The Emerging Influence Of Hispanic Voters

More Than Nine Million Latinos Are Expected To Vote In The Presidential Election This November

(CBS)  Even though California college student Diego Janacua can't cast a vote in this year's presidential election because he's not yet an American citizen, he's helping to register other new voters and doing everything he can to make sure Latinos make it into the voting booth.

Univision, a Spanish language network, is also working to engage Latinos in the American political process, CBS News correspondent Sandra Hughes reports.

First, registering people for citizenship and then, signing up new voters.

"Our audience needed to be informed," said Univision anchor Teresa Quevedo. "Not just informed, not about what is going on around them, but that they can empower themselves - that they have a voice and that voice can be heard if they vote."

And heard in bigger numbers than ever before - there's been a steady increase in Latino voters since 1980 when just under two and a half million voted for president. That number had more than doubled by the 2000 election, but this year, the Tomas Rivera Policy Institute expects at least 9.3 million Latinos to vote in November.

"We can no longer be called the sleeping giant," said California State University professor Jaime Regalado.

Their political power has been predicted before, but Professor Jaime Regalado told Hughes this is the year Latinos will finally become empowered.

"If it's going 20 percent, 25 percent - one of four or every five voters...that's huge!" said Regalado.

While President Bush captured a Republican record 40 percent of the Latino vote in 2004, the latest Pew Hispanic Center poll finds the number of Latinos who identify themselves as Democrat has surged from 47 to 59 percent.

And the candidates are fighting for those votes, with everything from Spanish language television ads to mariachi music and Mexican food at campaign stops.

To Diego Janacua, and those who hope to inspire more than an occasional stop at a taco stand, it's about changing attitudes.

"It's not more of a Latino or ethnic issue, bit it's more of just being an American, I guess," Janacua said. Latinos are starting to feel like they're Americans."

Americans, who can make a difference this November.

[kansas1946]

Whenever you hear about that nonsense that "my ancestors are immigrants" so it is OK to allow 20 million illegals into this country so far, laugh.
My ancestors came here also, but they came here legally. They didn''t sneak across the border. Many of them came through Ellis Island and the indignity that was Ellis Island. Checked like cattle for diseases and many sent back. There are millions of people from around the world waiting in line to get into this country. They wait their turn, they don''t bully their way in and then scream discrimination.

[l00ker]

Feeling like an American means more than enjoying the American bounties; it also means being loyal to the laws, history, Constitution, ways and mores of American society. And marching through American streets, clogging them with giant foreign flags, does little for receiving a hearty American welcome, and citizenship on top of it. Americans should rid the country of any two bit politician, who panders to these traitors, who would as soon steal the identity of a legal citizen for one of their fellow line jumpers, than obey the laws, and defend the Constitution of the United States.

[bodge62]

Senator Obama going to say to republicans when asked why he favors granting drivers'' licenses to illegal immigrants as Obama has admitted twice in debates? About Obama''s present position that undocumented workers will not be covered in his healthcare proposal, yet when he was running for the Senate he said that children of undocumented workers should get the same healthcare benefits that citizens get? when they begin to ask him about negotiating in unstructured summits with the leaders of Iran, North Korea and Cuba without preconditions? What will Senator Obama say when Senator McCain asks him why he said in 2004 that he did not know how he would have voted on the Iraq war authorization and that his view of the Iraq war was not different from President Bush''s? What will Senator Obama say when Senator McCain compares Obama''s votes to fully fund the Iraq War in the Senate to Obama''s rhetorical opposition to that war? What is Senator Obama going to say when Senator McCain questions Obama''s claim to be "the most qualified person in America to conduct the foreign policy of the United States"? What is Senator Obama going to say when Senator McCain says that Obama is not one of the most qualified members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to lead this country in today''s dangerous world but instead one of the most absent? Senator Obama has not conducted a single policy hearing as chairman of the subcommittee on European Affairs of the Foreign Relations Committee?

[bodge62]

OBAMA LOOSES JOBS FOR LATINIOS!
Ms. Obama, VP Chicago Hosp, that charges minorities 6 times as much, isn%u2019t cold hearted enough, she also caused hundreds to loose their 11.hr jobs, to be more efficient she said! In 05, elected to the BOD Westchester-based TreeHouse Foods, she received $12,000 and $33,000 from a subsidiaries, in Nov announced closing its La Junta, plant, that claimed the jobs of 153 workers, most of them Hispanic! Huge blow to a rural town jobs paid a starting wage of $11hr, Company pays top execs like MICHELLE OBAMA tens of millions a year while destroying middle-class America. Raises the question not only about corporate values but about Barrack Obama''s own values. Specifically, while he bashes Wal-Mart, why does his wife, make $45,000 and up a year serving on the board of Chicago comp that pays her a very hefty amount of money while laying off mostly minority workers in economically deprived areas? No. 1 customer is Wal-Mart???

[wardoglrs]

Immigration by the numbers the horror


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7WJeqxuOfQ

[sjbj2322]

People can be so bigoted or just plain ignorant. I am not hispanic but I thank my lucky starts for the opportunity I had to learn more about the politics of Latin America. US and European Capitalism forced the suffering of so many in Latin American countries while at the same time filling their people with visible images of how it could benefit them if only they were able to get to America or those other lands but let''s face it - we''re closer. It was the same goal that inspired my European ancestors to seek this land. And lest we forget and start blaming Latin American countries for not taking care of their own...well guess what - the same was said by my ancestors who fled Europe to come to this land. The only significant difference was in the time span in which they came. Yes, something must be done but what must end is standing in judgment of people who do not want to be illegal, who do not want to have to hide from the law, who truly want to be able to embrace all this country can afford with their pride and dignity intact. No - let''s just keep seeking ways to line our own pockets at the expense of others. Yet if one must stick to the issue of economics, consider this. How much are you willing to pay for the fresh fruit and vegetables, the clothes on your back and so many other commodities that these people produce often at near slave wages so you can snub them and scream - Send them back.

[quetzal0666]

Legal Hispanic immigrants and U.S. Born Hispanics have a gut check decision to make! Both are legal U.S. Citizens and are strongly family oriented. However they must prove they are true Americans and not break the law harboring and supporting illegals....


Let me get this straight.
we are to turn a relative in if he / she wants to come and spend the night or deny them a room?
or decide hey, youre persona non gratta.

did not Hitler start off like this???

jejejje....
so funny.........

[pacific_c]

Dare to compare the current congress for voting records.....

Senator Clinton has missed 105 votes (23.5%) during the current Congress. ....
http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/members/c001041/....

Senator Obama has missed 168 votes (37.7%) during the current Congress. ....
http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/members/o000167/
.....
Senator McCain has missed 251 votes (56.3%) during the current Congress. ....
http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/members/m000303/

[tbweb]

Posted by rudy654 at 02:49 AM : Feb 04, 2008,,,

It looks like you are the one who needs reading and comprehension, the word "resident" you are suppose to be correcting me on is not even in my Post! Read my Post again, its below! duh back to you, learn how to read!

====================================================

Posted by rudy654 at 02:49 AM : Feb 04, 2008

What incoherency! You cannot be both a citizen and a legal resident. There is a distinction. DUH! Go back to school and learn!

Posted by rudy654 at 02:49 AM : Feb 04, 2008

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Posted by tbweb at 01:49 AM : Feb 04, 2008

Legal Hispanic immigrants and U.S. Born Hispanics have a gut check decision to make! Both are legal U.S. Citizens and are strongly family oriented. However they must prove they are true Americans and not break the law harboring and supporting illegals. Its a hard decision for Hispanics, it will be interesting to see what the final outcome will be. Currently is appears they have decided to break the Law!

Posted by tbweb at 01:49 AM : Feb 04, 2008

[quetzal0666]

Posted by McTooOld at ...

Immaculate Idea huh!!!!