This is not the case said Christine Sierra

Barack Obama was Saturday to Pueblo, South of Colorado, for one of his final rallies marathons, it has chained tirelessly over the weekend. "If to puede!" launched in Spanish to the cheers ("Yes, we can!", his campaign slogan). Colorado is a "swing State" (undecided State) important that he intends well to switch on the side of democratic and where the Hispanic electorate weighs more than 10. Eight days earlier, Obama had gathered more than 45,000 people in Albuquerque, principal city of the New-Mexico, a State where 44 of the population is composed of Hispanics (the highest proportion of the country). "The day before, reports Jeff Jones,"Albuquerque Journal", John McCain had attracted 1,500 people."

Yet, the two candidates is are argued to the end this constituency became a crucial issue in a number of tangents States. In November 2004, the latino vote was 7.6 million people. A figure which should reach at least 9.2 million this year, according to the Latin American Observatory Naleo, who even expects a much higher number, the number of applications for naturalization having exploded in 2006, probably as a result of the hardening of the positions of the Republicans on illegal immigration.

However, "recent polls show an overwhelming advance to Barack Obama this population", explains Christine Sierra, Professor at the University of New Mexico: 69 per cent against 26 for McCain in that State, 74 against 21 in Colorado, 71 against 22 in Nevada. Even in Florida, where the Cuban population is in General, it heavily Republican, Obama has more than two points behind on his rival, to 46. According to polls, McCain is even threatened in his fief, Arizona.

Heavy handicap

However, Obama was leaving in August, at its inauguration, with a heavy handicap, as Latino-Americans far preferred him to his primary rival, Hillary Clinton. When the Democratic Governor of New-Mexico, Bill Richardson, of origin Mexico and great friend of the Clintons, has finally decided to support Obama, "the local press has treated it traitor of Judas", entrusts, in Santa Fe, a member of his entourage. In addition, the good score for Bush in 2004 with the Hispanic (from 40 to 44 of their votes) could suggest that this traditionally democratic community became more shared. "This is not the case," said Christine Sierra. Bush had benefited from its good relations as a Texan with the Latinos. McCain, he is blamed for having waived, under pressure from Republicans, support a legalization of illegal immigrants plan. "On the contrary, adds," Obama explicitly defended the hypothesis of a legalization provided that the border is secure, held meetings in poor and purely Latino cities where he told them: Hispanics, I need you!

Another factor conducive to Obama, the "sub-prime" crisis heavily struck the Latin American community.

For weeks, Governor Bill Richardson campaigned for Obama across the country. "I wouldn't be surprised that he was called to Washington", said his political advisor Robert Humes. Some see already Minister, democratic national Committee Chair or even Secretary of State. Indeed, what would be a resounding recognition of weight policy growing Hispanic.