September 26, 2008 - 3:03pm

Obama, McCain camps targeting non-traditional supporters

Barack Obama's Colorado campaign is targeting independent suburban voters, Latinos in the southern part of the state and voters in traditionally Republican areas, Obama senior strategist Robert Gibbs said Thursday, according to the Denver Post.

Meanwhile, John McCain's campaign is also focusing on winning over Latinos and is putting resources in the Denver Metro area, said political director Mike DuHaime, according to the Post.

Barack Obama's Colorado campaign is targeting independent suburban voters, Latinos in the southern part of the state and voters in traditionally Republican areas, Obama senior strategist Robert Gibbs said Thursday, according to the Denver Post.

Meanwhile, John McCain's campaign is also focusing on winning over Latinos and is putting resources in the Denver Metro area, said political director Mike DuHaime, according to the Post.

"You can't simply compete where Democrats have done traditionally well. You have to compete in all areas,'' Gibbs told reporters at a breakfast, according to the Post. "It's a microcosm of a lot of different states where you have important constituencies, you have growing suburbs, but you also have red areas that Democrats have traditionally neglected."

"Changing the score of those areas could also change the outcome'' of who wins the election, Gibbs added, according to the Post.

DuHaime said McCain's campaign is increasing voter outreach. Last week, the campaign called or canvassed more than 1 million homes nationwide, the Post reported.

DuHaime added that the Republican Party's voter outreach is better than it was in 2006 or 2004, the Post reported.

"What we've got are battle-tested volunteers who have done it before,'' he said, according to the Post.