Betting on the West

Colorado, Nevada and New Mexico were key western swing states for the 2008 Presidential election. Each state had large pockets of independent voters and a variety of economic and political issues that made each unique. The states were seen by John McCain, Barack Obama and political analysts as essential to the election.

Jeff Hunt of La Grange, Calif. plays Pai Gow with his fiancee at the Peppermill Hotel and Casino in Reno, Nev . John McCain's proposed ban on college sports betting has not gone over well with many voters as well. Photo by Matt McClain
   
Republican State Convention Delegate, Stacy Button listens to the proceedings as her twin daughters, Haley Button, 7, left, and Hannah Button, 7, right, sleep on her lap at the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno, Nev. Photo by Matt McClain
   
Owner and operator of the Holiday Twin drive in theater, Wesley Webb is bathed in late afternoon light as he sells movie tickets at the Fort Collins, Colo. business. The theater which has been a local fixture since the late 1960's has been receiving noise complaints from the encroaching urban sprawl. Photo by Matt McClain
     
  
Frank Morreale, owner of The Gun Trader, gives a customer advice on which firearm to purchase in Reno, Nev. Morreale said that gun right issues is key to a candidate winning Nevada. Photo by Matt McClain
   
Getting a helping hand, Elisha Hood, 3, center, walks out of the Poudre River with his mother, Jessica Saracino, right, and her boyfriend, Stephen Harrington, left, outside of Fort Collins, Colo. Water right issues are central to Colorado and to many western states. Grass root organizations are trying to prevent the building of a dam that could impact the Poudre River. Photo by Matt McClain
   
Neighborhood children watch as Ramon Najera, 12, right, flips upside down on a trampoline in their colonia outside of Anthony, New Mexico. There are many of the unincorporated areas in southern New Mexico, that have extreme poverty and clean water issues. Photo by Matt McClain
     
  
Debra Marsh dances to classic rock at the Eldorado BBQ, Blues & Brews Festival in downtown Reno, Nev. Photo by Matt McClain
   
Rhonda Cox, center, of the United Kingdom, plays a slot machine next to her friend, Marissa Grant, right, of Reno, Nev. at the Peppermill Hotel and Casino in Reno. Gaming was first declared legal in the state in 1869. Photo by Matt McClain
   
Charlie Mote, 7, right, of Culver, Ore. watches his father, Bobby Mote, left, get ready for the semi-finals of the 89th annual Reno Rodeo in Reno, Nev. Contestants said that winning first prize money is more important with the state of gas prices. Photo by Matt McClain
     
  
Patty Chastain of Liberty Realty Inc. tours a foreclosed home in Reno, Nev. that was damaged by a water pipe that burst because the house had not been winterized. The area has been devastated by the economy, leaving many building projects half done with no future completion date. Photo by Matt McClain
   
Elizabeth Kline, left, leans out of her birdseye perch as spectators come and go during the 89th annual Reno Rodeo. The event is billed as the "Wildest, richest rodeo in the West". Photo by Matt McClain
   
Susan Ellis, 21, and boyfriend, John DeHaan, 21, relax in the back of a station wagon as they wait for start of their double feature at the Holiday Twin drive in theater in Fort Collins, Colorado. Ellis and DeHaan described themselves as registered republicans, who had not decided who they would vote for in the presidential elections in November. Photo by Matt McClain
     
  
Charlie Lundin, 8, jumps hay bales at Centennial Livestock Auction as he attends a hay auction with his grandfather, Terry Swift in Fort Collins, Colo. Photo by Matt McClain
   
Jack Davis, left, and his wife, Mitzi Davis set up a curtain to shield themselves from the sun as they prepare for a local farmer's market in downtown Fort Collins, Colo. Photo by Matt McClain
   
Eligio Aguirre, bottom right, rests near the bank of the Truckee River Whitewater Park as children play in downtown Reno, Nev. Photo by Matt McClain
     
  
Rodeo contestants prepare to take part in the semi-finals of the 89th annual Reno Rodeo. Photo by Matt McClain