DENVER — Among the western states that voted for George W. Bush in 2004, New Mexico is the most likely to go for Barack Obama this year, Obama campaign manager David Plouffe said Monday.

Plouffe, answering questions from a group of reporters from battleground states, claimed the recent Denver Post poll showing Obama trailing Republican John McCain in New Mexico and other Western states doesn't concern him. If the Democrats can register just a small fraction of unregistered Hispanics in New Mexico, he said, that in itself would offset the tiny margin by which Bush won the state in the last presidential election.

Voter turnout, including new and young voters also is key, Plouffe said. He said he believes Obama's organization is superior to McCain's in New Mexico and in other battleground states.

But Gov. Bill Richardson said the Obama campaign is going to have to work harder to win the West — especially because there's no Westerner on the ticket.

Obama and vice presidential nominee Joe Biden will have to make several visits to the state, Richardson said in an interview Monday.

Soul Brother No. 1: Richardson hadn't yet arrived in Denver when he received a rather unusual compliment Monday morning from a top Democratic strategist.

A breakfast for the New Mexico delegation to the 2008 Democratic National Convention was packed with speakers, including former Al Gore campaign manager and current CNN pundit Donna Brazile.

She gave a short but enthusiastic pep talk to state Democrats. She praised Richardson, saying, "I feel like I've known Gov. Richardson all my life. Sometimes I think he's the original soul man. No offense, James Brown."

Brazile hadn't been scheduled to speak at the breakfast. However, Lt. Gov. Diane Denish saw her talking to the Washington, D.C., delegation, which was having breakfast across the hall at the Crowne Plaza hotel, and decided to ask Brazile to speak to the New Mexico group. "Sometimes the best things here happen by chance," Denish said. She said she'd first met Brazile in 2000 when Denish was state party chairman and Brazile was campaigning for Gore.

Hunting the hunter vote: One of the more unusual appeals heard at the morning meal came from Tod Sedgwick, a bird hunter who lives in Washington and a volunteer with the Obama campaign. He's trying to organize Sportsmen for Obama groups in all 50 states.

The effort is a part of the Obama campaign's rural-outreach program, Sedgwick said. Last week in Santa Fe, Democratic National Committee chairman Howard Dean stressed the importance of Democrats trying to peel off Republican support in rural areas.

"On the surface, you wouldn't think a guy from Chicago would be a natural advocate for sportsmen," Sedgwick said of Obama. "He's not pretending to be a sportsman or fisherman."

But, Sedgwick said, sportsmen around the country are becoming increasingly concerned about deteriorating natural habitats for the fish, fowl and beasts they love to pursue.

Obama, he said, has a far superior record compared to Republican John McCain in preserving habitat for animals.

"He wants to open up access on public lands to hunting and fishing," Sedgwick said.

Sedgwick said he has no illusions Obama will win a majority of sportsmen votes. For one thing, many hunters are members of the National Rifle Association, which traditionally supports Republicans because of gun-control issues.

But when you look at voting records on gun issues, he said, Obama and McCain aren't that different.

The NRA in 2004 gave McCain a lifetime grade of C-plus. That same year, based on Obama's record in the Illinois Legislature, the NRA gave Obama a lifetime grade of F. In 2007, Gun Owners of America graded Obama with an F, but gave McCain an F-minus.

Sedgwick said that despite the claims of some gun-rights activists, Obama isn't out to confiscate guns. Obama has pointed out that many of his constituents in southern Illinois have a long tradition of hunting and fishing.