New breed of the New West

Like many Americans I was captivated by the compelling stories, competition and drama of the summer Olympic Games in China. With all due respect to our fabulous and talented athletes, I believe the remainder of the Democratic National Convention will prove to be nearly as captivating and exciting. As pro football’s Terrell Owens likes to say, Get your popcorn.

The Democratic Party is energized and focused as never before. And Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) is poised to close the deal with voters and ignite a final, dramatic push to Election Day that will result in Democrats taking back the White House, and taking back the country on behalf of the American people.

And Denver is the perfect place to showcase the strength of our party, its diversity, and most importantly, the much-needed and desired change that Sen. Obama will bring to the nation.

While Denver is obviously a thriving, modern, cosmopolitan city, it has long symbolized the historic Old West, part of the Western frontier of the 1800s. Its rich tradition is truly American, from the Gold Rush to the railroad to cattle drives and agriculture.

Today the Mile High City is fast becoming the epicenter of the New West, where explosive population growth and dramatic demographic changes are reshaping the region. Newcomers from all over the country have flocked to booming and prosperous metropolitan areas across the Mountain West, making it the fasting growing region in the country.

In 2004, President Bush won all eight Intermountain Western states on his way to a second term. Since then, Democrats have gained control of five governorships, two legislative chambers and seven congressional seats in the region. This string of successes is in part due to the emergence of a new kind of leadership. More importantly, it’s the sign of a New West.

The New West now has thriving urban centers, five of the nation’s 25 fastest-growing cities, and a diversity that reflects a new American coalition of voters. Hispanics, already the largest and fastest-growing minority group in the nation, constitute 23 percent of the Intermountain West population. A full 48 percent of Native Americans reside in the West, and our African American population is now almost 4 percent. Their votes will be essential to transforming the electoral map in the crucial battleground states of the West.

The new electorate has contributed strongly to the region’s already fiercely independent spirit.  Its surging number of unaffiliated voters value pragmatism over partisanship and ideas over ideology.

Democrats have been able to win by promoting smarter government, a strong yet sensible immigration policy, and environmental solutions that preserve the natural wonders that make the West unique.

The decisions to move Nevada to the front of the primary nominating calendar and to hold the Democratic National Convention in Denver shows that our party is serious about competing beyond the coasts and upper Midwest. The current political transformation of the West offers Democrats an opportunity to take back the White House in 2008 and solidify a new political majority for decades to come.

Democrats and many independents in the New West are united with those across the country supporting the new breed of American leadership that Sen. Obama will bring. They know that after eight years of failed leadership from President Bush and Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), Sen. Obama is the best hope for America’s struggling middle class.

During this convention Sen. Obama and a united Democratic Party will demonstrate to the entire country that we need a foreign policy with the strength, vision, and judgment that Sen. Obama offers. A foreign policy that rebuilds our alliances and global standing, makes our country safer, and once again makes us the example of what is good and just.

Americans want a president like Barack Obama, who has been there and understands what working families deal with every day as they struggle to get by and to make life better for their children.

Americans want a president like Barack Obama, who can bring people together and heal our divisions, who will not let party lines or special interests get in the way of doing what is right.

Americans don’t want a president like John McCain, who offers more of the same failed policies of George Bush that have gotten us into the mess we are in today.

This is a defining moment for the Democratic Party and for America. Those of us in the New West are proud to play a role in helping to elect Sen. Barack Obama as the next president of the United States, and getting our country back on the right track.

New Mexico Gov. Richardson exited the race for the Democratic presidential nomination this year and endorsed Obama.