responses part 2

The Oxford Dictionary defines a swing state as “a US state where the two major political parties have similar levels of support among voters, viewed as important in determining the overall result of a presidential election.” This means that the electoral votes for the states are always available to be taken be either political party depending on which party campaigns better and connects more with the people of the state. Swing States are very important because, although, they may only contain a few electoral votes, those few votes could mean a win or lose in an election.

State	Electoral Votes
Colorado	9
Florida	29
Iowa	6
Nevada	6
New Hampshire	4
North Carolina	15
Virginia	13
Wisconsin	10
Ohio	18

Nevada

Voting History

2012: 52.4% D, 45.7% R

2008: 55.1% D, 42.7% R

2004: 48.1% D, 50.7% R

2000: 46.0% D, 49.5% R

1996: 43.9% D, 42.9% R

Issues: One main issue in the 2012 election was immigration. The Latino population in Nevada grew 81% between 2000 and 2012, and the issue of immigration became a key debate topic during the 2012 election. Gaming is always a key issue in Nevada elections. Gaming laws is always a major issue due to the amount of casinos and and legalized gambling that is allowed in Nevada. Another major issue in Nevada during the 2012 election was the economy. Nevada had the nations largest unemployment rate, 12.1%, and it made jobs and the economy the major issue for Nevada voters. Nevada voters wanted reassurance that the economy would improve and job opportunities would become available. Some additional issues for Nevada voters included gun control, farming, agriculture, and energy.

Demographic Breakdown: White alone-76.2%, black or African American alone-9.1%, American Indian and Alaska Native alone-1.6%, Asian alone-8.3%, Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander alone-0.7%, two or more races-4.0%, Hispanic or Latino-27.8%

Strategy: In order to take the swing vote in Nevada it is important that a majority of the campaigning occurs in the major cities that account for the most votes, Las Vegas and Reno. Campaigning in these cities is also crucial because they are the ones most effected by the unemployment rates and maintain the most interest in gaming laws. It would be important for the candidate to stress plans to lower the unemployment rate and make jobs for more citizens out of work. Additionally, I would stress the importance of assuring the people of Las Vegas that tourism will increase in the next few years as the employment rates across the country begin to rise and more people have more money to travel and go on vacation. I would than have my candidate travel to the rural areas of Nevada and hold town halls with the small forming communities to discuss the importance of Nevada farming and agriculture to the American economy.

Colorado

Voting History

2012: 51.5% D, 46.1% R

2008: 53.7% D, 44.7% R

2004: 47.0% D, 51.7% R

2000: 42.4% D, 50.8% R

1996: 44.4% D, 45.8% R

Issues: One issue that Colorado addressed heavily in the 2012 campaign was Women's Rights. The women’s vote in Colorado was of upmost importance and the thoughts on women rights in Colorado was much ore liberal than conservative, and many of Colorado residents felt Romney would not be forward thinking enough to support their views. Another issue was climate change as Colorado relies heavily on the winter weather that it receives every year, and warmer temperatures could negatively effect the state. A major issue on the ballot for Colorado was the legalization of Marijuana. The vote to legalize Marijuana could be considered the most waled about issue in the State during the 2012 election. Additionally, like all other states in the 2012 election, the economy was an issue for the Colorado voters.

Demographic Breakdown: White-72%, African American-13%, Hispanic-10%, Asian-3%, Other-2%.

Strategy: As the vast majority of the votes in Colorado come from Denver, I would assure that I had many campaign offices throughout the city and that my candidate listed as often as possible. I would make sure my candidate discussed the importance of women’s rights in America, and how he/she supports women rights. I would have my candidate answer questions about the legalization of marijuana, but I would not have him bring up the topic in any speeches. Furthermore, I would have my candidate visit the many military bases throughout the state in order to show support for the troops, and explain the importance of the men and women who volunteer to serve the country.

http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/american_english/swing-state

https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/post/the-9-swing-states-of-2012/2012/04/16/gIQABuXaLT_blog.html

http://elections.nytimes.com/2012/swing-state-tracker

http://www.270towin.com/states/Nevada

http://www.npr.org/sections/itsallpolitics/2012/09/26/161820247/romneys-nevada-problems-explained-by-political-scientist-who-voted-for-him

http://americasvoice.org/research/spotlight-on-nevada-immigration-latino-voters-and-the-2012-elections/

http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/32000.html

http://www.270towin.com/states/Colorado

http://www.denverpost.com/ci_21924287/swing-state-colorado-holds-its-sway-election

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/02/us/politics/in-colorado-obama-takes-page-from-surprise-democratic-win.html

http://ropercenter.cornell.edu/polls/us-elections/how-groups-voted/how-groups-voted-2012/

http://www.politico.com/2012-election/swing-state/