Poll Shows Hispanics Agree With GOP, But Vote Democratic

Last Resistance

VERBATIM

One of the major demographic groups that overwhelmingly voted for Barack Obama were the Hispanics.  Yet in a recent poll taken among Hispanics, it seems they side more with Republicans on many major issues.

Mike McKeon in President of McKeon and Associates.  According to their website:

“McKeon & Associates, formed in 1973, is a global public opinion research and strategic marketing firm.”

“Michael McKeon, president of McKeon & Associates, has distinguished himself by accurately interpreting results to predict significant societal trends. The firm conducts research and designs successful winning strategies for Democrats, Independents and Republicans. The research and analysis is designed to give our clients the best opportunity to succeed without partisan or ideological agendas. Successful strategies are based on what people think not on what is hoped or suggested they think in surveys.”

In one of their recent polls of Hispanics in the state of Illinois, McKeon discovered that many of them actually sided with Republicans on many key issues.

On gay marriage, 51% opposed the legalization of same-sex marriages and only 40% approved of legalizing them.

On the issue of abortion and the right to choose, 56% said they were pro-life and only 33% said they were pro-choice.

On views in general, 56% said they were moderates, 27% claimed to be conservative and only 14% identified themselves as liberals.

But when it came to political affiliation, 54% said they were Democrats, 31% claimed to be Independents and only 15% said they were Republican.

Their ideology is closer to the Republicans, but they vote Democratic.  The only reason I can see is the immigration issue.  In 2008, Obama promised them sweeping immigration reform in his first year in office, but he has never kept his promise.  This year, he used his executive powers to illegally bypass Congress and give partial amnesty to nearly a million illegal Hispanics.  Then he again promised them sweeping immigration reform and they voted for him again, although the rest of their ideology was closer to that of Mitt Romney.

If Republicans want to stand a chance of winning in 2014 and 2016, they need to take this information and structure their ideology to address the one factor that made all the difference to the Hispanics. 

The Republicans need to initiate immigration reform in Congress before the Democrats do.  I’m not in favor of giving them blanket amnesty or citizenship, but I would not oppose a way to expedite the path to legal immigration status, providing that they pay taxes and abide by the laws that everyone else does.  Any criminal conviction would result in the loss of their immigration status and a return to their homeland.  I would also take away all of the free benefits that they currently get that US citizens do not get.

If the Republicans would get their act together, they could effectively wrestle this growing block of voters away from the Democratic Party, especially since they already identify with Republicans on most key issues, except immigration.