US Politics / Ari Last / 04 November 2008 /

Like Hastings and Waterloo, a win on the Battleground of Colorado will be exceptionally sweet and significant for the victor. Nine Electoral votes are up for grabs and if Barack Obama can benefit from a swing as large as this, he would be destined for the White House.

Alternatively, if McCain ends up holding on to this key state, many will feel that an overall victory could follow, yet as the days go by this scenario actually occurring seems less and less likely.

Singled out as a Swing State, Colorado's lean towards the Blue side of American Politics is looking increasingly swaggered.

In 2004 George W Bush and the Republicans triumphed in the State by a margin of less than five percentage points. If Senator McCain was looking for lightening to strike twice he is in the right place. Nowhere in the USA sees more lightning then Colorado, yet such is the apparent supremacy of Obama right now, one feels as if it would take more than a natural phenomenon for Coloradans to witness a Republican triumph.

There is even talk of McCain retreating from this part of the Southwest after acknowledging that he is unable to compete with the spending power of his rival. Sarah Palin was present in the State last week and McCain is due there today yet his lack of funds has meant that neither event received the type of advertising coverage that one would expect.

In terms of field offices, McCain is being outdone again. The Republicans are armed with 12 Stations yet the insignificance of that figure comes into full view when one considers the Democratic arsenal of 51 offices in the region. It almost seems unfair that one side can gain such an advantage dependant on how much money they have in the bank - but that is US Politics and a large part of being a successful candidate is having the charisma required in order to raise the funds needed to see off any adversary.

Going into the campaign, the feeling in the Democrat camp was that there was much room for growth in Colorado. President Bush was said to have "maxed out" the states' Republican vote in 2004, so much attention has been paid to sourcing and developing potential Democratic sympathisers this time around, and it seems to have worked.

With best available odds to back a Democratic win currently at [1.15], Betfair customers seem convinced that the rocky terrain of Colorado will prove insurmountable for a labouring and according to some, out of breath Republican party. Foolish, brave or canny punters - call them what you will - can get odds of [5.8] on a Republican triumph, and with over ten days left, in a state with a Republican voting trend running through its veins, that price may just be too tempting for some to resist.

FACTS:

Capital - Denver

Population - 4,861,515 (22nd in the USA)

Land area - 104,185 sq mi (8th in the USA)

Admission to the Union - 1st August 1876

Famous sons - Don Cheadle, Trey Parker, Matt Stone, John Elway

Most famous export - South Park

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