News Flash: Latinos Still Don't Like GOP

Latinos don't like Republicans.

You can always start a fight in a Bakersfield bar by saying something like that. Some of the nastiest e-mails and phone calls I got in my five years as a newspaper columnist came after I discussed that topic.

When they weren't brimming with colorful metaphors and epithets, these messages tried to convince me that Hispanics should be Republicans because they ostensibly are social conservatives on issues like abortion and gay rights.

All preaching aside, the problem is that whatever they should be, it's true and provable that at present, Latinos don't like Republicans.

Hispanics have allied themselves with the Democrats since the Kennedy administration. And although they flirted with the GOP under President George W. Bush - who courted them with a sensible approach to immigration reform that his own party wouldn't support - they came running back to the Democrats to support President Barack Obama.

That despite the predictions of some pundits that Latinos wouldn't support an African-American. Please.

Now comes more evidence that this historical alliance is stronger than ever.

Two of three Latino registered voters indicate they plan to back the Democratic candidate in their local congressional district, according to a study released this week by the nonpartisan Pew Hispanic Center. Slightly less than one of four intended to support the Republican candidate.

In fact, if Hispanics cast their votes today, the Democrats would win almost as soundly as they did in the last presidential election, when Latinos supported Obama for president over John McCain by 67% to 31%.

I'm not making this up, so don't call me.

The problem, of course, will be actually getting them to the polls. Hispanic registered voters who are Democrats are apparently much less motivated than their Republican counterparts to vote.

Will an emotional issue like immigration animate them?

You can view the entire Pew Survey here:

http://pewhispanic.org/files/reports/127.pdf