Politicians trying to mobilize Hispanic vote

PHOENIX — In the humble building that houses her lofty mission, Alexis Tamaron senses the moment and understands the opportunity.

She also has realistically sized up the hurdle.

Tamaron, deputy state director for the Howard Dean campaign in Arizona, believes her guy is a goner if he does not win here Tuesday. And she believes the ex-governor of Vermont needs a boost from the state's large Hispanic community.

So she laughs when reminded that the most famous Hispanic name in Vermont is Ben and Jerry's Cherry Garcia ice cream.

But Tamaron is bolstered by the fact that all the Democratic contenders are from far away places, none with much of an Hispanic feel.

On Tuesday, with that storyline, Hispanics could have an unprecedented impact on the selection of an American president. In New Mexico, the nation's most Hispanic state, there will be caucuses. In Arizona, voters go to the polls.

The task for Tamaron, who sees Hispanics as a "very big key part" of Dean's chances here, is marketing a Vermonter in the Southwest.

Feeling the pressure?

"A bit," she said with a nervous laugh. "Just a bit."

On Saturday in Tucson, her candidate, moments after waving a pi�ata handed to him by a supporter, declared the Hispanic vote "very important."

"We've got some Spanish-language television," he said, failing to note that his campaign is running no ads in Arizona.

In various ways, the Democratic contenders are paying attention or lip service to the Hispanic vote up for grabs Tuesday. Some do it with Spanish-language ads. For some, it's an arms race waged with Hispanic endorsers.

For all, there is acknowledgement that someday — maybe Tuesday — the Hispanic vote will be pivotal if it ever turns out in numbers reflecting its status as the nation's fastest growing community.

Dean, John Kerry, Wesley Clark, Joe Lieberman and Dennis Kucinich are scheduled here Monday at a League of United Latin American Citizens forum.

At the University of New Mexico, political scientist Lonna Atkeson said thanks to the confluence of calendar and circumstance, Tuesday offers a major opportunity for Hispanics.

"They are certainly playing a bigger role than they've ever played before," she said.

Tuesday's Southwest contests play out amid an electorate far more like America's demographic future than are Iowa (3 percent Hispanic population) and New Hampshire (under 2 percent Hispanic).

And the contests will be played in states that look nothing like the candidates' home states.

Arizona's population is 25 percent Hispanic. New Mexico's is 42 percent. Lieberman's Connecticut? Nine percent Hispanic. Kerry's Massachusetts? Seven percent. Clark's Arkansas? Three percent. John Edwards' North Carolina? Five percent. Dean's Vermont? Just under 1 percent.

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