Thursday
Nov132008
The migration of the immigration vote
Thursday, November 13, 2008 at 3:25PM
According to Frank Sharry, Executive Director of America's Voice, there was a flawed sense of conventional wisdom surrounding immigration's political effects. This included notions that Latinos don't turn out in significant numbers, any votes they do provide are generally split, and that if a Presidential candidate tries to attract Latino voters with a centrist immigration policy it will end up alienating swing voters. During a discussion aimed at analyzing the Latino vote and immigration in the 2008 election, it became clear that this mindset has been overturned.
"For Latino's this election was historic in terms of who was running and in terms of who was voting..conservatively speaking, it is safe to say that at least 10 million latinos voted in 2008. That's a 32% increase over 2004... Latinos supported Obama by 67% compared to 59% for Kerry," said Janet Murguia, President and CEO of the National Council of La Raza.
Murguia explained that this increase has had an important impact on the election, claiming that the Latino vote helped deliver New Mexico, Florida, Colorado, Nevada, Indiana, and North Carolina for President-Elect Obama.
While the economy, job creation, and education were reportedly the top issues for Latino voters, immigration concerns were also an important aspect of the vote. Murguia described how immigration rhetoric acted as a gauge that helped Latino voters understand each party's attitudes toward them.
"The toxic nature of the immigration debate...effect all Latino's. For us this is a civil right's issue as much as it is an immigration policy issue. We know that hateful words have hateful consequences," said Murguia.'
David Mermi, Pollster and partner at Lake Research Partners, said that the evidence showed that the Republican Party has been negatively affected by the rhetoric surrounding immigration. According to Mermi's poll, although approximately 55% of voters said that illegal immigration was a problem, a solid majority of voters preferred comprehensive immigration policy over the enforcement only approach that has dominated the discussion on the far right.
"67% of the voters say they should be required to register and become legal, 14% say they should leave the country, 13% say they should be allowed to stay temporarily through a guest workers program. No contest, the comprehensive approach is absolutely the one that is preferred," said Mermi.
Marguia gave some conclusions about the election results:
"I think it's fair to say after these election results that the Democrats can put the latinos in their columns. But they're not there forever and they will not be there if Latino's as an electorate don't see action on the issues that they care about...the Republicans have a lot of work to do, their brand has been extremely tarnished, but Democrats should not rest on their laurels and assume that they are going to have Latinos in their column for good."
"For Latino's this election was historic in terms of who was running and in terms of who was voting..conservatively speaking, it is safe to say that at least 10 million latinos voted in 2008. That's a 32% increase over 2004... Latinos supported Obama by 67% compared to 59% for Kerry," said Janet Murguia, President and CEO of the National Council of La Raza.
Murguia explained that this increase has had an important impact on the election, claiming that the Latino vote helped deliver New Mexico, Florida, Colorado, Nevada, Indiana, and North Carolina for President-Elect Obama.
While the economy, job creation, and education were reportedly the top issues for Latino voters, immigration concerns were also an important aspect of the vote. Murguia described how immigration rhetoric acted as a gauge that helped Latino voters understand each party's attitudes toward them.
"The toxic nature of the immigration debate...effect all Latino's. For us this is a civil right's issue as much as it is an immigration policy issue. We know that hateful words have hateful consequences," said Murguia.'
David Mermi, Pollster and partner at Lake Research Partners, said that the evidence showed that the Republican Party has been negatively affected by the rhetoric surrounding immigration. According to Mermi's poll, although approximately 55% of voters said that illegal immigration was a problem, a solid majority of voters preferred comprehensive immigration policy over the enforcement only approach that has dominated the discussion on the far right.
"67% of the voters say they should be required to register and become legal, 14% say they should leave the country, 13% say they should be allowed to stay temporarily through a guest workers program. No contest, the comprehensive approach is absolutely the one that is preferred," said Mermi.
Marguia gave some conclusions about the election results:
"I think it's fair to say after these election results that the Democrats can put the latinos in their columns. But they're not there forever and they will not be there if Latino's as an electorate don't see action on the issues that they care about...the Republicans have a lot of work to do, their brand has been extremely tarnished, but Democrats should not rest on their laurels and assume that they are going to have Latinos in their column for good."
Reader Comments (5)
NOW WE ARE FINALLY PAYING THE PIPER. Thats where my tax dollars are going by forced federal mandate...?
Hundreds of cities, towns and communities are financially hurting, because the compassionate American people have unknowingly underwriting the epidemic of the illegal alien welfare.
37 MILLION illegal aliens--that we support for parasite employers, according to the Tucson sector Border Patrol union local 2544, not the propaganda brought forth by the Liberal national press and special interest lobby of only 13 million.
An additional half-million coming every year. California is $11 billion dollars in the red, so now they are looking for ways to cut programs.
Don't re-elect Mayor's like Antonio Villaraigosa or any other politician that is selling your future for campaign contributions Villaraigosa embraced LOS ANGELES as a SANCTUARY CITY, in a SANCTUARY STATE. Just because the West Coast border states are far away, don't think for one-minute this doesn't have a financial impact on YOU..?
A massive financial impact on our economy by importing the worlds poor. THIS IS NOT JUST ABOUT 'THE RULE OF LAW' BUT OVERPOPULATION?
THIS IS ABOUT AMERICANS FORCED TO PAY FOR ILLEGAL SLAVE LABOR?
Go to www.numbersusa.com for immigration facts not lies.
TIME TO FIGHT BACK OR BE SUBMERGED IN ILLEGAL FOREIGN NATIONALS, LEECHING FROM OUR WELFARE SYSTEM! REMEMBER PROP 187? YOU HAVE BEEN PAYING EVER SINCE. EDUCATION, HEALTH-CARE, HOUSING! JUST THE TIP OF THE ECONOMIC ICEBERG. REMEMBER? LOW INCOME PEOPLE GET ALL THEIR TAXES BACK! REMEMBER ALL THE RISING CRIME RATES IN SANCTUARY CITIES AND STATES!
Learn about many positive legal cases won at www.judicialwatch.org We are beginning to stop the open border zealots and immigration special interest lobby.
When are Americans going to realize that illegal immigrants are the hardest working people in the USA. These Americans who oppose illegal immigration resent and hate illegal immigrants because they keep the true cost of labor down by providing a hardworking and eager labor pool. Too bad, get used to it cause the immigration is only going to expand. In 2006 illegal immigrants paid 15 Billion dollars into the Social Security system that they will never get back because they are forced to use bogus SS numbers. Illegal immigrants are the foundation of our economy and our Social Security system and these anti-immigrant responders are nothing but racists. Anti-immigration right-wing reactionaries are racist at their heart.
It is up to them if they will succumb to hate.
If only this illegal immigrants will be classified who are bad and the good ones. Then sort all of them out then give them permanent resident visas. The more they numbered the more chances that they could contribute to the economy because they will pay taxes.
Obviously, the "Latino" vote is not what put Obama in office. Had it been, Hillary Clinton who had 70% of voting Hispanics in a zombie like trance whould not have lost to Obama. It was Americans of all ethnic backgrounds uniting behind the candidate who was simply the best choice for the job. However, for Those who insist on keeping a racial tally on "Who decided the vote" It was without question African Americans (95%). Now, make no mistake, Obama knows this. And if anyone thinks he is going to suport any immigration "reform" that would legalize tens of millions of illegal aliens (of any ethnic origen)and allow them Into the United States manual labor sector to compete with poor, and working class citizens (which happens to be overwhelmingly African Americans) for jobs... you are sorely mistaken. Obama will help African, Asian, Latino, and european Amricans get back into our factories, construction sites, restaurants, ect, ect, and force rouge politicians of countries like Mexico to take responsibility for their citizens by uplifting the standard of life in their homeland. Which is what illegal aliens really want anyway. I'm a carpenter by the way, trust me on this.