'Pocketbook concerns' top priority for Hispanic voters

By Nancy Mitchell, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published August 28, 2008 at 12:05 a.m.

Text size  

• 0 Comments
• Email
• Print

Photo by Max Whittaker / Afp/Getty Images

Manuel Perez, left, and Ricardo Lopez of the U.S. Hispanic Leadership Institute sell T-shirts outside the Hispanic Caucus meeting Wednesday. Michelle Obama told the caucus Wednesday, "There is nothing that will be easy about the next few months."

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story should have identified an official with the Obama '08 campaign who spoke about Latino voter outreach as Cuauhtemoc Figueroa, Latino Vote Director for the campaign.

The largest Hispanic voter research project that Democratic pollster Andrew Myers has ever heard of included 17 focus groups and nearly 1,800 separate interviews in Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico and Arizona.

All that work, and the result is this: The top concerns of Hispanics look pretty much like the top concerns of everyone else.

"Pocketbook concerns dominate," said Myers, of Myers Research in Springfield, Va., which worked on Project New West: Hispanic Voters in the New Western Battleground.

That means the rising cost of gas is a very serious concern for 93 percent of those interviewed, and gay marriage is a very serious concern for only 32 percent.

Or, as one respondent told Myers' group, "I would support gay marriage if it would fill my tank with gas so I could get to work."

Social issues such as gay marriage, abortion and illegal immigration have moved to the back burner, Myers said in a press conference with New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson during this week's Democratic National Convention.

"When we asked in an open- ended exercise, what is the most important issue in deciding your vote for president, a full majority, 55 percent, said the economy, jobs - everything is clustered in that area," Myers said.

"That was followed by the war in Iraq, which is as much an economic issue in these voters' minds because we're spending $2 billion a week there rather than focusing on our needs at home."

Illegal immigration was a deciding issue for one in four of those interviewed, Myers noted, and only 35 percent listed it as a serious concern. "When they express concerns about illegal immigration," he said, "it is far more about the Republican rhetoric, which has damaged them deeply."

The research was done in July and August. The poll of likely Hispanic voters in the four states has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points, Myers said.

What Hispanics care about has been a hot topic in DNC meetings this week, and it is hard to overstate the perceived importance of the Hispanic vote. On Monday, Sen. Hillary Clinton spoke at the Hispanic delegate caucus and, on Wednesday, Michelle Obama appeared before the group.

"There is nothing that will be easy about the next few months," Michelle Obama said. "That's why you all are so important."

Myers' poll shows Barack Obama leading likely rival John McCain by nearly 2-to-1 among Hispanic voters in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Nevada.

So why the heavy push? Simple, Myers said, Hispanic voter registration rates and voter participation rates are far lower than those of Anglos and blacks.

In 2004, 58 percent of Hispanics ages 18 and older were registered to vote, 11 percentage points below blacks and 17 points below whites, according to the Pew Hispanic Center.

And in the 2006 election in Colorado, a state with a Hispanic population of about 20 percent, only 7 percent turned out to vote, exit polling showed. Low turnouts also were seen in Nevada and Arizona.

Some Hispanic leaders, including Richardson, have said the Obama campaign is not doing enough to court the Hispanic vote.

"He needs to visit more, he needs to campaign more in the West," Richardson said this week. "He needs to put more resources in the West, more volunteers, more offices."

Obama's deputy Latino vote director agreed that the Hispanic outreach effort may have started a little late.

"Our campaign for a year leading up to Iowa was focused completely on Iowa," said Cuauhtemoc Figueroa. "There wasn't any national campaign or outreach constituency."

It worked in winning Obama the Iowa primary. But a state with a Hispanic population of less than 4 percent provided little practice in courting Hispanics.

Contrast that to Clinton's effort, which included spending $100 million pre-Iowa on a full constituency outreach that included Hispanics, among others.

"We were focused on the numbers," Odio said. "It wasn't about developing relationships per se."

The emphasis now has shifted to "introducing" Obama to Hispanic voters, Odio said.

"One of the things the campaign takes a lot of pride in is something we like to call the enthusiasm gap between our supporters and McCain's supporters," Odio said. "Our supporters are a lot more enthused. But I wouldn't necessarily say that's the case with Hispanics, because they're still getting to know him."

In the 70 or so days before Election Day, he said Obama's activity in the West will pick up:

"We think if we win Colorado, New Mexico and Nevada, Barack Obama is president of the United States."

Talk of the convention

"I have a hard time when people like me are Repub- licans. I don't get it because they're not on our side."

Steve Hildebrand, gay man and deputy campaign manager for Barack Obama, speaking to the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Caucus

"This is the year the sleeping giant has awakened, and that is you."

Former Denver Mayor Federico Pena to the Hispanic caucus

"They robbed us in Florida in 2000, but not this time. They took our votes in Ohio in 2004, but not this time."

The Rev. Al Sharpton, exhorting the Black Caucus to get out and vote.

"We really need you. We need your having our backs. We need you to pray for us. And we need you to work very hard over the next few months."

Michelle Obama, making a plea for help from the Black Caucus.

"One more conservative judge (on the U.S. Supreme Court) and we lose the Americans with Disabilities Act, we lose the Fair Housing Act, we lose everything that we value."

Julie Reiskin, Denver disabilities advocate, telling the Disability Caucus what she thinks would happen if John McCain wins the White House.

"Sen. McCain had honorably served as a POW and was courageous . . . and he kept faith with his fellow POWs. He has not kept faith with American veterans."

Retired Air Force Col. Dick Klass, telling the Veterans and Military Families Caucus that McCain has been "AWOL" on support for vet programs.

"Let's show the whole world what a woman can do when she puts her mind to it. And let's elect Barack Obama the next president of the United States."

Black Entertainment Television co-founder Sheila Johnson, challenging the Women's Caucus

"If his name was John Jones and he grew up in New York, I think it would be much less of an issue."

Steve Geller, Florida's Senate minority leader, on the challenge of convincing some older Jewish voters that Obama is not an Arab.

Featured

• Through Your Lens

  

  Submit your photos or see the Editor's Choice slide show here.

• Rocky Multimedia

  

  The news comes alive in our videos and slide shows. Catch up on what's happening today.

• Holiday Lights

  

  Is your house the jolliest on the block? Submit your holiday lights display.

• Holiday Gift Guide

  

  Looking to get a jump-start on the holiday shopping season?

• Mount Crushmore

  

  Which four Broncos greats should be immortalized on Mount Crushmore? Vote here.

• Bronco Dean's rant

  

  Listen to Bronco Dean's midweek rant on the Chiefs.

• Broncos Video

  

  Get the latest from Dove Valley as the Broncos prepare for Sunday's matchup.

• Calendar wallpaper

  

  Download this month's desktop wallpaper calendar

• Sam Adams' Open Mic

  

  Open Mic: Stirrin' the Soup with Matt Iseman