A Matter of Time: Latino Demographics Present Long Term Problem for GOP

José Fernando López, the Editor in Chief, PODER Magazine, provides this warning to the Republican Party, he writes:

The results from the first presidential debate have increased Mitt Romney's chances of winning the upcoming presidential election. But, this could be the last federal elections in which the Republican Party has any chance of winning if the GOP cannot find, in the coming years, an appropriate way to attract the Hispanic vote.

According to a report released this week by the Pew Hispanic Center, the number of Latinos eligible to vote this year has reached a record high of 23.7 million people (i.e. 4.2 million potential voters more than four years ago, a growth of 22%). According to the traditional definition, eligible voters are U.S. Citizens ages 18 and older.

In the past, the increase in the potential number of Hispanic voters (who, many years after the famous quote attributed to Ronald Reagan, "Latinos are Republicans. They just do not know it yet," continue to show in the polls their inclination for the Democratic Party), was not enough to tip the political balance of the country, because more than half never even registered to vote. Citing a study by Mark Hugo Lopez and Paul Taylor, the Pew Hispanic Center report says, "the turnout rate of eligible Latino voters has historically lagged to that of whites and blacks by substantial margins. In 2008, for example, 50% of eligible Latino voters casted ballots, compared to 65% of blacks and 66% of whites." At least 3 millon votes were lost.

more ...http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jose-fernando-lopez/latino-demographics-gop_b_1939348.html

Después de la elección en Venezuela

Lamentablemente no hubo sorpresa en la elección presidencial en Venezuela. Hugo Chávez ganó convincentemente otro período de seis años con 54% del voto. A pesar de liderar una campaña inspiradora que en algún momento parecía amenazar el régimen de Chávez, Henrique Capriles obtuvo solamente el 44%. La votación fue limpia, aunque la elección en general no sería considerada justa en cualquier democracia madura.

¿Qué sucedió? Resulta evidente que Chávez fue capaz de movilizar a su base electoral a las urnas. A pesar del pésimo manejo económico, de la explosión en el crimen, de una infraestructura que se está cayendo a pedazos y de una corrupción rampante, muchos venezolanos todavía adoran a Chávez. Y él se aseguró de comprar ese amor aumentando el gasto público durante los últimos 12 meses en un 30% en términos reales. A otros puede que no les agrade Chávez, pero todavía se sienten obligados a votar por él. Más de 8 millones de venezolanos reciben algún tipo de ingreso permanente o subsidio del Estado. El régimen no fue sutil cuando les hizo saber que perderían esos beneficios si votaban por Capriles.

 La revista inglesa The Economist reportó la intimidación a la que se enfrentó un segmento importante de electores:

leer más ....http://www.libremente.org/?p=1063

Valerie Martinez-Ebers - Myths and realities of the Latino vote

Valerie Martinez-Ebers a professor of political science destroys the myths society has about   Latinos and voting, she writes:

The Democratic and Republican Parties featured high-profile Latino speakers at their recent conventions, reflecting the growing influence of Hispanic politicians and the parties' need to appeal to Hispanic voters. But what motivates those voters? There are countless misunderstandings about Latinos, their allegiances, and their interests, including: Latinos do not vote.

They do, and in increasing numbers. According to the Census Bureau, the number of Latino voters grew from less than four million in 1988 to 9.7 million in 2008. In 2012, the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials expects at least 12.2 million Latinos to vote, representing 9 percent of the electorate.

Although only 55 percent of eligible Hispanics are registered to vote, about 70 percent of those registered consistently turn out. This November, the Latino vote will be pivotal in several battleground states, such as Colorado, Nevada, Arizona, and Virginia.

http://www.philly.com/philly/opinion/inquirer/20121009_Myths_and_realities_of_the_Latino_vote.html

Puerto Rico Governor Luis Fortuno addresses the 2012 Republican National Convention

Juntos Con Romney

Craig Romney, Mitt Romney's oldest son, speaks Spanish to Republican National Committee.

Watch: Marco Rubio RNC Speech

Gov. Susana Martinez's Full RNC Speech

Jessica Puente Bradshaw, Winner!

By Paul Gable

Jessica Puente Bradshaw claimed the Republican Party nomination in U.S. House District 34 Tuesday night with a 55 percent to 45 percent victory over opponent Adela Garza in a primary runoff election.
Puente Bradshaw grabbed a quick lead in the early vote totals and built on her margin throughout the vote tallying to win by a 5,308 to 4,283 vote margin in the newly formed Congressional District.


“I am very grateful to my supporters, friends and my family,” Puente Bradshaw said. “They worked very hard. They put up with a lot of my demands insofar as getting voters out. I am very proud of them. It was a grass-roots movement.”


Throughout the primary campaign, Puente Bradshaw demonstrated her resiliency as a candidate. Beginning as a significant underdog, she came within 200 votes of Garza’s leading total in the first round of primary balloting.

http://southtexasdaily.com/puente-bradshaw-wins/