Colorado’s been in the national spotlight a lot this summer: the $450 million High Park fire near Fort Collins, the 346 homes destroyed in the Waldo Canyon fire in Colorado Springs, and the 12 people killed in Aurora theater shooting. President Barack Obama made visits to Colorado after the last two events, as presidents are wont to do when circumstances like these unfold, each time receiving not-quite-muted criticism for acting disingenuously and exploiting the Waldo Canyon and Aurora shooting victims for political gain.

Why the chirping over Obama being “presidential?” Because it’s an election year. And Colorado is said to be-once again-a “swing state,” pivotal to his defeating Republican Mitt Romney and securing four more years in the Oval Office come November.

Between the President’s visits to Colorado Springs and Aurora, first lady Michelle Obama made campaign appearances in Colorado on June 20, including a stop in Pueblo. And last Thursday, after spending the night at the Pueblo Marriott, President Obama addressed a friendly crowd of 3,500 at Pueblo’s Colorado State Fairgrounds, and in doing so, drew the national gaze upon Colorado once again during his two-day campaign swing through the state; it was his third visit to Pueblo, but his first as President.

I was part of the pool of journalists following Obama that morning. While waiting for things to get rolling, Damon Winter of the New York Times introduced himself to me (“Hi, I’m Damon”). Winter won the 2009 Pulitzer Prize in the feature photography category for his work chronicling the 2008 Obama campaign.

Before the President’s campaign address, we (a conspicuous motorcade of motorcycles, limousines, police cruisers, SUVs, vans, and Black Hawk helicopter) made an unannounced visit to a local restaurant, Romero’s Cafe. The Obamas, Barack and Michelle, have now made four trips to Pueblo, and have popped into Mexican restaurants on three of those occasions: Jorge’s, Nachos, and Romero’s. Much like in 2008, the Hispanic vote, it appears, will play a crucial role in Obama’s 2012 Colorado strategy. Early in his speech, the President shared the fact he picked up some of Romero’s green chile before coming to the fairgrounds with his supporters and was met with a roar of approval.

#POTUS ordered Enchilada Tejanas with chorizo @ Romero's Cafe today. Oh, & the hot green chile #ObamaPueblo

— Nick Bonham (@NickBonham1) August 9, 2012

I never in a million years would have thought the road to the White House runs through Pueblo, Colorado. But the Obama camp apparently thinks so. Given that, I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see the President back in the Steel City one more time before Election Day.