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| Romney campaign makes strong bid for Obama-leaning Latino voters in Nevada | Romney campaign makes strong bid for Obama-leaning Latino voters in Nevada |
| (30 days later) | |
| It was not as visually striking as the replica Eiffel Tower a few miles down the road but the office off Eastern Avenue, in the gritty part of Las Vegas tourists seldom see, was just as incongruous. | It was not as visually striking as the replica Eiffel Tower a few miles down the road but the office off Eastern Avenue, in the gritty part of Las Vegas tourists seldom see, was just as incongruous. |
| Smack in the middle of a row of Latino-owned stores, many with Spanish names and piped Mexican ballads, a sign on the facade announced its mission in big blue and red letters: Romney. Stencilled beneath it: believe in America. | Smack in the middle of a row of Latino-owned stores, many with Spanish names and piped Mexican ballads, a sign on the facade announced its mission in big blue and red letters: Romney. Stencilled beneath it: believe in America. |
| When it first opened it was challenge enough for locals to believe in this apparition. Republicans, here? | When it first opened it was challenge enough for locals to believe in this apparition. Republicans, here? |
| This, after all, was eastern Las Vegas, a sprawl of nondescript strip malls, dilapidated taco restaurants and low-rise, bleached apartments which immigrants called home and Democrats called a bastion. Republican canvassers were as rare as unicorns. | This, after all, was eastern Las Vegas, a sprawl of nondescript strip malls, dilapidated taco restaurants and low-rise, bleached apartments which immigrants called home and Democrats called a bastion. Republican canvassers were as rare as unicorns. |
| "This is pretty groundbreaking. We've recruited hundreds of volunteers," beamed Elsa Barnhill, 25, the Republican's Nevada state director for Hispanic outreach, seated inside the office. "We are narrowing the gap. We are starting to erode the bad image we had." | "This is pretty groundbreaking. We've recruited hundreds of volunteers," beamed Elsa Barnhill, 25, the Republican's Nevada state director for Hispanic outreach, seated inside the office. "We are narrowing the gap. We are starting to erode the bad image we had." |
| Four years ago Barack Obama won Nevada by 12 points, the sort of margin where votes are weighed rather than counted, but victory this time is not assured. | Four years ago Barack Obama won Nevada by 12 points, the sort of margin where votes are weighed rather than counted, but victory this time is not assured. |
| Polls in the state give the president a consistent but razor-thin lead over his Republican challenger. | Polls in the state give the president a consistent but razor-thin lead over his Republican challenger. |
| The reason was visible from Barnhill's doorway: several nearby stores were boarded up and abandoned, testaments to disastrous levels of foreclosure and 12.1% unemployment, the nation's highest, with unemployment among the state's Latinos even worse, at 19%. Nevada has been dubbed ground zero of the economic crisis. | The reason was visible from Barnhill's doorway: several nearby stores were boarded up and abandoned, testaments to disastrous levels of foreclosure and 12.1% unemployment, the nation's highest, with unemployment among the state's Latinos even worse, at 19%. Nevada has been dubbed ground zero of the economic crisis. |
| A block away Manny and Lilia Ceballos, a Hispanic couple and registered Democrats who run a bail bond business, said they would not vote for Obama again. "The economy has suffered. We need change," said Manny. "To vote for him again and expect a different outcome would be the definition of madness. Republicans are friendlier to small business owners." | A block away Manny and Lilia Ceballos, a Hispanic couple and registered Democrats who run a bail bond business, said they would not vote for Obama again. "The economy has suffered. We need change," said Manny. "To vote for him again and expect a different outcome would be the definition of madness. Republicans are friendlier to small business owners." |
| Emboldened by such sentiments Republicans are raiding this core Democratic constituency, blitzing Spanish language media with adverts, identifying and registering supporters at community events, erecting signs and billboards saying "Juntos con Romney", together with Romney. | Emboldened by such sentiments Republicans are raiding this core Democratic constituency, blitzing Spanish language media with adverts, identifying and registering supporters at community events, erecting signs and billboards saying "Juntos con Romney", together with Romney. |
| "Obama tells these good stories but this ain't time for that," said Robert Zavala, 43, a Nicaraguan-born activist who spends his days erecting Romney billboards. "We're like Catholic missionaries. I was in a pro-Obama bakery the other day explaining things and at the end they gave me a cookie. People are waking up to reality." | "Obama tells these good stories but this ain't time for that," said Robert Zavala, 43, a Nicaraguan-born activist who spends his days erecting Romney billboards. "We're like Catholic missionaries. I was in a pro-Obama bakery the other day explaining things and at the end they gave me a cookie. People are waking up to reality." |
| Romney has visited the state six times since becoming the de facto nominee and dispatched his Spanish-speaking son Craig as a touring surrogate. | Romney has visited the state six times since becoming the de facto nominee and dispatched his Spanish-speaking son Craig as a touring surrogate. |
| "We've been making important headway in the Hispanic community, which has been disproportionately affected by the president's policies," said Mason Harrison, a Nevada campaign spokesman who also worked here for John McCain's presidential bid. | "We've been making important headway in the Hispanic community, which has been disproportionately affected by the president's policies," said Mason Harrison, a Nevada campaign spokesman who also worked here for John McCain's presidential bid. |
| "People are excited. We've made three times as many phone calls and knocked on five times as many doors as we did in 2008. For the first time we've opened an office in east Las Vegas, right in the belly of the beast. As a result, we're much closer to where we want to be. I think we're going to surprise a lot of people with our turnout." | "People are excited. We've made three times as many phone calls and knocked on five times as many doors as we did in 2008. For the first time we've opened an office in east Las Vegas, right in the belly of the beast. As a result, we're much closer to where we want to be. I think we're going to surprise a lot of people with our turnout." |
| 'They're really going for it' | 'They're really going for it' |
| If Harrison is right, Nevada, with just six electoral college votes, could prove decisive. Having backed the winner in nine of the last 10 presidential elections it also boasts bellwether mystique: as Nevada goes, so goes the nation. | If Harrison is right, Nevada, with just six electoral college votes, could prove decisive. Having backed the winner in nine of the last 10 presidential elections it also boasts bellwether mystique: as Nevada goes, so goes the nation. |
| Both sides agree Latinos, comprising 14% of the electorate, are crucial. In 2008 about 70% backed Obama, according to exit polls. Republicans know most will again back the president; the challenge is to whittle the margin so Republican bastions in rural areas, and their apparent edge in Washoe county, which includes Reno, will outweigh Obama's huge lead in Clark county, which includes Las Vegas and accounts for three-quarters of Latinos. Romney, analysts say, needs to bag at least a third of Latino votes to prevail. | Both sides agree Latinos, comprising 14% of the electorate, are crucial. In 2008 about 70% backed Obama, according to exit polls. Republicans know most will again back the president; the challenge is to whittle the margin so Republican bastions in rural areas, and their apparent edge in Washoe county, which includes Reno, will outweigh Obama's huge lead in Clark county, which includes Las Vegas and accounts for three-quarters of Latinos. Romney, analysts say, needs to bag at least a third of Latino votes to prevail. |
| Hence the Republican outpost on Eastern Avenue and the unfamiliar spectacle of Republican party activists and newly formed conservative groups like Nevada Hispanics canvassing in poor neighbourhoods. | Hence the Republican outpost on Eastern Avenue and the unfamiliar spectacle of Republican party activists and newly formed conservative groups like Nevada Hispanics canvassing in poor neighbourhoods. |
| "We've seen them out there. They're really going for it," said Leo Murietta, Nevada state director of Mi Familia Vota, a non-partisan group which itself registered 17,301 Latino voters in Nevada. | "We've seen them out there. They're really going for it," said Leo Murietta, Nevada state director of Mi Familia Vota, a non-partisan group which itself registered 17,301 Latino voters in Nevada. |
| Will the Republican outreach prise this state, and possibly the presidency, from Obama? | Will the Republican outreach prise this state, and possibly the presidency, from Obama? |
| Jon Ralston, a prominent commentator and analyst, gave a blunt assessment. "Mitt Romney is getting crushed here among Latinos, as he is elsewhere. You can't lose this demographic group by this size and hope to win the race." | Jon Ralston, a prominent commentator and analyst, gave a blunt assessment. "Mitt Romney is getting crushed here among Latinos, as he is elsewhere. You can't lose this demographic group by this size and hope to win the race." |
| A poll last week gave Obama 69% support among Nevada's Latinos and Romney 28%. | A poll last week gave Obama 69% support among Nevada's Latinos and Romney 28%. |
| Meaning there are precious few couples like the Ceballos, the repentant Democrats. | Meaning there are precious few couples like the Ceballos, the repentant Democrats. |
| The bright lining for Romney is Latinos lag other groups in expressed commitment to go to the polls. But in Nevada Democrats have racked up an impressive advantage in voter registration – 120,000 in Clark county alone. "If those voters turn out I don't see how Mitt Romney makes the maths work," said Ralston. | The bright lining for Romney is Latinos lag other groups in expressed commitment to go to the polls. But in Nevada Democrats have racked up an impressive advantage in voter registration – 120,000 in Clark county alone. "If those voters turn out I don't see how Mitt Romney makes the maths work," said Ralston. |
| With the state's economy so bad Obama should be reeling, he added, but Romney's stance on immigration during the primary campaign, when he tacked right to outflank rivals and opposed the Dream act, sabotaged his Latino outreach. "He took a position that has come back to haunt him. You can't undo that in one election cycle." | With the state's economy so bad Obama should be reeling, he added, but Romney's stance on immigration during the primary campaign, when he tacked right to outflank rivals and opposed the Dream act, sabotaged his Latino outreach. "He took a position that has come back to haunt him. You can't undo that in one election cycle." |
| Latinos routinely rank jobs and healthcare above immigration in a list of concerns, stoking Republican hopes of making the election a referendum on the economy, but immigration was a "trigger issue", said Murietta, of Mi Familia Vota. | Latinos routinely rank jobs and healthcare above immigration in a list of concerns, stoking Republican hopes of making the election a referendum on the economy, but immigration was a "trigger issue", said Murietta, of Mi Familia Vota. |
| Jody Agius Vallejo, a sociology professor and author of Barrio to Burbs: the making of the Mexican-American middle class, said latinos were diverse and potentially open to Republican arguments but they felt "villainised" by the party. "Many Latinos, regardless of their national origin or immigrant generation acutely feel the waves of hostility." | Jody Agius Vallejo, a sociology professor and author of Barrio to Burbs: the making of the Mexican-American middle class, said latinos were diverse and potentially open to Republican arguments but they felt "villainised" by the party. "Many Latinos, regardless of their national origin or immigrant generation acutely feel the waves of hostility." |
| Romney's Eastern Avenue office was a lonely outpost. Next door Damaris Rosales, 25, had mounted an Obama poster at the entrance to her family's photo print store. Brought to the US from Mexico as an infant, her battle to be allowed to study and legally work had affected her extended family. "They saw my struggle, saw what I had to go through," she said. Obama's support for Dream and his deferral of deportations for young Latinos salved disappointment with his administration's record level of deportations and stalled immigration reform, said Rosales. | Romney's Eastern Avenue office was a lonely outpost. Next door Damaris Rosales, 25, had mounted an Obama poster at the entrance to her family's photo print store. Brought to the US from Mexico as an infant, her battle to be allowed to study and legally work had affected her extended family. "They saw my struggle, saw what I had to go through," she said. Obama's support for Dream and his deferral of deportations for young Latinos salved disappointment with his administration's record level of deportations and stalled immigration reform, said Rosales. |
| Diners tucking into $1.49 tacos at a nearby restaurant, Carniceria La Bonita, agreed. "We all have siblings, cousins, friends, someone, who is undocumented," said Olga, 48, a Guatemalan-born cleaner who declined to give her surname. | Diners tucking into $1.49 tacos at a nearby restaurant, Carniceria La Bonita, agreed. "We all have siblings, cousins, friends, someone, who is undocumented," said Olga, 48, a Guatemalan-born cleaner who declined to give her surname. |
| "Walk down the street in Arizona and they can arrest you just for being Hispanic," said her partner, Edgar, 50, a landscape gardener. Neither had papers to vote but they said their children and siblings would vote for Obama. A Salvadorean at a neighbouring table said he "would die for Obama". | "Walk down the street in Arizona and they can arrest you just for being Hispanic," said her partner, Edgar, 50, a landscape gardener. Neither had papers to vote but they said their children and siblings would vote for Obama. A Salvadorean at a neighbouring table said he "would die for Obama". |
| The diners mocked Romney's Spanish language ads and his apparent spray tan for a Univision interview. "Yeah, and now I'm a turkey voting for Christmas," said Edgar. | The diners mocked Romney's Spanish language ads and his apparent spray tan for a Univision interview. "Yeah, and now I'm a turkey voting for Christmas," said Edgar. |
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