Posted on 08/06/2007 11:41:57 AM PDT by SwinneySwitch
Presidential hopefuls are drawing on the expertise of San Antonio Hispanics to craft their message to Latinos, the nation's fastest-growing bloc of voters and a group that many think could prove decisive in 2008.
In past presidential races, the push for Hispanic votes has often come weeks before Election Day, with a focus on getting out the vote. But with political parties' growing awareness of Latinos' importance, in part because they represent a vast pool of new voters, campaigns are developing their positions now, even with the general election more than a year away.
Although 13 percent of the Latino population voted in the 2006 elections — compared with 39 percent of Anglos — Hispanics accounted for nearly half of the country's overall population increase between 2002 and 2006, according to an analysis of U.S. Census data by the nonpartisan Pew Hispanic Center in Washington.
With the potential gain from tapping into this growing demographic becoming more obvious, leading presidential contenders are pouring more time and money into crafting a message that appeals to it, and doing so earlier than ever before.
Nowhere is that message-crafting more apparent than in San Antonio, where a dozen or so Hispanics serve as high-level advisers helping to shape campaign pitches.
"There has been a really significant change in how the major candidates deal with the Latino vote," said Grace Garcia, a key adviser in Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's campaign. "If nothing else, the emphasis on (Hispanic voter) outreach this early ensures the major candidates have our community's agenda front and center."
Garcia, a San Antonio native and Jefferson High graduate who lives and works in Austin, is one of several South Texans who have carved out major roles in the Democratic Party campaigns of Clinton, Sen. Barack Obama, former Sen. John Edwards and....
(Excerpt) Read more at mysanantonio.com ...
• The Hispanic population grew by 5.7 million between November 2002 and November 2006, accounting for almost half the country's population growth. Anglos, by contrast, accounted for 24% of the growth.
• 39% of all Hispanics were eligible to vote in November 2006.
• 30% of eligible Hispanic voters in November 2006 were 50 or older.
• About three of every four eligible Hispanic voters were U.S.-born.
• In contrast to the 800,000 more Hispanics that voted in 2006, black voter participation increased by 400,000.
Sources: 'The Latino Electorate: An Analysis of the 2006 Election,' by the Pew Hispanic Center; U.S. Census Bureau
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“Although 13 percent of the Latino population voted in the 2006 elections”
Gee I wonder why that is!
Actually, the pct. of Hispanics actually voting is 4 to 6%. It is quite low
This article sounds more like that “we hate gringo” crap coming from the America-hater community. So much racism (La Raza) these days coming from the English-Refusal crowd
“This article sounds more like that “we hate gringo” crap coming from the America-hater community. So much racism (La Raza) these days coming from the English-Refusal crowd”
Can you imagine how much ire you would see from the MSM if you had a white group called “the race” that solely fought for white people?
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