Latinos Turning Right?

As the jobless recovery continues, a valuable voting block for the Democratic Party may not be as reliable as in the past. According to an AP-Univision poll, only 43% of Hispanic voters think the Obama Administration is adequately addressing their needs.

While the voters show little or no indication of a shift to the Republican Party, it provides an opportunity for the GOP to try and benefit in November’s midterm elections. Hispanic Leadership Fund President Mario Lopez joined Varney and Company to provide insight into the recent shift among Latino voters.

“Although [President] Obama poll numbers among Hispanics is [sic] going down, it’s not necessarily going over to the Republican side,” explained Lopez. “So it represents an opportunity for Republicans, but it’s an opportunity that they really have to take advantage of.”

Regardless of the shift in opinion, 57% of Hispanics approve of President Obama’s job performance. But compared to the 67% that voted for Obama in 2008, the poll suggests a steady decline in overall support.

“We’ve seen [the] Obama Administration’s policies be a complete failure not just when it comes to the general economic situation in the United States, but when it comes to the Hispanic community here,” said Lopez. “The small businesses are hurting, the Hispanic unemployment rate has been hovering 1.5 to 2 points higher than the general unemployment rate.”

Republicans are taking note of the recent shift. Conservative group GOPAC is organizing an event called the Hispanic Campaign Leadership Summit on August 20 and 21 in an attempt to train local leaders on how to get their message out.