Dems betting on New West Hopeful Democrats did more than showcase their candidates and purvey a spectacle of unity at their convention Equally important, they are planting their blue flag in America's newest, most geographically expansive "swing" region - the fast-growing, increasingly diverse, no-longer-reliably-Republican Intermountain West. A land of sagebrush and Sagebrush Rebellions, these states have been known more for Republican politics and Endangered Species Act blow-ups than nationally significant "king-making." But thanks to sweeping economic changes and a massive influx of blue-leaning voters, the southern intermountain region has become central to the Democrats' strategy for assembling a winning coalition. In each of the southern intermountain states, the greatest population growth has occurred among minority populations, especially Hispanics, and among Whites with bachelor's degrees and higher educational attainment. Polls show these groups lean more toward the Democrats than White, working-class populations, whose growth is either modest or negative....