THINKING LATINA with SARA INÉS CALDERÓN 2.10.13

LATINOS, IMMIGRANTS LEAN LEFT: THE BEGINNING OF THE END FOR THE GOP?

A report from the Pew Research Center shows that, without a doubt, immigrants and their children (Latino immigrants in particular) are voting for Democrats. These groups also tend to hold values more in line with the Democratic platform, such as being pro choice and supporting big government.

Looking at the data, and thinking about the future of the Republican party, it seems only logical to think that the end is nigh for the GOP. According to the report:

“About six-in-ten (63%) first-generation Hispanics are Democrats or independents who lean toward the Democrats. Second-generation Hispanics even more strongly identify with or lean toward the Democratic Party (71%) than the Republican Party (19%).”

Any way you slice it, Latinos are not for the GOP’s ideas and they are not going to vote for them. As the Republican base, white people, shrinks in relation to the growth of Latinos, it’s going to be difficult for the GOP to realistically think about winning any races. And perhaps the most definitive nail in the coffin is that the GOP party leadership is incapable of substantively changing any of its policies or ideologies to adjust to this new reality.

In other words, it appears that the GOP has become its own worst enemy.

While this may open the door for some Democrats to jump for joy, the reality is that the pressure is really on Democrats now to step up to the plate. If Democrats are not going to create policies that Latino voters can get behind, throw their support behind more diverse candidates, and then apply resources to turning out Latino voters, it won’t really make a difference if Latinos have Democratic tendencies because they won’t result in any Democratic votes.

So what we’re really getting from this report is that the U.S. is changing drastically in the next few decades — and both political parties will have to respond accordingly. Everyone is going to be affected by the new American political landscape, and while it seems that Republicans are further behind, if Democrats sit on their laurels for too long, they too may suffer the consequences.

What this report really pointed out is not that Latinos prefer one party over the other, but that the status quo in American politics is set for a transformation, one that is going to literally and figuratively change the face of our political system.

Sara Inés Calderón
sarainescalderon.com
@SaraChicaD
Skype: SaraChicaD

Note: This blog was previously published on February 10, 2013.

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