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Subscribe to RSSLess than six months before November’s presidential election, President Obama enjoys a sizable lead over Mitt Romney among Latino voters, according to a new national NBC News/Wall Street Journal/Telemundo poll of Latino respondents.
The challenge for the Obama campaign, however, will be turning out these voters, who aren’t as interested in the election as all other Americans are.
Larry Downing / Reuters
President Barack Obama speaks at a news conference after the 2012 NATO Summit May 21 at McCormick Place in Chicago.
In this survey, Obama holds a 34-point lead over Romney among registered Latino voters, 61 to 27 percent. In 2008, according to the exit polls, Obama defeated McCain among this key voting bloc, 67 to 31 percent.
In addition, Obama’s approval rating among all Latino adults stands at 61 percent (compared with 48 percent of all Americans in the new NBC/WSJ poll), and approval of his handling of the economy is at 54 percent (versus 43 percent overall).
Meanwhile, Romney is struggling with Latinos, the poll shows. Just 26 percent view him positively, while 35 percent see him in a negative light. By comparison, Obama’s positive/negative score among Latinos is 58/23 percent.
(Click here for a PDF of this NBC/WSJ/Telemundo poll.)
What’s more, this demographic group is more optimistic about the economy and the nation’s direction than the general population. Forty percent of Latinos believe the country is headed in the right direction (versus 33 percent of all Americans in the NBC/WSJ poll), and 46 percent of them say what they’ve read and heard recently makes them feel more optimistic about the economy (versus 42 percent).
But here’s a troubling sign for the Obama campaign: Latinos aren’t as excited about the upcoming election. A combined 68 percent of Latino voters say they are highly interested in the upcoming election (registering an “8”,”9”, or “10” on a 10-point scale). That’s compared with 81 percent of all voters who express high interest.
This NBC/WSJ/Telemundo survey -- an oversample from the just-released NBC/WSJ poll -- was conducted May 16-21 of 300 adults who identified themselves as coming from a Latino or Spanish-speaking background. That sample includes 119 interviews that were conducted in Spanish.
The overall margin of error for this survey is plus-minus 5.7 percentage points. The margin of error for the 188 registered Latino voters survey is plus-minus 7.2 percentage points.
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the boss, classy and thoughtful...
Can anyone name another president who directed his justice dept to sue a state for trying to keep it's boarder safe .What a disgrace.
Get this, I made donations to the Ron Paul and Buddy Roemer campaigns (I'm independent) because, like most Americans, I'm tired of the politicking and military defense spending as usual. So I start getting calls and mail from the GOP as if I'm a Republicant. And some of the calls are polls that assume you're a registered voter because you made a donation. So, my point is, that if a Latino makes an online donation, even to a state or congressional level candidate or party, they may well be treated as a registered voter and get included in polls, etc., even if they are not a US citizen.
I'm curious about the authenticity and accuracy of some of these phone polls based on donations contributors to other candidates who happen to be running as Republicants or Democants. So although I'm a registered Dem they are treating me as a Repub because I gave money to a GOP candidate (and not even to Romney or the RNC).
They needed a poll for this? News flash...Obama lags amongst males in the 53rd percentile.
News flash nobody said males were smart :)
Funny
Hispanics should consider that countries that are socialistic in nature dont do well in the long run. Is cuba doing well? How about greece and all the bennies they are showering upon their unions. How did that turn out? Remember who it was that made the country great in the first place. U are voting against that sector of the population. If u come over here looking for handouts u will get them from the democrats but what do u do after the printing machines stop? Sometimes in the long run u are better off staying home. Yea the wages are lower but buy yourself a plot of land and build your futures in latin america because in the long run the people who stayed there will build a foundation there that will be going strong long after the statue of liberty is lying facedown in the bay. Good luck.
Some of their countries are doing bad because of corporate greed and tax breaks for the rich. Hispanics are smart enough to know which element of our society is the evil one--THE GOP. Cuba would have been okay had it not been for Republicans sticking their noses in their dirt.
Don't go away mad Mittens just go away!
In the county that I live in (So. California) 47.6% live on welfare and most are Latinos. No, this is not racism, unfortunately it is just the plain truth. And I don't blame them, but our government who allows it, after all they are only looking for a better life. California government answer is to increase taxing the rich, guess what, many companies left California, but Bill Lockyer says we don't need them, no after all they only pay taxes and provide jobs.
Joycee, you do a great job of spouting GOP talking points, but it only shows an inability to grasp facts. Overall, the great majority of people on welfare and public assistance are white females, and although you do not specify the exact area in So Cal you refer to, actual data are likely to show your assertions are in error.
As for companies, you are also probably not aware of huge companies like Apple that make immense profits overseas, set up operations in California, and then have drop box offices in Nevada to book their profits so that they pay no taxes in California for the great majority of money the rake in. The companies are not leaving California, they are using services and taking advantage of the taxpayers as much as or more than the Latinos you are blaming. The difference is that the face of the corporations happens to be white. Think about it!
Do you think this church's tax exempt status ever be investigated? Oh, wait, it's only conservative churches that come under scrutiny.
But separation of Church and State is only for Conservatives. Libtards can cross that line all they like. Remember all that liberal criticism of the Catholic Bishops for daring to defy the Dear Leader on imposing upon their faith? yet, not a word from them when one of their own goes even further. Liberals sicken me! Their hypocrisy is confounding!
OWS arrests: 6000+
Tea Party arrests: ZERO!
OWS political effectiveness: ZERO
Tea Party effectiveness: 100%
Not only are the Tea Party still here! It's stronger and more effective than ever!
Do ye all remember when "this liberal" admitted to being a SOCIALIST!
A slip of the tongue reveals the true intentions of Maxine Waters (D) during a house hearing while arrogantly grilling oil executives including John Hofmeister, President of Shell Oil Company. This liberal, Maxine Waters starts to be honest by revealing herself as a Socialist, but stops, stumbles and then comes up with a more accepted answer. Oops! The guy next to her sighs with relief when she finally gets the words out America would want to hear her actually say, the lady next to him seems to be holding back her laughter. A pathetic real time revelation of the true identity of one of our nations liberal Democrat decision makers.
Watch and... I was going to say, enjoy, but that's hardly the right word.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o31-PVVowFY
"FORWARD" to November!
Comments like those by NoLimitSoldier are a good barometer for how low the intelligence level of GOP apologists is at any moment. Seriously! The far right wing enact laws that target Latinos, demand police profiling and persecution, make it illegal to even transport an undocumented person to the hospital [as in Alabama]. Yet somehow it is Democrats who are at fault that the GOP cannot attract any Hispanic vote except possibly a segment of the Miami Cuban voters who cannot see anything beyond their hatred of Castro and their desire for "the good old days" when the rich elite and the Mafia ran Cuba. There are also the Hispanics who are White wannabe's like George Zimmerman, who adopt bigoted and racist attitudes. but that is a small segment.
Other Latino and Hispanic voters are quite intelligent and fully capable of recognizing and voting their self interest. They recognize when they are all cast as "illegals" even when they have been in the US for decades, if not generations, by right wing extremists who rule the GOP. The GOP is the party of division and hatred and intolerance. Listen to their public spokespersons. They want to send all Latinos [even those from South America or Central America] "back to Mexico." They advocate killing gays, or rounding them up in concentration camps to "let them die out." They advocate that poor children drop out of school and get jobs as janitors. And the list goes on. These are the actual statements by right wing spokespeople and the voice and face of the GOP.
Why would any self-respecting and intelligent person support a party that is proud to take such a hateful and intolerant stance? NO the GOP does not need the Democrats to blame for the fact that the party cannot attract any significant numbers of Latino voters. they have only to look in the mirror. Besides the average Latino is smarter than the average member of the Tea Party/Birther/anti-intellectual conservative base of the GOP. Listen to @Space Captain, he is not attacking or condemning, just speaking the plain truth. And I imagine this is one of those times when "the truth hurts."
What party is most similar to countries that Hispanics fled from?
If you think that people need your help, you are the bigot, not the people who see everyone as equal. GROW UP!
Please explain why the Democratic Party supports cheap labor for big business?
Your naked, blind, partisanship is the reason our country is in such bad shape. There is very little difference between the Democrats and Republicans and they work together behind closed doors to keep our country divided...you just drank their kool aid.
Got Obama Kool-Aid?
I'm not a Republican but I still believe in facts matter more than party. So cite for us the actual quotes with links to the GOP Spokespersons who made those statements you cited.
I'm a libertarian conservative who is married to a black/central American Latina who is every bit as conservative as I am. As are most of her family. My wife is more anti-ILLEGAL immigration than I am.
You are just another liberal bigot who masks your bigotry with modern socialist liberalism.
Let me make sure I understand this. The poll consists of 300 Latino adults.
188 out of the 300 are registered voters (+/- 7). Out of those 188, 114 voted for Obama in 2008 (+/- 9). Not surprising that this poll is heavily weighted towards Obama. Heavily.
Those stats should be listed first in your write-up. Mark Murray, that is a pathetic sample with an equally pathetic summary associated with it.
Tell me Mark Murray that you couldn't do better than this?
There was this Mexican woman in California interviewed on NBC Nightly news the day Obama came out for same sex marriage that said, "I voted for him last time but I can not support any one that so blatantly goes against my beliefs. None of my family will vote for him again". I am not sure I believe what MSNBC has reported here.
President Obama is a equal opportunity bender of the truth...the Latinos are the latest group behind African Americans to buy the lies...go figure. If this is not a race inspired result I don't know what is. Talk about racism. How about qualifications and ability?
No comprehension again.
Is there any remote chance that some percentage of the Latinos who revere the Grand Poobah Obama are legal residents of this country and, under law, eligible to vote in the upcoming election?
I know the five families of Mexicans that all live in the One Story House down the street want to see Obama re-elected.
Wait until the Latinos find out his promises to them are as empty as the rest of his rhetoric.
Obama is the first Presidential Candidate in history whose number one idea is to run against capitalism.
Of couse they do......... Why Not : Illegal Alliens = American Dream - No Work equals Welfare and Huge Income Tax refund !
That support is for now......wait until Rubio becomes a factor in this race. Sorry for Obama then. Anyway Romney can win even if he does not have their support but we will eventually get their support. Headlines......."Obama voted out in presidential election"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Would like be that fly on the wall and see and hear his reaction.
If I was an illegal alien, I would vote for yer bummer too.
Oh come on already! Let's face it, we are talking about Politicians here! It doesn't matter what party affiliate they claim to be from, they will pander to which ever demography will get them the most votes. I matters not if they follow through on their campaign promises AFTER the fact. Just get them to the voting booth and hope they bought the blather hook line and sinker.
That being said, we need someone in there with some business sense. As we stand right now the banks don't want to loan money after being caught with their fingers in that cookie jar and businesses go to banks, hat in hand, begging "brother can you spare a dime" after jumping on the banks bandwagon the first time around. So here we sit, spinning our wheels and crawling along in what we are told is recovery mode. Time to "make a move" in some direction as we aren't getting anywhere under our present "regime."
Time to clean out the Administrative and Legislative branches and put clean fertilizer in there. Maybe something might take off and grow finally.
Hossana halleluia and f'ing A--my faith is restored. After talking to so many dummies who think voting right-red makes them white, I was beginning to think my people were complete morons.
"Obama leads big with Latinos". Except for the legal ones.
Amen.
THe only ones that can and will vote are the legal 'ones'.
Not all Latinos are for Obummer. There are a lot of us, who came here legally, who are proud Americans and have worked hard to obtain the American dream, no freebies, and we don't like illegals or other idiots who give us a bad name. Obama has been feeding the ignorant dupes who came across illegally a line of crap and they have swallowed it, hook, bait and sinker. Republicans must open their eyes. Mr. Romney is an intelligent man and should come up with something. I would be willing to give testimonials, I am a retired Senior NCO, proud to have served my country, my two brothers and my two sons also served in our Armed Forces. Hopefully the illegals won't be allowed to vote, no matter what the crooked politicians do. God Bless our great country.
thank you for your service... my brother is an E5 in the Army, now.
Tomorrow's MSNBC headline , "June Cleaver Declares," Barrack is Swell!!".
Mark Murray would sell his mother to garner votes for Obama.
Mark Murray has been drinking the kool aide straight from Obama's spout. Biden says he has a "Very Big Stick", does that mean that Mark & Joe are both intimate with Barak? Viva La gay marriage or "menage a trois".