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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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Man , the blatant racism in here from the right is astounding. The Dems have no work to do in this area of the demographic if you guys are representative of the right's views/positions.
Cripes, we stole their through a trumped up war/invasion just because we wanted it (Thanks Jackson, Taylor, Van Buren, et al) and you're demonizing them? Shame on you...
They paid no taxes??? After all that money they made picking your produce? Bastards...
Van Buren started the Democratic Party.
Van Buren also was the first U.S.-born President...
Too many Arizonans have been listening to that nonsense from Sheriff Joe Arpaio...
It's been difficult to get a majority of Latinos who are U.S. citizens to register and vote—what would motivate any non-citizen, especially one who is in the U.S. illegally, to risk arrest, prosecution and deportation to attempt to register and vote when they can expect no tangible benefit for doing so?
Republicans have created the phony "problem" of non-citizens allegedly registering and voting in order to legislate barriers that prevent poor citizens from exercising their right to vote, the sole purpose of which is to reduce their participation in the political process.
No credible, independent study exists that supports the theory that non-citizens are attempting to register and vote in any meaningful numbers, that would have affected any election outcome. The vast majority of voter fraud cases turn out to be issues related to voters who have moved and not changed their address; voters who have moved and changed their address, but remain registered at two locations; and voters who have died and not been properly removed from the registration rolls. In most of these cases, errors are attributable to election authorities, and there is no instance of fraud.
You are really bright! Why support Hispanics or minorities if they are doing the wrong thing? Why do you think this country is in trouble? It is because those who work their butts off get hammered on taxes to pay for those who are having all these kids out of wedlock! We have to pay for their homes, their medical bills, and their food. They are the new Royalty. Everyone else has to support them.
Question to Hispanics:
Which political party is more similar to the countries you fled?
I'm Puerto Rican. When did I flee?
You are 1% of the population and your territory loves being coddled by the government with zero responsibility.
Didn't Texas steal part of Mexico..........(then The US stole some more?)
Or did Europeans purposefully name Californian towns with Spanish names?
You can make your silly remarks later on the topic. First I'm stumping lvingbarefoot above who assumed "Hispanic" only means Mexican. We can coddle later.
You didn't answer my question lvingbarefoot. Which party was it that I fled from? What is it that is driving me to vote for Obama? Immigration?
Yes, born and raised in Miami, I think all Hispanics are Mexican. Just like the left thinks Latinos means Hispanics. Did not see you post on that. Hell that was the headline.
I think my half Peruvian grandson and my other two half Cuban grandchildren are Mexican. I also thin my half-black grandson is Mexican also and I hate them all because of it. GROW UP!
I guess you like big government and think they are the answer. I guess you like people who think that you need to be taken care of and can't fend for yourself. You can explain why you like him.
So so ... let me get this straight. You claim that you have this incredible mix of ethnicity within your children's families, but are posting the question:
"Question to Hispanics:
Which political party is more similar to the countries you fled?"
Shouldn't you be asking your grand children? What point were you driving at? Are they aware of your view of immigration? Do you not accept them as family? And what exactly does Latino mean, accoding to the United States government?
I teach my grandchildren personal responsibility and that they can achieve what they want.
It is not the Government's job to make things equal, it is there job to insure an equal playing field and eas, the GOP was guilty of cronyism and that is why you see us "firing" some of our reps.
Have you looked at your side of the aisle.
Your word "claim" is insulting and naive, if you live in Miami, the chance of having this "incredible" mix is probably 75%.
No problem there. My parents taught me the same, I follow the same philosophy, and I teach my children the same.
Not sure what that means, since I have never been given anything for free in my life. Everything I have I have worked for. I grew up in the city, with not much money. Had to enlist in the Marine Corp to utilise the college program savings. I took the money and majored in Computer Science. So, from the streets to a working man with a family in a quiet town. My political party preference has never come into play, or given me more of an opportunity than anyone else.
I use the word "claim", only because you are a person on the internet, and I typically take what is said with a grain of salt. I meant no insult. I understand a mixed neighborhood. I'm from NJ.
And, just to be clear, I don't have a particular party. I voted for Reagan, Clinton, Bush, Bush, then Obama. (Yes I skipped voting a couple of times)
I understand and I could be a big racists even with those grandchildren, though I am not.
As a child, I had some bigotry due to lack of exposure, but as I am sure you are aware, once you join the military, you realize we are all the same. Not sure why you like a President that likes to separate people?
Because I don't see it that way. Yes I know he tries to create programs for certain people's needs, but that same program can be stated as "Obama gives some races more privelages than others". Its all in the way news is twisted for political gain. The truth lies in the streets, with the people that are supposedly gaining. I still have friends and family in my old neighborhoods. I don't see any of them any better off just because Obama took office. None of them are any closer to leaving the slums behind. So basically all we have to believe is news, and what they decide to bring us as information. Instead of believing one side, or both sides, believe none. Watch what happens.
As a child, I also saw bigotry (My dad was horrible in his beliefs). But not me. And not my teen kids. I see them picking up a few remarks or jokes from some friends, but since it doesn't come from the home its not deep seeded. They know its wrong.
Anyway, my point is that I don't trust any politician. None has ever given me anything. This country has survived, and will survive any presidency.
Here we go again with another media poll that cannot be proven, does not document who was polled and what their true answers were.
With all his promises of hope and change there still is no imigration policy, and it is still illegal to come into America without the correct documents. There are still no jobs to risk crossing illegally for and Oboma will dump their relatives into the Rio Grande the minute the election is over.
The Hispanic people are much wiser than to believe these old empty promises again.
Oh, and how is that "hope and change" working for ya?
They are not interested in voting because you have to be a US citizen (or suppose to be) to be eligible to vote.
That is not a problem. You don't even have to show citizenship to vote now a days.
All the latinos i know are very nice people and very hard workers who pay taxes on there small wages.So for all of you out there who dislike them try walking in there shoes!
These people do work that americans wouldn't touch & we all know that & if you don't you should.
Last week i heard on the news that Alabama farmers aren't planting a lot of their crops because they have no pickers,Thats just one example.
Wow, the Democratic Party supports slave labor and you are proud?
Invisable hand............Tell me ACORN was on the up and up. Remember, ACORN, remember?
speaking of which, where is acorn?? I think they should resurface as someone else and get going. They got a lot of votes to sway. After all, polls need to open in July.
We have become and entitlement society, the people that don't pay taxes have figured out that they can vote themselves goods and services to be paid for by others simply by voting democrat. The only hope we have is maybe, just maybe there are enough people left still paying taxes that will see this trend and vote for the fiscal conservative to try and prevent it.
Somehow I doubt that there are enough of us left.
Good luck.
Hmmm, Obama ahead with Latinos, but has lost 6% among the same group since 2008. 6% here, 6% there, soon you're talking real landslide.
Jim, you need to direct your attack at Congress. They're standing in the way of any meaningful legislation, not the administration. That branch does not make law...
And it has been against the law for quite some time to enter the country without the proper paperwork. More illegals have been deported under this administration than the previous eight years.
Of course, presidential leadership has nothing to do with it. It's whatever Congress allows him to do. Pretty weak.
wow, way to keep dividing NBC. What a joke!!
yeah obama has done so much to address the issues of ILLEGAL immigration and control of our borders......are latinos stupid?.........i don't believe this poll.....of course, i don't believe most of what MSLSD runs as news.......the comment sections are a blast though.......obama is a liar, a distorter, and a divider......back to chicago for some more community organizing.....
More politics of division. Makes you feel negative feelings when you see a hispanic, doesn't it? I am hispanic and I started feeling that way about blacks after the election in 2008.....most of them voted for that leftist because of his skin color.
This is very much a paid advertisement campaign to bluff everyone. These statistics are incorrect.
riveting information. now tell us something that everyone in America DIDN'T already know.
I hate articles like this. It creates hatred toward hispanics. Not all of us are leftist morons or leaches of society. Obama, you do not own us. Our families actually came here to get away from the politics that the current Democrats are pushing.
It is hard to believe all the focus on color with the media. We are all human beings and have the right to vote for whom ever we chose. I do not like the articles either.
Hispanic is not a color.
Sure he leads big with Latinos, because he is offering them free stuff that he or no politician can ever deliver on. It's the Dems way of getting votes. Look at all of the good things it has done for the Black population and they still vote Democratic. It is sad, but almost laughable.
No, not all Latinos vote Democrat, but enough to swing an election. Did you ever wonder why Cubans as a whole vote Republican. Think about that for a minute.
Lol, I was just going to bring that up. Cubans mainly vote Repub. Its a Castro mentality.
Its an anti Castro mentality. They lived under a leftist regime and want no part of it again.
Its a freedom mentality. Cubans want to live in a free country. We are less free with the current Democrats.
N Loves. That argument is the opposite of what Repub voters argue. They would claim that the Dems would open the doors to welcome you, and provide opportunities.
The Dems don't need to welcome me. Citizenship goes back in my family at least 3 generations....and none of us came here looking for Spanish to be taught in school. None of us have been on food stamps. Thank God we weren't given hand outs to make us helpless babies who look to the government as our daddy. My great grandfather thought that he'd died and went to heaven when he came here and was able to work and provide for his family. The left loves to exploit "the poor". They have no idea what poor is. Anyone can make it in the USA and that is why we came here. The left wants to crush capitalism and the American Dream. They make me sick.
N Loves, I too am born here, and American, and have never needed or taken government assistance or help. But I am still voting for Obama. Does that erase the notion that every Hispanic that votes for Obama is on welfare?
And by "You", I meant whoever in your family came to this country, be it grandfather or whomever.
I pray that one day, you will realize how damaging Obama and his party are to this great country. There is nowhere else to go.
But I invite you to list these great damages. I'm not afraid to hear them and put some thought into it. I'm all ears and brains.
It depends on which "Latinos" you ask. I know my inlaws can't stand Obama and neither can my husband. Part of the reason this country isn't colorblind and continues to have racism is because of articles like this one. I guess its the same reason ignorant people think every hispanic is Mexican.
The article doesn't create racism, the needless jumping to conclusions as to why is the cause. I vote for Obama so I must be an immigrant on welfare.
It does create racism. If people despise the agenda of the left, they will begin to associate hispanics with the left because of articles like this.
Ahh N Loves, but only those with limited intellect. Since you wrote that, you seem to be able to separate the article from what you truly believe. But not everyone can. They see this article and immediately think of the Mexican guy they saw running over a fence, and thus that is a "Hispanic". Its not MSNBC's fault that some readers can't comprehend the intention of the article, or for them to dumb down the article so that people don't jump to conclusions.
Printing or citing misleading or false reports does not make them believable. You can fool some of the people (e.g., Latinos) some of the time, but you can't fool all of the people all of the time. BO has had 3 years to prove himself worthy, but has failed as President, and the majority of adults in our country, including blacks, browns, whites, asians, and Latinos who are legitimate voters know it. Therefore, I predict an overwhelming defeat for BO in November - no matter how much money he spends on negative ads, or how many times he addresses the public on radio and TV. I can't wait to see that ever-present smirk on his face be permanently erased!
Hell....no poll was needed to determine that.
Ahhh, trying to put a positive spin on the news that overall the polls are falling for the President. Just wish we had some better choices for President than these two guys. Of course they favor the President, they are buddies from their time in line at the fake social security card dealer.
Show you people that
Latinos are not as dumb as you ALL think!
Let's see now.......
Women prefer Obama
Blacks prefer Obama
Latinos prefer Obama
Gays prefer Obama
Lesbians prefer Obama
Bi's prefer Obama
Asians prefer Obama
What's left? Ohhhhh yeah, old white pedophile white guys. Republicans you can have them or are you them?
I am a hispanic female and I despise Obama. I also despise everyone on the left who thinks they own those groups of people. We are not slaves. More people from those groups need to wake up and see that they can freely leave the plantation.
As a hispanic female, I took notice of Obama's attempt to stop the Texas execution of Humberto Leal. This was an illegal who raped, tortured and murdered a 16 year old hispanic girl. Yeah.....he's really on our side, huh?
Yea, you're a "ROD" alright...and a supreme tool! HA Keep watching your MSNBC. Where are they ranked among cable tv news?????
Rod, that is a truely despicable statement. It is like I would say all blacks are lazy. Totally ignorant.
Seriously though, the only group Willard still leads in are white rural and suburban Christian males. Every other group favors Obama. There are still enough Christian white men to keep this election close, but things are going to look bad for Republicans soon if they don't extend their appeal.
Wow, seems like I hit a nerve with yuse people.
Rod_Father,
You wrote: "Latinos prefer Obama"
This idea that Latinos "prefer" Obama is misleading and unfair to other Latinos. Latinos do not form just one group. Many Latinos/as are born and raised in America, while other Latinos migrated from various Latin countries. Keep in mind, not all Latinos think alike and vote alike.
Here would be one reason they are so happy with our government and don't want it to change.
http://www.wthr.com/video?clipId=7054149&topVideoCatNo=103348&autoStart=true
I would suggest everyone take a look at this and contact your representitive about this problem and compain unless you like supporting illegal aliens.
Sorry about the typo's. Internet keeps going down and quit in the middle of spell check.