FIGHTING THE WRONG BATTLE:

(via Kevin Whited):
Poll finds diversity in Hispanic political views (Rebeca Rodriguez, 09/02/2003, San Antonio Express-News)

Far from being a cohesive voting bloc, Hispanics fluctuate between Democratic and Republican positions depending on the issue and their country of origin, according to one of the largest election polls of Americans ever conducted.

The study, released Tuesday by the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania, surveyed 4,676 Hispanics and 79,000 respondents overall following the 2000 presidential election.

The results show that on economic issues, Hispanics tend to lean Democratic while on questions like abortion and school vouchers, they are more likely to agree with Republican stances. [...]

Hispanics now number 38.8 million, according to U.S. Census figures. Mexicans make up the lion's share, at 67 percent, followed by Central Americans at 14.3 percent and Puerto Ricans at 8.6 percent. Cubans make up nearly 4 percent, and other Hispanics round out the total at 6.5 percent.

The study found that instead of a “Latino voting bloc” or “Hispanic voting power,” there are distinctions within the Hispanic community based on country of origin.

For example, the poll showed that nearly half of Caribbean Americans identify themselves as Democrats, while only 37 percent of Mexicans consider themselves Democrats. Conversely, 39 percent of Cubans identify themselves Republican, but only 15 percent of Central Americans affiliate with the GOP.

Those numbers, however, don't clearly reflect the "wiggle room" among many Hispanic voters, said Frank Guerra, a San Antonio ad executive who has worked on several Republican campaigns.

In national surveys conducted before and after the 2000 presidential election, 45 percent of Hispanics identified themselves as Democrats, 30 percent considered themselves Republican and 25 percent said they could move in either direction, Guerra said.

"It was startling to a lot of people," he said. "That told us that there really is no monolithic Hispanic voting bloc. Twenty-five percent still hadn't fully made up their minds."

That translates into a large untapped electorate that many political candidates are beginning to see as crucial to their success. [...]

"There is a streak of social conservatism within the Latino community," said La Raza's Navarette. "Even though they may vote Democratic, a Republican message might resonate more with the community."

The question then for the Buchanacons is: shouldn't we be helping smuggle Mexicans into the country to counteract the socially liberal Anglos in places like CA?

Posted by orrinj at September 4, 2003 9:51 PM