But Clinton is in the final heat of an intense race for the Democratic nomination, and Nevada, which holds the Democrats' next contest, on Jan. 19, is ground zero for that cold, hard fight.

After leaving the Santanas' house, Clinton walked across the street and took questions from a few of the dozens of reporters, standing in front of a faded American flag pinned to a dingy garage door. Today, Clinton is scheduled to travel to Los Angeles, where she will give a policy speech about the economy and what kind of stimulus she believes it needs. "I think we're slipping toward a recession," she said.

"A couple of people that I met on the street, they work in construction. They tell me it's slowed down." She reiterated her doubts about the caucus process, which requires in-person, on-time participation. "That is troubling to me," she said. "People who work during that amount of time, they're disenfranchised. People who can't be in the state or are in the military, they cannot be present. ... If people feel like there's no reason to participate or they can't, then that's the same thing. So I think it's a problem."

Clinton and her busload of traveling press moved from there to the popular local Mexican restaurant Lindo Michoacan, where a "roundtable" that was actually square passed a microphone around to tell her people's concerns about the mortgage crisis and foreclosures. She took notes and munched on tortilla chips. In broken English, one woman told Clinton how she wasn't making money as a broker anymore. "I have no income at all," she said. "So how will I survive?" Choking up with emotion, the woman said, "In my neighborhood, there are brand-new homes, but the value is nothing. I'm glad you are here so I can tell you, because you're going to be the president, I know."

A man shouted through an opening in the wall that his wife was illegal.

"No woman is illegal," Clinton said, to cheers.