you've seen that ad campaign if you will Mitt Romney has has certainly had ads.

In Spanish.

He has had his son who speaks fluent Spanish out.

Campaigning in Colorado you know it just depends of this area where we are right now is not heavily Hispanic.

But back to the issues that matter to everyone within a ten mile radius of here you have people that have lost between.

200 to 300000 dollars in value to their homes it is all about the economy at least in the -- -- -- -- hear -- It yet fair -- and the Hispanic vote to go back to that exactly this kind of interest in Colorado -- there's longstanding.

Hispanic communities in Colorado in the southern part of Colorado that is communities have been here since before the nation was -- nation.

So that there's a lot of nuances in Hispanic votes.

They do tend to vote for Democrats in fact we did a -- This -- 120 point gap in favor of Obama among Hispanic.

-- do you see enthusiasm.

On the Republican side I mean -- there's all the stuff about polls and how that Romney's trailing him do you sense that.

On either side there's a real get out the vote effort here.

I think it does depend on where you are your neighborhood by neighborhood and it is a state where there's -- counties and their swing kept.

And where we are right now is definitely a swing county so you're going to see yard signs for both candidates.

And it really does come down at the end of the day to which candidate makes the sale in those -- -- both sides in the base areas are motivated to get out and vote.

And if there's a shrinking middle the base matters more.

But in these counties it's about.

Who wins those people who are still on the fence whether it's -- whether it's families.

You know whoever it is Latino voters.

Every little vote could make the difference at the end of the day Eli Stefan job thanks so much -- interest.

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