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GUESTS: Roberto Lovato, writer with New American Media, frequent contributor to The Nation, Nativo Lopez, president of the Mexican American Political Association and the executive director of the Hermandad Mexicana Latinoamericana

Presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain have spent the past week or so courting potential Latino voters ahead of November’s election. The two spoke at the League of Latin American Citizens convention in Washington D.C. last week and more recently at the annual National Council of La Raza gathering in San Diego. At both gatherings, Obama and McCain took the opportunity to address such issues as the economy and immigration. Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, a former supporter of Hillary Clinton’s bid for the Democratic nomination, campaigned for Barack Obama at both conventions. His presence underscored Obama’s political objective to bring Hilary Clinton’s Latino supporters into the fold. McCain, on the other hand, is seeking to increase his support among Latinos as close as possible to the 40 percent garnered by Bush in 2004. Latinos will comprise an estimated 9 to 10 percent of eligible voters this fall and are a key demographic in important swing states such as New Mexico. A poll conducted last month by the Associated Press and Yahoo showed Obama leading McCain 47 to 22 percent among Latino registered voters with 26 percent still undecided.