Once GOP stronghold, West veers into Dems' column.

[dsc]

8. the article appears to be more about states

such as Nevada, Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona than the West Coast. The Mountain west has become very good to us in recent elections. Obama carried Colorado, New Mexico, and Nevada both times. Clinton won Montana, New Mexico, Colorado, and Nevada in 1992 and Nevada, Arizona, and New Mexico in 1996. Gore won New Mexico in 2000. In 2004 Kerry won none. Remember Clinton was in three people races while Gore and Kerry were in two person races. Now we are able to reliably win two people races in enough of the mountain west to make the area barely a loss for us. Obama lost only 7 electoral votes in the Mountain west (27 - 20) compared to a 44-0 blowout that Kerry suffered. Obama lost Arizona by just over 9 points. If the we can start winning Arizona it would be (31 - 16) our favor. That would be pretty much game over for the GOP.