Obama shoring up vital Hispanic voting bloc

SAN DIEGO, California (AFP) — Barack Obama is steadily winning over Hispanic voters, defying theories that the potentially crucial minority would be unlikely to support a black presidential candidate at this year's election, Latino leaders say.

Both Democratic hopeful Obama and Republican presidential candidate John McCain have targeted Hispanics in recent weeks, speaking at various Hispanic conferences in an effort to woo the largest minority group in the country.

Large populations of Hispanic voters are present in several key battleground states in the November 4 election, such as Colorado, Nevada and New Mexico, as well as McCain's home state of Arizona.

Obama ran a distant second to Hillary Clinton amongst Hispanics during the gruelling primary race, fuelling suggestion of a racial divide that could benefit McCain in November. Members of Obama's campaign team reportedly acknowledged a "problem" with the Latino community after a crushing June 1 primary defeat ...