The slide from red to blue is slow, and Smith anticipates New Hampshire still will be a battleground state in the 2012 presidential election. But come 2016, the state likely will be voting Democratic, Smith predicted.

"The kind of shift we are seeing is less than 1 percent a year," he said. But in 10 years, we could be a "pretty solid Democratic state."

Half (50%) of all Latinos say that the situation of Latinos in this country is worse now than it was a year ago, according to a new nationwide survey of 2,015 Hispanic adults conducted by the Pew Hispanic Center.

This pessimism is especially prevalent among immigrants, who account for 54% of all Hispanic adults in the United States. Fully 63% of these Latino immigrants say that the situation of Latinos has worsened over the past year. In 2007, just 42% of all adult Hispanic immigrants -- and just 33% of all Hispanic adults -- said the same thing.

Hispanics, also, view Senator Barack Obama and the Democratic Party in a much more positive light than John McCain and the rest of the Bush/McCain Republicans.

About half (49%) of all Latinos say that the Democratic Party has more concern for Hispanics, while just 7% say the Republican Party has more concern. Since 2004, the share of Hispanics who say that the Democratic Party has more concern for Hispanics has increased by 14 percentage points. Most of this gain for the Democrats comes from a reduction in the share of Latinos who say there is no difference between the parties.

Among Hispanics who are registered voters, a majority say that Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama is the better candidate for Hispanics (55%) and for immigrants (50%). Just 11% of Hispanic registered voters say that Republican presidential nominee John McCain is better for Hispanics, and just 12% say he is better for immigrants. The remainder see no difference between the two candidates on this front. Overall, Hispanic registered voters support Obama over McCain by 66% to 23%. [emphasis added]

Republican Secretary of State Todd Rokita weighed in on the Hoosier state as CNN’s John King reports:

But Republican Secretary of State Todd Rokita, the state's chief elections officer, said Sen. John McCain's campaign had better take notice.

"They have a fight here in Indiana and it is real," Rokita said.

The numbers are dramatic: In 2004, 2.5 million ballots were cast for president in Indiana. And in that entire cycle, the state received some 565,000 new and updated registrations.

This year, the number is already in excess of 562,000 and given the recent spike in activity by campaigns and other organizations, Rokita tells CNN he expects to hit a record 750,000 by the state's October 6 registration deadline.

"I will say that this is the first time I have ever seen a Democratic presidential campaign this engaged in this state. Usually Indiana is No. 1 for the red states on election night when it comes to president," Rokita told CNN in an interview in his state Capitol office in Indianapolis. [emphasis added]

Now that is some straight talk.

To the 2,170 women delegates: this is our convention. To women across America: this is our party. And to all Americans: Barack Obama is our candidate to deliver the change we need.

I am proud to be joined by my distinguished women colleagues of the United States House of Representatives who are working for America’s working women. They will share the stories of women around our country who all agree that our country can’t afford more of the same.

But today I have traveled from my home in New Hampshire to declare myself a proud member of the Democratic Party and to endorse Barack Obama for President of the United States. Why? Because the Republican Party I once knew has become something different, something I no longer recognize. The “Grand Old Party” is no longer grand. It’s just old. The same old, failed policies. The same, old Washington culture.

Instead of new ideas and innovation, they offer trillion-dollar tax breaks for the very rich at the expense of the middle class, a deficit out of control and a government unable to help its most vulnerable citizens after Hurricane Katrina. Instead of inspiring the world with the power of American ideals, they offer war as a first resort, an overstretched military, justification for torture and trampling of civil liberties.

From the invasion of Iraq to the devastation of Katrina, I see arrogance abroad and incompetence at home. And I simply cannot tolerate, and America simply can’t afford, more of the same. Any other time, I might have given up on politics, convinced that nothing would ever change. But this year, a new leader offers the change we need.

Barack Obama’s ideas and ideals are not tired and old. They are rooted in the timeless values that define our great nation: unity, optimism, faith. He is a leader who challenges us to put aside old divisions of party and region and race and unite around a common purpose. A leader who will replace the old politics of special-interest influence with fiscal responsibility and shared prosperity, including freedom from the tyranny of foreign oil.

A leader who as commander-in-chief will keep our military strong, stop spending $10 billion a month in Iraq, start bringing our troops home responsibly, and win the war against those who attacked us on 9/11.

As an old Navy veteran, I know change isn’t always easy. But sometimes it’s necessary. And this is such a time. In Barack Obama I see judgment, character, courage, and principle over politics and partisanship. In Barack Obama, I see the change America needs.