In the United States there are over 52 million citizens who are Hispanic. Of those 52 million, 24 million are eligible to vote. In the 24 million voter bloc many are unhappy with both President Barack Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney’s immigration policies.
The election is only nine days away and too tight to call. Immigration has become a hot topic down the stretch for both of the presidential candidates, as they try to get their hands on every possible vote.
Romney, who has been critical of legislation that would give rights to immigrants who are undocumented, has only 20% of the Hispanic voting bloc supporting him at the polls, according to new data released by Latino Decisiones a polling group.
Obama has about 71% of the Hispanic voting bloc supporting him, but that same group is disappointed he did not fulfill a promise he made during his 2008 presidential campaign of comprehensive reform in immigration. However, he did announce an executive order three months ago that partially legalized the young Hispanics who came to the U.S. as children with their parents.
The big difference between Obama and Romney with Hispanic voters is that Romney used “self-deportation” as his model for his immigration policy. Romney mentioned that during his primary race against fellow Republicans earlier in the year. At that time, while trying to win the nomination, he was much more hard line with immigration than he is now that he clinched the nomination for the Republicans.
Critics have taken the concept of his self-deportation remark as meaning if he were elected President, he would make conditions so difficult for the undocumented immigrants that they would decide for themselves to return to their homeland.
Hispanics represent 11% of the total electorate and rank the issue of immigration amongst their top five concerns, but immigration remains behind both jobs and the economy.
At this point I cannot imagine anyone in their right mind voting for Mitt Romney. The lack of climate change initiatives aside, which President Obama has, facts show, made clear advancements in, with the the Romney/Ryan ticket, we have an as yet “un-determined” economic/jobs plan that “somehow” adds up to 12,000,000 jobs, a tax system with no details (other than that the rich will pay no more than now, which studies show most Americans agree is too little), while adding “trillions” to the military which they have not asked for, all as the social equality and equal rights of minorities (women, visual minorities, GLBT, victims of sexual assault, religious minorities) greatly worsen. Who on earth would choose to vote for this? It certainly isn’t going to ensure American success, peace or prosperity. It certainly isn’t kind. It certainly isn’t forward. And it certainly isn’t Christian.