Thread: Hispanic voters say immigration's No. 1

Shabby Poll! Targeted sampeling. Does not reflect National Views.

Hispanic voters say immigration's No. 1
Thursday, May 21st 2009, 4:00 AM

They have enough problems already, but a poll released Monday is sure to give anti-immigration extremists and Republican leaders plenty more to fret about.

Conducted by Bendixen & Associates, a Miami-based consulting firm, and sponsored by America's Voice, a pro-immigration reform group, the poll confirmed for the umpteenth time that immigration is a defining issue for the 12 to 13 million Hispanics who are eligible to vote in the U.S.

"The anti-immigrant movement's divisive tone and demagogic rhetoric keeps politicizing Hispanics and bringing them together in support of a new immigration policy," Sergio Bendixen, president of Bendixen and Associates, concluded about the survey results.

To make matters even more worrisome for the flagbearers of nativism and intolerance, the survey found that the number of Hispanics who exercise their right to vote has dramatically increased since the 2006 midterm elections.

While only half of the 800 survey participants interviewed in 13 states from April 28 to May 5 said they voted in the 2006 midterm elections - which traditionally attract fewer voters than presidential ones - 86% said they did so in the 2008 presidential election.

Asked about 2010, when immigration is certain to be a major issue, 75% of respondents said they were very likely to vote in that midterm election. One can only imagine how many more will show up at the polls for the next presidential contest.

None of this is surprising. After all, 75% of those interviewed for the Bendixen report said they thought anti-immigrant sentiment against Hispanics - not just illegal immigrants - was growing. Fifty-nine percent said immigration was a very important issue to them and their families.

The poll also found that, like the rest of the country, Hispanics are concerned about the economic crisis, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, health care, housing and the quality of education. But with 69% saying they knew undocumented immigrants as friends, relatives, neighbors or co-workers, immigration is an issue that affects Latino voters in very intimate way. Actually, 87% of respondents said they would not vote for any congressional candidate who was in favor of forcing illegal immigrants to leave the country.

The Republican Party, in the meantime, is caught between "la espada y la pared" (a sword and a wall). They desperately need the Latino vote but haven't discovered a magic formula to woo Hispanics without alienating the extremists and xenophobes in their party.

Here in New York, our mostly immigrant-friendly Mayor Bloomberg wasted no time in jumping off the Republican ship. Hizzoner may still have trouble with the language of Cervantes but he has no trouble at all understanding the power of the Latino vote. He has been doing a lot of talking - in English and Spanish - to every TV channel and "ethnic" paper in the city.

Nationally, Latino voters believe President Obama will keep his promise to propose a comprehensive immigration bill to Congress during his first year in office. Amazingly, 83% of those surveyed said they thought Obama "will do the right thing" on immigration.

THAT, OF COURSE, is great for the Democratic Party. But if Obama doesn't come through, Republicans would have a real chance to bring back thousands of Hispanic voters into their fold - provided the GOP can finally agree on a rational position on immigration reform.

"Hispanic voters are ready to support the candidates who support them and a comprehensive immigration reform in 2010," SEIU Executive Vice President Eliseo Medina said in reaction to the report. And this time, no politician can afford to forget it.

aruiz@nydailynews.com.

Read more: "Hispanic voters say immigration's No. 1" - http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/200 ... G9jhAnBc&A

I believe this Ratbastard Albor Ruiz is a member of Mecha I have written to him and the NY Daily News so many times to complain and never get a response.

This writer is clearly a very racist agitator and both he and his political advocacy should be firmly rejected by Americans of every race and party.

This kind of writing shows the real racism behind the amnesty push.

W

There are plenty of righteous Latinos on our side. Most of the Border Patrol are Latino as well.

But with 69% saying they knew undocumented immigrants as friends, relatives, neighbors or co-workers, immigration is an issue that affects Latino voters in very intimate way.

They should know them as friends, relatives neighbors and coworkers living abroad unfortunately too often the reason they know them as people living here is because they brought them. The amount that it takes to bring someone here is often an amount that could have created a job where they are legal.

MEXICAN EXTREMISTS, bent on Reconqista, hiding behind the entire north and south american hispanic and latino community...

the notion that this country the latino vote, especially couched in these terms is non sense. Mr Ruiz, you are an agitator and a racist!

sponsored by America's Voice

This says it all; no doubt another push poll.

Other, more credible polls, shows immigration matters rank low on the list of Latino concerns.

There seems to be a lot of this type of crap floating around right now.

Lots of slanted studies and reports.

Wonder how many telephone calls went to El Paso where 50% of the population is illegal. This kind of poll fixing is so easy to do.

Dixie

87% of a few million voters is nothing compared to 81% of the rest of US citizens. I would definitely NOT vote for anyone who wants to legalize criminals.

Originally Posted by miguelina

87% of a few million voters is nothing compared to 81% of the rest of US citizens. I would definitely NOT vote for anyone who wants to legalize criminals.

I am there with you. Everyone that goes against american citizens should be out of office and find another job like a volunteer... how about the Peace Corp. Since they want to help citizens from other countries, this would be a good way without hurting or trashing Americans