LatinaLista — Recently, the Latino Policy Coalition conducted a nationwide poll of 1,000 Latino registered voters in 23 states and discovered something that should put to rest any political pundit and Republican politician who think Republicans can continue with their partisan behavior and Latino voters won’t notice.
When asked about jobs and the economy:
The share of Latinos who believe the Republicans would perform better (13% on economy; and 12% on jobs) is lower than the 19% who self-identify as Republicans.
And that’s not all.
Sixty-five percent of respondents believe President Obama would do a better job handling economic issues facing families than the Republicans in Congress (only 12%), a 53 point advantage.
Sixty-one percent of Latino voters believe President Obama would handle keeping and creating well-paying jobs better than the Republicans in Congress (13%), a 48 point advantage.
As if these point gaps aren’t staggering enough, of the Latino voters surveyed 78 percent said they plan to vote in the next election and it’s not surprising where they’re leaning…
When asked if an election for Congress was held today, 19 percent of Latino voters surveyed said they would vote Republican; 55 percent for Democrats. The same margin of difference, more or less, stood for how each party would handle major issues facing the country, ranging from immigration and education to climate change and health-care — with one notable exception.
Latino voters recognized that when it comes to Homeland security and terrorism prevention, Republicans wrote the book on it. For that reason, 34 percent of Latino voters felt Congressional Republicans would do a good job handling it versus 37 percent of Latino voters who thought Congressional Democrats would do a good job. This was the only issue with the smallest point difference among respondents.
The survey goes on to show that Latino voters have a really bad impression of the Republican party. If the Republican leadership was smart, they would use this survey as a blueprint to rebuilding a connection with the Latino community:
1. Tap into the up-and-coming Latino Republicans who want to make a difference in the party and for the nation but are bumping up against an internal glass ceiling that keeps the GOP from seeing the true value of a diversified membership.
2. Take some cues from the Democrats and start learning how to fully utilize social media for outreach and inclusion.
3. Take an active role in promoting young Republican leaders who are hovering on the horizon. They exist because they contact Latina Lista to let us know they are there.
4. Study up, get a cultural tutor, or better yet, elevate longtime Latino Republicans to positions of greater responsibility and have them teach the party about the issues that are important to Latino communities/voters.
5. Understand that a whole demographic can’t be continually defiled by party pundits without inflicting insult and injury.
6. Once and for all, create an official platform so the party knows where it stands with the Latino community and Latino voters can decide if it’s a party worthy of political support.
UPDATE: A Central Florida Latina was elected to lead a national Republican group that promotes the party’s principles among Hispanics, the party announced this week
Comment(6)
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As was stated over and over minorities have always been typically Democrats. This is nothing new. That will never change either as long as the Democrats run on a platform of government handouts and the Republicans do not.
If the Republicans changed their policies on that then there would be no two party system. Many Americans do not want more dependence and interference in their lives from the government and the Republicans attract those kinds of Americans. Why should the Republicans change their policies and lose the American support base that they have? They far outnumber the Latino community anyway.
Erin Cochran
Thanks, Marisa, for covering these new stats. Hope the GOP is paying attention to your recommendations. They should.
MH
Im not very fond of the Republican party and believe they are not fond of us. I feel like the Lateeno vote to the Republicans is just a pawn in the voting game, they never really respected us. We are people, real working middle class Americans as well and now they must recognize us because of our numbers. We have finally taken control and educated ourselves enough to make change happen. The Republicans are treading on thin water, we are hip to the game and have the vote to do something about it. I am proud to say that I have contributed by gathering my family members together and got them registered to vote in future elections. And a message to the Republicans who voted against Justice Sonia Sotomayor, we took that very personal, It just shows the two faces that the Republicans wear when talking to the Lateeno Americans.
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Why would either party have a dislike for a particular ethnic group? I will be waiting for some kind of logical explanation to that one.
The truth about both parties is they pander for votes. Which ever party promises Latinos the most things that is who they will side with.
Why would you take it personal that some Republicans wouldn’t vote for Sotomayer? It had nothing to do with her ethncity and everything to do with her racist, biased, sextist remarks. So you Latinos think that one of your own shouldn’t be snubbed even if they proved themself not fit for office based on their words and actions? I am in a gambling mood. What if a white male judge had made those very same statements about a female Latina judge? Want to place any bets on how furious Latinos would have been over that? Even I wouldn’t have voted for a white, male judge who would have made those kinds of statements! Why is your ethnic group such hypocites with a pack mentality?
MH
I am not a Republican so I wouldnt know why your fellow constituents would dislike “us”. I just said we werent fond of one another. Justice Sonia Sotomayor earned her seat in the United States Supreme Court, for certain Republicans to dangle their vote for or against her in front of the press for the purpose of more political contributions from private entities, was outright disrespectful. It isnt that we Lateenos think one of our own shouldnt be snubbed, its that we are tired of being snubbed…. I cannot tell you how embarrassed I was for her remarks, in this day and age those types of comments are of no value. My ethnic group has merely aculturated to the American way, we didnt invent the hypocrisy and pack mentality.
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MH, the fact is that most Republicans do not dislike Latinos per se. But most Americans whether they be Republicans or Democrats are opposed to illegal immigration and those who stick up for illegal immigants. Guess what ethnic group make up the majority of illegals and guess what ethnic group is vying for them? There lays you answer.
How are Latinos being snubbed? Please be specific. Objection to Sotomayer was not an ethnic snub it was based on her remarks and actions.
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