When Will Latinos Use Their Electoral Clout?

With the GOP seemingly seeking to alienate everyone other than the white, uneducated, conservative Christian vote, one has to wonder why Latinos have not made a larger effort to get out to the polls and push back against the thinly disguised racism that is increasingly a main thread of the GOP platform. Moreover, with the new GOP backed immigration law enacted in Arizona, many Latinos in that state must feel like they are living in the bad old Soviet Union or Nazi Germany where one needed to carry identification papers at all times. While immigration is not the sole issue of concern for Latinos, just maybe Arizona's racist law will be the lever to prompt more Hispanics to get involved in the political process. CNN looks at the phenomenon and provides some analysis of this voter segment that the Democrats - like every other minority group - have failed to seek to win over with real legislative action. Here are some highlights:
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Each election cycle is dubbed "the year" -- a time when Latinos will show up at the polls in droves and transform the political landscape. President Obama's renewed push last week for immigration reform has brought with it fresh expectations for the Latino vote in November's midterm elections. The issue is considered one of symbolic and substantive importance for the community. Four out of five undocumented immigrants are from Mexico or another part of Latin America, according to the Pew Hispanic Center.
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While voter turnout among the Latino community has risen in recent years, the adage that there's "strength in numbers" has yet to manifest itself. "Hispanics are not punching at their weight," said Mark Hugo Lopez, associate director of the Pew Hispanic Center. "Their share of voters doesn't quite match their share in the general population."
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But if mobilization efforts change that, the group could be a key voice in November. A study from the pro-immigration reform group America's Voice suggests that Latinos could play a key role in 37 congressional races.
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"Going into 2010 and 2012, there is a big question mark on Latino behavior," he said. "Latinos have suffered so badly from the economic depression. Latinos are very angry about the immigration debate, and we're getting killed in home foreclosures." At 15.8 percent of the population, Latinos constitute the largest minority group in the United States.
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[I]n the months since Arizona passed an immigration law that critics say could lead to racial profiling, more recent surveys have indicated that the issue has risen to the top for Latinos. A survey commissioned by the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials indicates that the immigration debate has made Latinos more likely to vote in November.
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[S]ources said it was politically crucial for the president to give such a speech to put pressure on Republicans and reassure angry Latino voters that Democrats haven't forgotten about this issue. . . . Gonzalez said the Obama administration is supported by Latinos, but the community also is expecting something in return for its vote.
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"Latino voters are not like independents who go back and forth. ... They don't swing Republican. They get mad and stay home," he said. And unless the party in power delivers on immigration reform, Gonzalez said that going into 2010, "If I was the Democrats, I would be very concerned."
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And there's the rub. Like the LGBT community and other groups, Latinos expect something concrete in exchange for their votes and political support. And unfortunately, that's where Obama is once again a no-starter. More than nice speeches are needed. Will Obama and the Congressional Democrats deliver before it's too late in November? I for one am not holding my breath.