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Candidates battle for support from NM Latino voters

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    Is voting bloc key to winning swing state?

  • Duration 3:28
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Back everyone and we are your election headquarters and with just more than a month until the big.

The state has only five -- -- votes but in a tight race you know every vote will count.

Folks there -- pick the winner and seven of the last eight presidential elections in the heated New Mexico is really the Latino population there it's the largest in the country.

And that is a voting bloc and both candidates are willing the president is leading in polls there but the race could be more competitive than it looks.

With still more than a month ago Michael Coleman is the Washington bureau chief for the Albuquerque journal and he joins us now Michael -- -- last month when he talked as you -- listen.

The polls had the president way ahead that your sense of things.

I was at the race was closer do you still feel that way now.

I do feel that way as the national polls have had the race as much as 101214 points we had a -- couple weeks ago the show the race was just five points.

It's going to be insistent -- he would have within these next thirty days and you hit the nail on the head when you said Romney's performance among Hispanic voters in New Mexico is going to be absolutely critical.

Anything in the debate last night that you think -- particularly resonate.

With a -- is -- New Mexico and maybe even add voting bloc.

Well one of the things that I I thought it was effective for Mitt Romney in that debate was he performed well obviously and and secondly.

People in New Mexico haven't seen much that Romney he's a little bit of an enigma to us and and I I think based on some of the characterizations thus far he's -- -- sort of seen -- gaff prone and maybe elitist I think he came across last night as.

Not you know he -- making a major gaffes and he seems -- of the time that I think that that'll help them in New Mexico.

I also think the President Obama did well on this use of Medicare and Medicaid we have a lot of low income and retirees and low income people on our state and I think he did a good job of -- that issue about and insisting that you protect those programs for people in New Mexico and cross country.

Let's talk a little bit about the ground game we know how important that is and really all states out there it's my understanding that the Republican governor in New Mexico Susanna Martinez who emerges.

When the big rising stars in the Republican Party hasn't been campaigning inside her own stations in campaigning Nevada and Florida why is that -- what can you tell us about.

-- campaigns ended that the headquarters set up inside the seat by both parties.

You know that it's a bit of a mystery to me into other of you know political.

Observers in New Mexico you know why she's in Florida.

You know the part of it may just be that the Romney campaign isn't overly concerned with -- New Mexico that that's got these other bigger sort of fish to fry but it doesn't make sense to me that.

A -- -- Susanna Martinez who is an Hispanic Republican women are -- full 69% popularity.

Is an out you know beating the drum for Romney and in our state.

We have another poll coming on the move up to -- and I suspect that if it shows that Romney's tightening you know closing the gap a little bit you'll see more of Susanna Martinez on the trail.

And one of the things that you have report is something about Romney's campaign pulling out some key people inside the -- I just bring that up because you brought it may be -- Maybe these guys are turning their back on the scene I'm curious that exploring and a little bit more.

Yeah that that was pretty -- indication of where they think this race is going to pull the Hispanic outreach.

Coordinator -- communications director.

Out of the -- -- -- Florida I believe.

And I I think that just shows that they you know the resources -- tight and -- really wanna compete with making you know women and possibly get the most electoral -- the to a lot of people -- -- Mexico who saw that does it seem like a concession.

Of New Mexico by the Romney campaign and that sense of messages -- the voters certainly is that Michael great reporting by you it's always great to have you on the program and we look started checking.

And with the over the next several weeks thank you -- look forward to thank you.

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