Yet again, Latinos are being painted as the sleeping giant in American politics.
As Janell Ross writes for Huff Post Latino Voices:
“The nation’s 50 million Latinos make up the largest minority group and the fastest growing segment of the American electorate. Both President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney are clamoring for Latino voters. So when America Ferrera, American-born actress of Honduran heritage and public ambassador for Voto Latino, downplayed Hispanic America’s political influence during a Democratic National Convention forum this week, there were murmurs from the back of the room.
‘It is incredibly dangerous to take for granted that because Latinos are growing in number in this country this is going to equal political engagement and political resolve,’ said Fererra. ‘One doesn’t automatically lead to the other.’ “
And as Antonio Gonzalez, president of the Southwest Voter Registration Education Project, said:
“All the data we have indicates that there will be good growth, but not spectacular growth in the Latino vote this year. … Will Obama benefit from the Latino vote? Yes, in those states that really matter. Will the Latino vote have a great performance, incredible new turnout, overall in 2012? The answer is no.”
Gonzalez predicts that the Latino vote will come in just under the 11.6 million mark it reached in 2008. According to his figures, 10.9 million Latinos are registered to vote, or a little less than half the actual number of the Latinos who are eligible.
Low participation among Latino voters is a biennial plague. Like young voters — whose turnout dropped from 51 percent in 2008 to a measly 21 percent during the Tea Party surge of 2010 — Latinos seem to be among the most opinionated and vocal citizens on political issues, but when the time comes to cast their ballots, they hardly show up. (Out of 21.3 million eligible Latino voters, only 6.6 million voted in 2010, or 31 percent.)
Latinos turned out for then-candidate Obama in huge numbers in 2008, but even then it was only 49.9 percent of eligible voters — embarrassingly low when compared to national average of 63.6 percent.
Imagine, just imagine, if Latino turnout would’ve been anywhere near 60 percent in 2008. Imagine, just imagine, if Latino turnout would’ve been anywhere near the average turnout rate of 41 percent in 2010. Would we not have an obstinate, GOP-controlled House today? Would there have been enough progressives in the Senate to pass the DREAM Act?
Ah, but it appears I’m the one doing the dreaming.
President Obama and the Dems know they don’t have to win over Latino voters. They’ve already done it, 66 percent to Romney’s 29 percent — a wider margin than only the week before.
But the question Dems have been asking themselves — in fact, the question that looms over the entire election — is whether or not Latinos will even show up to the polls come November 6. Apparently, winning the Latino vote is a two-step process: 1) getting Latinos to support your platform, and 2) getting Latinos to spend a few minutes out of their day pressing a button at their local polling place, sometime in the couple of weeks leading up to Election Day. (Remember, people, there is early voting in most states — at least for now.)
Whether Latinos are up to the task remains to be seen. Many Latinos seem to think Obama has done so little for them that a Romney presidency would be no different than what they have now. Some even believe a Romney White House would do more for Latinos. (In the immortal words of Bart Simpson, ¡Ay, caramba!)
The Latino non-voter needs to finally stand up this year and put their vote where their mouth is — or else, keep their mouths closed for the next four years.
About Hector Luis Alamo, Jr.
we are sleeping if we vote for any of these 2 candidates
Yes commie Latinos we are, and if we get government out of the way. And let free enterprise in more we will prosper even more. Silly entitlement mentality socialist Latinos…
It’s not all about you narcissistic Latinos. This nation is not just for you.
more ppl have bene deported under OBAMA in less than 4 yrs than bush im 8 but for whatever reason he gets a pass on that,no one calls him out on that but latinos still love him for whatevr reason.im happy to say most of the latinos i know are voting for ROMNEY
Yes Latinos should vote, they should vote because if they want a piece of the american dream they should also contribute to it! So yes go out and vote big ,and at the same time you have the right to choose who you want representing you, do not I repeat do not let others say that just because you are latino you are to choose this candidate, be strong, have character, have dignity go out and vote for who you want, not because of who you are thus having an ironic and erroneous ideological stereotype do the voting process but not as sheep because some body is telling you “asi votan los Latinos!” that is so much BS be your own self, be a conscientious individual who seek whats right nor what others are doing, you wane be a strong latino go vote but vote of your own free will and mind and for what your mind and heart intelligently knows is needed for this country!
Latinos hate Romney and love Obama because Latinos have this persecution complex and are really racist towards non Latinos.
Sounds like Mario Ramirez has a fake profile, he is probably a racist white guy that created a fake profile to comment here and spill his hate!
@julio it mite be a fake profile but what he says is no diff from latinos who spill their hateful speeches on here about the GOP,it seems when the democrats say racist things its not hateful but when reps say something similar its called hateful and anyways he is not sayin anything hateful to ppl
Last time I checked the GOP is not welcoming Latinos with their arms wide open. Just saying.
Hey, no fake profile here. You are welcome to go to my FB page and see my photos and links.
Mario, I did see your profile and I find it curious that you don’t have a single picture about you, friends or family 100% of your profile is about politics and sensationalized posters about Obama and Latinos.
@julio my setitngs are all im private so just cuz u dont see pics does not mean its fake&u must be pretty bored to check other ppl’s profiles
Why does everything against Maobama and the Democratic party have to be raciist. Can any logical Democrat please explain why they and their party believe the GOP is racist? And before you even mention Rush Limbaugh, let’s get one thing clear..I do blieve he’s a bigot and a fouled mouth racist who shouldn’t be allowed to talk. However he does not speak for the entire party…
Julio I don’t know, they are all there including my photography pages and links.
last time you checked Julio??? really again just the talk pura vieja chismosa!
Damn Julio i just looked up Mario’s (sorry Mario just wanted to be sure before i tore this guy a new one) Page he has pics on there are you blind? or do you just say you looked at it and then spread lies? see if i can call you out on a simple lie like this how am i or for a fact anyone else supposed to take your word as truth NOT! He is not a white guy and his page is very clear and public. Damn boy por que no ves donde vas hablar pendejadas ok!
This article is just wishful thinking on the part of the author. Mr. Alamo, your statements and figures are so misleading that I don’t even know where to begin. In the real world, the “latino voting bloc” is not a monolithic bloc. I don’t know how many “Latinos” or “Hispanics”… (tomato… toMAHto… whatever artificial identity you want to use) you know, but the ones I know who fall under the umbrella of “Hispanic/Latino” don’t all think the same or want the same things. In the world of politics… for the most part there are 4 types of “Hispanics/Latinos”… Democrats, Republicans, Independents, and those who don’t or can’t participate in the process.
Those of you like Hector Luis Alamo, Jr. who use artificial identities of “Hispanic” and “Latino” fail to realize that there is a big *asterisk* when you use “Hispanic” or ”
Latino” to identify yourself and when you think of these artificial identities as “Us”, “We”, “Our Community”, or as a One-Single-Entity…
* “Hispanic/Latino”: NOT a race. Considered an ethnicity. NOT a monolithic “group.” Yes, the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau puts the “Hispanic/Latino” population at 16.3%. However, this figure includes non-citizens, including foreign nationals who are in the U.S. illegally. What people don’t take into account is that the U.S. Census asked your national origin, but it didn’t ask if you were a U.S. citizen. An estimated 12.3 million to 20 million illegal immigrants were counted as citizens. According to the Pew Hispanic Center report, in 2005, 56% of illegal immigrants were from Mexico; 22% were from other Latin American countries, primarily from Central America. 13% were from Asia; 6% were from Europe and Canada; and 3% were from Africa and the rest of the world. The 2010 U.S. Census Bureau reported the total “Hispanic/Latino” population as 50,477,594. The breakdown for this group by race is as follows: White/Caucasian 26,735,713… Black 1,243,471… American Indian and Alaska Native 685,150… Asian 209,128… Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 58,437… Some other race 18,503,103… Two or more races 3,042,492. How many times have you heard that “Hispanics/Latinos” are the fastest growing minority in the U.S. The truth is that currently, the U.S. Census Bureau identifies non-”Hispanic” Asians as the fastest-growing RACIAL group in the country, at a rate of 43% from 2000 to 2010. During that same period, the “Hispanic” population also grew at a 43% clip, the Census Bureau reported, but “Hispanic” is considered an ethnicity…NOT a race. Undocumented immigrants are also included in the U.S. Census 43% figure.
When you break down the numbers, it turns out that “Us” isn’t as big as you think it is. And when you think about it… isn’t it a bit odd to classify “Hispanics/Latinos” as a “minority” when every race in the world exist within this “group”?
President Obama, Pelosi and Reid had a super majority in Congress for 2 years. During his first two years in office, President Obama used big Democratic majorities in Congress to muscle through major legislation, like Obamacare. I keep thinking back to 2009. Democrats had both houses of Congress. A filibuster-proof majority in the Senate. Obama enjoyed a worshipful media. Sky-high public opinion polls. Why didn’t the president propose the Dream Act then, when it would probably have passed. Back in 2009, was Team Obama guilty of political ineptitude? Obsessive focus on healthcare? Whichever the case may be, President Obama was in a great position to pass the Dream Act and keep his promise, but chose to do nothing.
Sorry to burst your bubble Hector Luis Alamo, Jr, but the chances of the “Hispanic/Latino” becoming a monolithic voting bloc is slim to none. You’re sleeping giant is nothing more than a paper tiger.