Latin Leverage

Latin Leverage
By: Eddy Aguilar Saba

Just about a year ago, John Perry stumbled over the issue of illegal immigration, in weeks his nomination for the White House disappeared. Even republicans have not forgotten the uproar  Mr. Perry has caused when he said in the Florida debate, that anyone who opposes the children of illegal immigrants getting public support for education did not have a heart. This was the death of Rick Perry; meanwhile Romney kept a tough line on migration throughout the primary fight.

Barack Obama and his campaign team are determined that noone forgets Romney’s stance on immigration. Heading into the election with low approval ratings on the economy, the campaign team is deploying other strong weapons, with few more important constituencies than the Hispanic community.

William Galston of the Brooklings Institution said “if you look at the bunch key states, the potential role of Hispanic voters is pivotal”. Hispanics are at the forefront of an extraordinary racial makeover of the US population that has change the face of the country over the past four decades. They also have the potential to transform national politics. According to the 2010 census, Hispanic accounted for more than half of the country’s population growth of 27.3m, increasing at four times the rate of the rest of the country.

That is huge for the US Hispanic force. The former president George Bush, embraced Hispanics, seeing in an aspirational and confident community of conservative voters. But Hispanics are now dissolution with the republican dream act ban, the immigration republican views, the Phoenix issue, the Romney “self deport” comments over illegal aliens. Even pro-immigration republicans are very angry at the damaged that has caused the Republican party’s standing with the Hispanic issues.

Young Hispanic voters are now working hard to make sure Hispanics register to vote, and to vote for Obama. The Obama campaign is going to great lengths to find and get Hispanics to the polls. Spanish-language networks ads run in four states, Florida, New Mexico, Nevada, and Colorado, in the past month each had different voice overs and scripts, to capture the accents of the variety of Hispanic communities. Romney is pondering how to regain the ground they have lost with Hispanics. Romney is hoping Marco Rubio, the republican junior senator will help.

In this year’s White House presidential race, Hispanics will play a vital role. In 3 more years, Hispanics are hoping a new Hispanic leader will have a good chance to live in the White House.