According to a new LatinInsights poll for the New Democratic Network, Latino/Hispanic voters have swung strongly towards the Democratic Party, after several years of Republican gains among this key voting group. According to the poll, if the Presidential election were held today, 59% of Hispanics would vote Democratic, and only 23% for a Republican. Hillary Clinton has a 62%/27% favorable rating, in contrast to President Bush's 38%/58%. Not good if you're a Republican.Even worse, only 19% of Latinos favor Republicans over Democrats on working families, 19% on the minimum wage, 20% on "universal health care," 20% on "use of my tax money," 21% on "cares about my needs," 22% on immigrants, 24% on housing, 28% on education, and 30% on job creation.
This is a stunning turnaround for Republican fortunes among Hispanic/Latino voters. According to today's Washington Post:
Bush had boosted the Republican share of the overall Hispanic vote to 40 percent in 2004, with almost all his gains coming among the Spanish-speaking voters. When the Spanish speakers were asked in this survey how they would now vote, John Kerry led Bush, 59 percent to 23 percent -- far better than the 52 percent to 48 percent showing Kerry achieved among Spanish speakers in 2004.
What caused this stunning decline in Hispanic support for the Republican Party? According to the Washington Post:
...poll takers attributed the falloff to opposition to the Iraq war and a higher profile for immigration issues, on which the Republican Party has appeared to be sharply divided. Bush's efforts for comprehensive reform, backed by many Hispanics, have been blocked so far by House Republicans.
The question is, how permanent is this reversal of fortune for Republicans, has it hit rock bottom yet, and how long will it last? Has the entire strategy of winning over the nation's fastest growing demographic group failed for Karl Rove and Company? Only time will tell, of course, but this poll cannot be encouraging news for the GOP. Muy malo.
Lowell Feld is Netroots Coordinator for the Jim Webb for US Senate Campaign. The ideas expressed here belong to Lowell Feld alone, and do not necessarily represent those of Jim Webb, his advisors, staff, or supporters.