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Cliff Owen / AP
Gustavo Torres, director of Casa in Action, center, and others chant during a rally of immigration rights organizations, in front of the White House on Thursday. They called on President Barack Obama to fulfill his promise of passing comprehensive immigration reform.
Hispanic voters, who were instrumental in putting Barack Obama back in the White House, now hope the president will work diligently in his second term to cross some big to-dos off their legislative wish list: jobs, affordable education, health care access and immigration reform.
Hispanics voted for Obama over Mitt Romney by a resounding 71 percent to 27 percent and may have put him over the top in several key swing states. The total number of potential Hispanic voters this year reached a record 23.7 million – up about 80 percent since 2000 – and Hispanics now compose about 10 percent of the total electorate, according to the Pew Hispanic Center.
“The Latino electorate arrived Tuesday, there’s no question about it,” said Rafael Collazo, director of political campaigns for the National Council of La Raza. The organization, which bills itself as the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States, says it helped register more than 90,000 new Hispanic voters this year.
“States like Florida, Colorado, Nevada, Pennsylvania, even Ohio -- the Latino vote was a net gain for the preferred candidate and was the deciding factor or at least very, very close to being the decisive factor,” Collazo told NBC News.
"The Latino giant is wide awake, cranky and is taking names,” labor leader Eliseo Medina, of the Service Employees International Union, told NBC Latino.
With the election behind them, Hispanics now want Obama and Congress to work on issues identified in surveys as their priorities – more jobs, affordable health care, access to higher education and immigration reform.
GOP faces immigration fight after election
The latter issue has been more important for Hispanics than for other U.S. voters, said Mark Hugo Lopez, associate director of the Pew Hispanic Center, a nonpartisan research organization.
Hispanic support for Obama was high even before he announced in June that the government will stop deporting, and begin granting work permits to, some undocumented immigrants who entered the U.S. as children.
“However, when it comes to asking Hispanics which party is more concerned for the Hispanic community, after the deferred action program was announced the (Democratic) share went from 45 to 61 percent – the highest we’ve measured in Pew Hispanic surveys in 10 years,” Lopez said.
“In his acceptance speech, Obama mentioned that comprehensive immigration reform was something that needed to be addressed, and we’re going to hold him to that,” Collazo told NBC News.
The day after the election, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid promised to introduce an immigration reform package next year. He said if Republicans block the legislation, they would do so "at their peril."
Al Cardenas, chairman of the American Conservative Union and former chairman of the Republican Party in Florida, agreed that the immigration debate has been detrimental for the GOP.
“Across the board generationally and demographically, the immigration issue has become a wedge issue … because it’s become a litmus test of respect and caring in that community,” Cardenas said. “My advice for conservatives and the party as a whole is to get bipartisan immigration reform done in next 100 to 200 days.”
A survey of Hispanic voters by the firm Latino Decisions found that Hispanics pushed Obama over the top in Colorado, Florida and Nevada, swing states where they turned out in unusually high numbers.
Cardenas said the GOP can’t pay short shrift to minority groups if it wants to put a Republican in the White House.
NBC Latino: We voted – now let’s get to work, say Latinos after historic vote for Obama
“The so-called mainstream vote is no longer sufficient,” he said. “The coalition of all of these minority votes is a priority in these elections today. The Hispanic vote is the most numerically significant of all of these groups. We need to develop a precise, aggressive, winning political game plan to address that community.”
The Hispanic community is a diverse one, according to the Pew Center's Lopez:
- Country of origin: Among eligible Hispanic voters, 58 percent are Mexican Americans, 14 percent are Puerto Ricans, and 6 percent are Cubans. (The remainder are from Central and South America). Historically, Cubans have supported Republican candidates more than other Hispanic groups; in Florida this year, 49 percent of Cubans went for Obama and 47 percent for Romney.
- Youth: People ages 18-29 make up about a third of all eligible Hispanic voters, but just 20 percent of all general voters.
- Naturalized U.S. citizens: Among Hispanic eligible voters, 25 percent are immigrants who are naturalized. But among whites, only 3 percent are naturalized U.S. citizens.
Callazo said that despite this diversity, Hispanics displayed a rather consistent, Democratic-leaning voting pattern across many states.
“The numbers of how Latinos voted in Arizona compared to Ohio and Colorado were fairly close,” Callazo said.
“Yes, there are differences and nuances … but if you look at the polling and all the anecdotal work and the outreach we’ve done over the years, the core issues are very, very similar," he added. "At end of day, Latino voters are voting for the candidate they feel will best reflect their values."
NBC Latino contributed to this story.
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Leave a Comment:
Hey Latinos
Wake up to your Values as a good catolic all you did was vote for a person that will force Gay marrage, deport you faster than any other president. Also like abortion and if you really knew your bible you would have voted against him because of Luke 10:18 the hebrew interruptaion of that passage. All you wanted was give away items but the door will be closed to you by Obama. If you really wanted to help America and make it strong for your benefit you would have voted that socialist out now you and everyone else has to suffer. Congralatutions on making us a third world country that much faster. Word to wise you better learn Chinese instead of Spanish.
@ Batman-JESUS loved everyone UNCONDITIONALLY
Of 26 coutries polled 25 wanted Obama re-elected the only one that did not was China. Wonder why that was, maybe because Romney would send more of our jobs to China.
Actually China was pro-Obama. Only Pakistan was Pro-Romney.
http://www.worldpublicopinion.org/pipa/articles/views_on_countriesregions_bt/728.php
Of course they all want Obama. He's giving away our wealth to them.
Once again, the Divider in Chief has struck. He will sell this country out piece by piece. I can foresee another four years of absolutely no results, just like the last four, because that pile of human excrement in the White House is not fit to lead. More pandering for votes, after all, he is worried about who will continue ruining this country for his corrupt party in 2016. Pretty soon he will appear on some talk show to further his agenda. We need a leader and we have a media whore. Sadly, all Americans are going to pay for the bumbling of this inept, two-year Senator from IL. At least we still have Big Bird. Never mind the economy is tanked, stocks have fallen again, unemployment is high...at least we don't have to worry about Big Bird. Liberals are so very wise with their votes...
Obama gave away Chrysler to Fiat!
Oh yeah, and according to the treasury.gov, the last four years the national debt has risen at a quicker rate than any other time in history. But, Big Bird is safe. Good thing we vote on the important issues and not those other unimportant things like the economy, debt, illegals thinking we owe them something...
but i thought he single handedly saved the auto industry?
Sure he did, Give away Chrysler, pay off the UAW, Close plants in the U.S. and move the Production to Mexico and China. Some Save. Well the UAW was "Saved"
ROC
" Obama gave away Chrysler to Fiat" That is a grossly inaccurate statement ! ! Instead of that, he forced us to pay for them to take it!
"The important context left out is that Italian automaker Fiat was the only company that stepped up to make an offer for Chrysler, which badly needed another car company with which to partner. Fiat's intervention has kept the company in one piece, saved Chrysler from dissolution, increased the quality ratings of the company's products, raised its market share and profit, and resulted in a huge recovery of jobs in Michigan and Ohio."
http://autos.aol.com/article/mitt-romney-auto-bailout-ad/
Gee, did you ever think Chrysler was failing because they make a product no one wants? Why else does a company go out of business? What about a bailout for Blockbuster? Those poor guys aer losing their jobs too. Obama took you and your grand kids' money and put a temporary bandage on a permanent wound. he didn't save GM and Chysler. Only prolonged the death.
Average age of a UAW worker? $40 an hour plus $35 for benefits. Don't think GM and Chysler aren't heading to China and Mexico. It's the only way for them to survive.
except for the partnership they had until mercedes benz dumped them. european, japanese and now korean auto makers were smart enough to learn the lessons from domestic auto makers and have beat them at their own game. here's the secret, build affordable reliable cars and stand behind them. don't build cars that cost 89K to build and sell them for 40K
It's my opinion( and I am an opinion of 1 in this vast universe of people) that the Republican Party now should listen to the "wake up call"- they need to CHANGE-- Should they want to ever get elected to the White Hose in the future..
1) Liars NEVER WIN
2) Voter SUPRESSION Doesn't work
3) People AREN'T Corporations and this is BIG
4) You CAN'T BUY an election
barry bought it and lied his eyes out
Wake up-
REPUBS Tried voter SUPRESSION-- that back fired- big time-- Mitt came in 2nd- in case you didn't know-- Y'all lost
The only part of your post that's true here heavenlychild, is " Y'all lost"! Of course you believe that you are not a part of " Y'all"! WRONG !! Within two years from now, that bitter taste in your mouth will be caused from what you now clearly believe is, a glorious victory !
Heavenly, you're full of it. Where did the voter suppression go on exactly, I mean other then in Florida where the fraud was going on against West, or the poll workers in Ohio were caught changing remarking the absentee ballots in favor of Obama. Obama may have won the election, but nothing has changed. There has been no power shift to the left. Obama winning only means that he will have to move to the center if he wants to get anything through the house.
There may be a supernatural reason that the last two Republican Conventions were delayed by hurricanes. After all, there is no climate change.
AffinityGW
" There is no climate change"
No, rational person I know is making that statement! What many are saying is "The Climate Change is not Anthropomorphic" Many of us are old enough to remember the last time they made a grab for control of our Energy Industry, during the 1970's! We've seen this, almost exact, dog and pony show before! The only real difference is that back then it was the eminant and unavoidable New Ice Age that we faced!
Agree. History says that Democracy only last about 200 years or so. We are watching the destruction of the greatest democracy ever. And because democracy always cater to ones who need freedom, self determination and unselfish love for their country. Unfortunately, it also becomes the tower of hope for the ones that have no inkling idea how hard the original founders have work hard to become the searchlight of hope. They come here and serve themselves instead of becoming part of what makes this country great.
Quite right Real! Which is precisely why our Founders studiously avoided creating a Democracy and chose instead A Republic! It's we who allowed, many even now, encouraged its degeneration into this unsustainable Representative(?) Democracy!
We were warned, even as the Nation was still being born, of the consequences of this!
"A Democracy cannot exist as a permanant form of Government. It can only exist untill the voters discover that they can vote themselves largesse from the Public Treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the Candidates promising the most benifits from the Public Treasury, with the results that a Democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policys and is always followed by a Dictatorship" Alexander Fraser Tytler 1787
Another warning was sounded a little over 100 years ago! " Unless democracy is to commit suicide by consenting to it's own distruction, it will have to find some formidable answer to those who come to it saying; "I demand from you, in the name of your principles, the rights which I shall deny you later in the name of mine" Walter Lippmann
So soon? There is no rush. Besides, if you only voted(fraud) for help to stay in the U.S. then go back home. We are Americans and we demand that you follow the rules. This is no place to barter, we do this for you, now help me stay in a Country I really don't care about. Go build your country up and stay there.
I hope the article title is misleading. "... NOW HELP". Then again, they're demonstrating at the white house 2 days after the election? Just get in line with the rest of us man. This reform thing is ok but BETTER NOT result in some amnesty deal either. That's BOGUS. My great grandparents LEARNED English and became citizens legally. Live mas? It's SPANGLISH and I don't like that sh!t either. Can you tell I don't eat at Taco Bell anymore?
How can the hispanic voters go along with Barry if he deported alot of their family members back to that cesspool called Mexico during his first term?
Why don't we just give them california.
hey the dem's won fair and square (well maybe not fair) and here's what they won johnny
4 more years of chronic unemployment
4 more years of food stamps
4 more years of welfare
4 more years of immigration battles
4 more years of inept administration
4 more years of watching their standard of living decrease
4 more years of lower take home pay
and they don't get the steak knives
congratulations "winners"
Republican voter supression DIDN'T work
and all of Koch's, Rove's , and Trump's money couldn't buy the election-- Republican need to Change--
Looking FORWARD to the next 4 years.. Obama Won, Mitt came in 2nd, and Roseanne came in 5th--
And This Article is proof Why Obama Won!
Prss: You sound like my four republican relative. Three of them are not looking for work and drawing unemployment. They bitch and moan that Obama isn't doing anything for them. The other one highly skilled quit his high paying job and is working at a grocery store only because of health insurance. He also bitch and moan that Obama isn't doing anything for him. You people are going to be miserable the rest of your lives in America if you don't get off this race card. I'm a 72 year old white male. I watched all races die when I was in Vietnam. All fighting for America as I was. I've jumped on this train and moving with it, instead of sitting on my butt and bitching.
i've never been miserable and never will be. i don't want anything from the gov't other than to be left alone. there is no denying the above post and the result of obama's first 4 years. it will be more of the same
If you are here legally, What in the hell is your problem? The immigration system has worked well consistently for 200 years for those who come here legally.
If you are here illegally, again, what the hell is your problem? It's very simple, just go home and apply to immigrate to this wonderful country.
All are welcome as long as your are not some kind of criminal that would be rejected.
Oh yeah, that's right, if you are here illegally you are a criminal for sure. And you want us to reward criminals? Ain't gonna happen no matter who is in the white house.
And if the slug in the white house now does some kind of "Executive Decision" on amnesty for illegal criminals that goes against the constitution that would be grounds for dismissal. In other words we that are citizens will fire his ass!
And so it starts they want to get paid for their vote hahaha. I voted for you now give me handouts man this country is going down the toilet their going to turn it into another Mexican toilet like their country is everyone says how hard working they are sure at cutting grass yea we need 20 million lawn cutters lol.
Remember when the Hispanics that came in were hard workers and all they did was take our jobs? Now they get to take from our fast growing socialist network of services as well. I long for the good old days.
which jobs were those?
The job you need to go out and get--must be hard making money with that guitar--
Could be a Rock Star worth Millions?
not hard at all. been doing it for 30 years
He could probably get elected by the illegal aliens, (criminals) alone of all nationalities voting with fraudulent ID's.
All these Latinos demanding this and that are either illegal or associated with them in one way or another. They don't care about any other nationality other than themselves. They want the handouts and that's why Obama won!!!! I'm an American-born Latino and want nothing to do with these people!!!! You stupid white people and blacks and Asians who voted in Obama are going to be so very sorry that you did. He now has a permanent smile on his face because he fooled more than half of the U.S.A to vote him back in again with more of the same!!! When a Latino starts speaking to me in Spanish, expecting me to talk back in Spanish, I give them the dirtiest look possible!!! You better speak to me in English, be in broken or very good or I will not talk to you!!! I remember when I was young, if you spoke Spanish you were considered low class, so we never spoke it and learned English perfectly. So, don't come here expecting that you don't ever have to learn English because the stupid Gringos have made everything bilingual, which they have!! Again you stupid, ignorant non-Latinos, you will be so sorry that you caved in to the Big O! Mark my word!
A. Sanchez
A. Sanchez
Al...that's a little harsh..but I agree with you. My family (asian) has fought on every modern war for this country. Immigrants these days think of the US as easy money. The true immigrants in this country sweat blood and tears and we wave the american flag not the flag of the country we came from. How dare them come here and demand. We, the true american people will not stand for this...we want our country back!
Don't worry Latinos, I'm sure Obama will follow thru just like he promised in his 1st term. After all, didn't he learn Spanish? Didn't he increase the Border Patrol and lengthen the fence? He loves you just like he loves MS-13! Viva Obama!
He did learn spanish, I saw that. It was pretty good. Still needs some work, but not bad. Border Patrol isnt as needed as much as at the business crack down. Its much more effective.
I mean think about it, why chase them when you can just let them come to you. Don't you agree?
My grandparent came here legally through Ellis Island...send the ILLEGALS home and tend to those who are trying to come here LEGALLY!!!
Maybe you should ask the original inhabitants of the USA what they think about Ellis Island.
Ellis Island, IMO is better than say, crossing the Rio Grande and getting free chit for nuttin'.....
@euro
LOL...my grandfather on my mother side is half native American, I'd ask him but he's dead now.
this is funny as $hit. How can they be so stupid. Just like the African American communities that keep getting duped into voting for the liberals. They will promise you whatever it is you want to hear, then throw a few food stamps at you and tell you to STFU.
Apparently Affinity GW
Head is in the sand what about GOD raft on your socialist states like NewYork and New Jersey Known as Sandy before election.
The comments are crawling with angry little ditto heads and racists who are victims of themselves and were sponsored by the Republican propaganda machine. The scum on the top is sinking back into the slime at the bottom of the gene pool, but not quietly. Evolution would help, but they don't believe in it, God knows. They need to be born again.
You are a race-baiting pathetic moron.! It's the libs like you that cause the rifts!
Thank you for taking the bait. I caught you in 'De Nial.
Pathetic, simply pathetic...you are the powest of scum
In 2008 Mr Obama made promises to Hispanics, in exchange for their votes, that he would address Immigration Reform in the 1st year of his administration - he lied and broke those promises.
In 2012 Mr Obama prostituted the WH and the office of the presidency by enacting policies offering deferred status and work permits to illegal aliens as a down payment from hispanics for their votes. Hispanics kept their end of the bargin - now Mr Obama must sell out America and grant amnesty to millions of illegal aliens to pay off his debt to Hispanics.
Illegals cannot vote, don't you understand your own LAWS.
Yeah, but legal latinos can and DID despite the supression- Their voices WERE heard!
Like they follow voting laws for they are breaking the law to begin with by being here!
Illegals DID vote, and besides, if they broke the law, who would prosecute them, Eric Holder? Hahaha...
LOL, oh man this is classic! Re-read your post and see the irony of it......LOL....
Also people with Green Cards cannot vote only Citizens of the USA, the hispanics did vote for immigration reform. No different to the Religeous Right voting for the suppression of Females supported by the Tea Party.
A euro...So you keep saying it's against the law... When Obama and Eric Holder, through executive order, break the laws, How is it not possible? Illegals and green card holding latinos, DID vote!
A euro yes they can they go to states that dont require ID just happens to be the swing states and surprise they got a big latino vote
Nun Ya all states require some form of ID to vote, just not photo id. Keep in mind, when you register to vote, you have aleady provided identification.
The statement we helped you, now help us is scarey, since illegal immigrants were allowed to vote! I was very upset when I was told that several people were allowed to vote with out having U.S. citizenship. How can people who are from another country be allowed to decide the future for our country? How many people were allowed to vote that were not entitled? Which brings the question would the election have had a different outcome if these non-citizens were not allowed to vote? This is not an isolated incident, I know many illegal immigrants who have driver's licenses and have bought houses in the United States but they should not be allowed to vote.
"Hispanics to Obama: We helped you, now you help us"
Or what? I hate to say it, I truly do, but you got played. Again.
We got played by him...
I simply want to work in my own country. I am not asking for handouts, I am not asking for "freebies", but I am asking for a country that has jobs available for their own citizens and is willing to provide that opportunity. If we continue to bow down to all of the others that think they are "owed" something then we are in for the doom and gloom that we never, ever thought would befall our nation. We are no longer the United States of America but "Who do we owe now" States of America. Get a clue everyone...soon there will be nothing left to give...then where will we go? No other country makes it so easy to just take and not give back.
Let more of us in and give us all free stuff?
yeah we get it, you saw the fox news talking points they want republicans to say. Try speaking from your own mind for once.
@Eddie
your hate is showing...like I said the democrats HATE the republicans and the republicans HATE the democrats....stalemate....another 4 years of getting nothing done. Compromise is no longer a word in either parties vocabulary. (fingerpointing is now the new compromise)
sharriannie, yeah... try substantiating that claim first... how about that right? Ive merely commented on others, in a way that in my opinion, requires very little emotion. Is that different for you or something? That kind of more speaks of your psyche than it really does mine when you make those comments there.
What JJD-561872 stated to Max above is brilliant. All the hispanics and african americans are worried about is what is in a vote for me. Caucasians seem to be more concerned about the state of the country as a whole. I am tired of the hispanics trying to back door their way into this country. They want to come over illegally, then they want to breed out Americans, now they want to try and vote out American citizens. This is a country not a damn barrio where you can come and go as you please. You people need to come here legally, work hard, earn your place in America, and pay your way as you go. African Americans seem to want to want free health care, welfare, food stamps, all the free programs so they don't have to work because one of their ancestors worked for free 150 years ago. Get over it. Slavery is dead. Civil Rights is alive and thriving in the U.S. so drop the "I am so oppressed" crap. MLK would not even want what is going on to go on. There is no civil rights with African Americans there is just how am I going to get over on "the white man". Elderly people want the free health care and retirement that they paid in their whole lives for. Let me tell you something blue hair. The hundreds of dollars you paid in back in the 50's and 60's was used up back then. With the rise in inflation from back then till now you owe the government and the American people thousands of dollars of unpaid taxes to pay for your free healthcare. Also anything you paid back in the day has already been used up. Stop mooching off of the younger generation and do what you are supposed to and just kick the bucket to make room for a younger work force, a younger generation, younger people who can help to bring down the high cost of healthcare. All you older folks on free healthcare are driving the cost of it through the roof. Healthcare and insurance as a whole is a scam that insurance providers hope they never have to pay out but with so many old people on it and the fact that insurance companies are paying out more than ever for services for the elderly who are living longer you are killing us younger folks who can't even afford to get insurance for our families through our jobs because of the high rates. Die already. Jimminy Christmas.
Tom- Caucausians think they are america... so really its about whats in it for them too, they just also happen to think they are what counts as america. So its no different, plus theres more added racism. Nothing more.
"You people need to come here legally, work hard, earn your place in America, and pay your way as you go."
The best way to "earn" you way here is to vote for you best self-interest. Duh.
who you calling "You People" that was the Romney's first mistake- thinking they ARE better than the HELP
"Die already"? Seriously? You are one sick dude, Tom. You better hope you die young because, if you're lucky, you might live to be a "blue hair" someday and another sicko like yourself will be wishing you dead. I'm sure glad I'm not your mother. On the other hand, no son of mine would have been raised to be so morally bankrupt that thoughts such as yours would have even crossed his mind. I pity your family. You are a waste of oxygen.