Posted on 10/30/2014 5:39:15 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
Democrats have lost their grip on Hispanic voters heading into Election Day—and in turn could lose the Senate because of them.
Even though Latinos split heavily for their party in 2012, mounting evidence suggests Hispanics could sit the midterms out after immigration reform has fallen from the White House agenda.
"There's no question it's going to affect Democrats in this midterm. There's no one to blame but Democrats themselves," said Arturo Carmona, executive director of Hispanic engagement group Presente Action.
A Pew poll out Wednesday revealed Democrats suffered an eight-point drop in support from Hispanic voters nationwide since 2010, down to 57 percent. Meanwhile, Republicans gained six points over the past four years, with 28 percent now saying they support a generic Republican House candidate.
The new survey provided hard numbers for the anecdotal evidence that President Obama's delay of executive action to halt deportations of illegal immigrants is coming back to haunt Democrats.
The frustration with the president and his party among Hispanics is palpable and increasingly visible. In recent weeks, Obama has faced multiple hecklers shouting their frustration after the White House punted an executive order until after the November elections.
Carmona said he's already seeing fallout from the prolonged inaction and broken promises from President Obama and congressional Democrats on immigration reform, and that "the president's ongoing broken promises have certainly depressed the engagement in the Latino community."
"We're fighting an uphill battle here," he added.
Presente Action has launched radio ads hitting Sen. Kay Hagan (D-N.C.) for opposing executive action on deportation, and also targeted vulnerable Sens. Mark Pryor (D-Ark.), Mary Landrieu (D-La.), and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) with Facebook ads on the same.
He said the aim of the campaign wasn't to keep North Carolina Hispanics home — rather, he wants them to go to the polls, but perhaps think twice about supporting Hagan.
But it seems Latino voters need no prodding. Hagan has faced multiple protests from immigration activists frustrated with her record, with two jumping onto the stage at one of her Sunday campaign events.
And a recent Latino Decisions poll found the vulnerable North Carolina Democrat’s margin with Hispanics to be worse than the Pew poll’s national margin. Fifty-two percent of Hispanic registered voters polled earlier this month said they would or were leaning towards voting for Hagan, while 26 percent said the same of her GOP opponent, North Carolina House Speaker Thom Tillis. Another 26 percent were undecided.
In the Tar Heel State, Hispanics make up 3.4 percent of the eligible vote, according to a Latino Decisions analysis — and with the race nearly tied with less than a week to go, Hispanics could make the difference in the end.
Colorado has been ground zero for efforts to mobilize the Hispanic vote since they make up 15.4 percent of the eligible electorate this cycle.
In 2010, Hispanics made up 10 percent of the electorate and Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) took 81 percent of their support, giving him a 6-point boost overall, according to an analysis from Voto Latino.
A recent Latino Decisions poll suggested Sen. Mark Udall’s (D ) not running as strong with Hispanics, with 66 percent saying they either plan to or are leaning towards supporting him, 17 percent saying the same of Rep. Cory Gardner (R ) and 16 percent undecided.
Udall’s internal polling shows things even closer, with 57 percent of Hispanics supporting him and 30 percent backing Gardner.
That makes the efforts to turn out Hispanic voters all the more pivotal for the endangered Colorado Democrat.
Gardner has taken steps to appeal to Hispanic voters, expressing support for the Senate immigration reform bill and joining just 10 other House Republicans Republicans to vote against a GOP measure to end deportation deferrals for DREAMers, or undocumented immigrants brought into the country when they were children.
In debates, the Republican routinely accuses Sen. Mark Udall (D-Colo.) of choosing to push for climate change regulations rather than immigration even though Democrats hold control of Congress and the White House.
While Udall was one of the first Democratic senators to criticize Obama for delaying executive action on deportations, Gardner’s efforts have largely neutralized the immigration issue, and the candidates don’t speak about it much more than they’re asked.
Hispanic activists have expressed dissatisfaction with the lack of focus on immigration reform in the race.
Elyseo Medina, president of Mi Familia Vota Education Fund, a nonpartisan Hispanic mobilization group, said he thinks elected officials not just in Colorado but more broadly this cycle have been too feeble on immigration issues.
"The politicians sometimes get so fearful about the voters that instead of responding to what people want, they tend to play it safe. Or in the case of challengers, they tend to want to use it as a wedge issue," he said.
It’s not just Colorado where the Hispanic vote could prove to be decisive —and where Democrats could find themselves lamenting a missed opportunity after Election Day.
A Latino Decisions analysis found that in six Senate battleground states, the Hispanic share of the electorate is wider than the average margin in polling between the two candidates. Those states include Georgia, Alaska, Iowa and Kansas.
In Georgia, Hispanics make up 4 percent of the vote, and Republican David Perdue leads Democrat Michelle Nunn are separated by far less than that in recent surveys.
And in Kansas, the deep-red state made competitive for Democrats by Sen. Pat Roberts's (R ) surprising vulnerability, Hispanics make up 6.1 percent of the eligible electorate. Roberts and independent Greg Orman have been knotted up well within that margin.
But it’s difficult for these candidates to appeal to Hispanics because the immigration reform issue remains so toxic in red-leaning states that engaging in the debate could be damaging.
The National Council of La Raza and their Georgia and Kansas affiliates are engaged in get-out-the-vote efforts. Still, they’re operating in largely uncharted territory and it’s difficult to predict the impact they could have.
Matt Barreto, co-founder of Latino Decisions, notes that in many of these states not typically thought of as having a significant Hispanic voting population, candidates' efforts to court the demographic can be too little, too late.
"Typically we see in states like Kansas and Georgia that the candidates are behind on Latino outreach," he said.
Compared to Colorado, where there's a longstanding history of Hispanic outreach, "in places like Georgia and Kansas, where it's a newer phenomenon, candidates are doing less."
Or will the amnesty come this weekend? A Hail Mary pass??
No, Alexandra. Hispanics and the rest of us are not splitting away from the Dems because they failed to pass “immigration refor”. They are breaking from the socialists precisely because while unemployment among citizen minorities remain high, they insist on importing millions of non-citizens to replace us.
I still can’t believe that anyone belives in the idiocy that native Hispanic citizens want to be replaced by illegals.
My response to DREAMers, Presente Action and La Raza?
GTFO. :)
Someone needs to point out to the illegals that if 0bama gets his way and starts importing Ebola patients by the planeload,that the barrio will be the first effected and they'll be stacking bodies in the street.
Neither do I understand the automatic assumption that amnesty and other liberal immigration reform initiatives are collectively and passionately supported by an Hispsanic voting bloc. I live in and have been around the Hispanic community all my life and do not find that immigration is a “make or break” issue with them.
Just another manufactured media narrative.
ROTFLMCO.
Oh please---this is so much Third World propaganda. The ignoramusitos are hedging their bets---doing some Hispandering.
They intend to claim "victory" either way---win or lose---to ride the US gravy train evermore.
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Third World agents of foreign governments---Blood-thirsty, America-Hating La Raza is plotting to Lay Claim to US Election wins. La Raza is Aiding and Abetting Election Fraud....Colluding and conspiring w/ non-citizens.
La Raza Circulating Wash/Po's State-By-State Guide On Where To Vote Without Photo ID...aiding and abetting non-citizens to co-opt US elections.
STORY HERE: http://dailycaller.com/2014/10/29/la-raza-promotes-washington-post-guide-on-where-people-can-vote- without-an-id/
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The brazen calculated Third World pressure groups have no business in US elections---all they want is our tax dollars, to gain power over real Americans--and to claim victory to prod vote-crazed Obama into E/O amnesty.
CONTACT YOUR CONGRESSMAN/WOMAN--La Raza needs to be investigated for aiding and abetting subversion of US elections.
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<><> Obamacare web site is also a voter registration site---one state claimed it "accidentally" enrolled 4000 latinos to vote.
<><> The NC State Bd of Elections discovered thousands of illegals registered to vote when the DMV ran a search for Obama-enabled DACAs w/ driver's licenses. Apparently, NC DACA's can get drivers licenses, but are not able to vote (/snix).
Be ready for a national upheaval if the Dumbocrats and greedy latinos collude to steal midterms.
So, great minds work alike, CW.
This a.m. I listened to one of my local talk stations that carries the 5 a.m. broadcast news called, “Texas In the Morning”.
This is a program of the Texas State Network. TSN
And they carried a news item about Democrats losing Hispanic votes in TX. It was Texas specific, but fits right in with your thread.
Wendy Davis’s wacky extremism and her becoming known only because of her pro-abortion activism, has not helped Dems keep Hispanic votes.
In addition, Greg Abbott is very strong on border security, while at the same time he is married to an Hispanic lady. And his Hispanic M-I-L is in pro-Abbott ads on TV.
Conservatives should appeal to those Hispanics who don’t want illegal immigrants flooding into this country, just like we don’t.
I encourage FReepers to find a radio station or an online stream and listen to “Texas In the Morning” if you are sick of TV morning “news” programs.
This TX based news show will even have the occasional story outside of Texas as long as they think it of interest to TX.
Even if you don’t live in Texas, remember TX has some great programming you can access and it will do your heart good.
Here’s a source for “Texas In the Morning”:
http://ktemnews.com/show/texas-state-network/
I also recommend radio shows “Pratt on Texas” with host Robert Pratt, originating out of Lubbock, and “Texas Overnight” with Charley Jones, originating out of DFW.
Whistling past the graveyard if you ask me.
LOL
Thank You!
Obie deserves an OOPSKAR...for that one
” Democrats lose Latinos?
ROTFLMCO. “
Best laugh all month : )
And in Kansas, Hispanics make up 6.1 percent of the eligible electorate. Roberts and independent Greg Orman have been knotted up well within that margin.
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First and foremost, let me say that just because a legitimate, registered voter is Hispanic DOES NOT MEAN THEY ARE PRO-AMNESTY! I’m thinking that the Hispanics who are “legal” and went through the process, resent the 11 million illegals getting a free ride. Secondly.....
I read somewhere just today that Pat Roberts is the only Senate incumbent, up for reelection this year, who has declared himself to be ANTI-Amnesty.
Wow!!! Sons of Liberty, that would be a great ad: “President Obama and the Democrats plan to move all Ebola patients, in the U.S., to the Barrios.”
Hey, I’m surprised the DemocRATS haven’t come up with this, and accused the Republicans of planning to do so. Let’s beat ‘em to the punch. I mean, they’re already running an ad in CO accusing Cory Gardner of wanting to clear-out all the retail shelves of condoms.
Latinos coming here to catch ebola.
Latinos coming here to escape dictatorships and tyranny.
Not looking too good there.
Now why else would LaRaza circulate a list of places where you can vote without photo ID (the vast majority of states), other than to stimulate illegal voting by non-citizens? And why would the WaPo publish such a list if not to aid and abet groups like LaRaza and in turn, to aid and abet Democrats (illegally) in the mid terms?
In the same breath, the left staunchly opposes voter photo ID with the inane claim that there is no election fraud and cheating at all so there's no need for photo ID. Well, you can't claim that fraud doesn't exist and promote it at the same time! What duplicitous sleazebags!!
As far as LaRaza is concerned, they not only want to return the southwest US to Mexico, but they are aligned with radical left extremists of all kinds, including Islamist terrorist groups. Yet "mainstream" American politicians still suck up to them!
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