Inside Obama’s Hispanic strategy

Obama officials are focused on the fast-growing interior West and especially this state, which they believe the president lost only because it is John McCain’s home. With states such as Arizona adding congressional districts after the 2010 census – and thus electoral votes – turning the West into a Democratic bulwark could ensure a lock on the presidency, Obama’s strategists believe.

And they’re backing it up with personal attention from Obama, who made his second trek to Arizona in barely four months in office. The president addressed Arizona State University graduates in a mostly full football stadium Wednesday, winning cheers from a crowd of about 60,000 when he went off-script at one point to pay homage to Latino icon Cesar Chavez in his commencement speech.

Yet even as the Obama charm offensive continues, the administration is faced with twin political challenges that ultimately may threaten any good will they’ve won from Hispanics – how he handles immigration reform and his first Supreme Court nomination. Hispanic leaders say their voters are watching.http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0509/22510.htmlBy: Jonathan Martin — Politico.com