Political coalition hopes to unify, harness Latino vote
By Stephen Wall, Staff Writer
Article Created: 01/17/2008 09:43:45 PM PST


SAN BERNARDINO - In 2006, they flexed their muscle with massive marches around the country.
Since then, the great wave of Latino participation has subsided.

Local Latino leaders are hoping to awaken the sleeping giant in advance of California's presidential primary on Feb. 5.

"We believe the Latino vote can be the swing vote for the 2008 presidential election," said Armando Navarro, coordinator of the National Alliance for Human Rights, a Riverside-based coalition of Latino activists.

The group launched a grass-roots effort on Thursday afternoon aimed at mobilizing Latinos to cast ballots.

About 20 people gathered for a rally and speeches on the steps of City Hall in downtown San Bernardino.

While not endorsing a presidential candidate before the primary, Navarro said the group will encourage Latinos to vote for a candidate from the Democratic Party.

Jose Calderon, a professor of sociology and Chicano Studies at Pitzer College, said Latinos are concerned about looming state budget cuts in health care and education.

Immigration reform is another top priority, he said.

"Republicans have been pushing border enforcement and attacks against immigrants," Calderon said. "The Democrats are at least talking about some form of legalization."

After Feb. 5, a day when two dozen states will hold primaries, the group will discuss whether to support a candidate in the Nov. 4 general election.

Latinos make up about 17.5 percent of the state's registered voters.

But they are an even bigger factor in San Bernardino County, where they comprise 25.7 percent of the electorate.

Latino turnout can play a significant role in the race to capture the Democratic nomination, analysts said.

New York Sen. Hillary Clinton, Illinois Sen. Barrack Obama and former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards are the leading Democratic contenders to secure the nomination.

"The Latino vote could be an opportunity for Obama to overtake Clinton," said Jack Pitney, a professor of government at Claremont McKenna College. "If he can switch enough Latinos to his side, that could be very helpful."

Analysts said that Latinos' political influence could be larger than in previous elections because several of the 24 states holding caucus or primary elections on Super Tuesday have sizable Latino populations, including Illinois, New York, Arizona and California.

"In years past, the states that had the biggest say were states with very small Latino populations," said Evan Bacalao, research associate with the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials. "The Latino community is positioned in 2008 to play a pivotal role in the primary and general election."

stephen.wall@sbsun.com

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