LISTEN HERE:
Analysis: The understanding of demographics can often result in misjudgments, as President Joe Biden and his team seem to be learning the hard way. Assuming that lenient border policies would secure Latino support is turning out to be a miscalculation, as per new indicatives from a University of Houston survey. This key insight comes via an analysis by Bill King for Real Clear Politics, primarily focusing on Texas – a state known for its substantial Latino constituency.
The poll indicated a potential replay of the Biden-Trump face-off in the upcoming November election. Interestingly, it showcased Trump leading Biden by a significant 9% in the Texas state. Yet the detail that possibly took the Biden campaign team by surprise was the fact that Trump was outscoring Biden among Latino voters, the margin being as wide as 47-41.
Moreover, the unflinching support for Biden among Latino Democratic primary voters was not as strong as expected. Only a bare majority, precisely 55%, vowed their unwavering pledge of siding with Biden. That left an unnerving 45% of Latino voters in a state of indecision, as further pointed out by King.
Raised eyebrows, perplexed faces – the situation has been thus because for a long time, too many campaigners, mostly from the white majority and belonging to both political camps, have been trying to decipher the Latino sentiment. They have pinned their strategies on the conventional belief that the Latino community widely venerates the issues of immigration, hence fostering liberal immigration laws.
This year’s results are evidence that these assumptions do not hold water. Firstly, the notion of a unified Latino community is misleading. The cultural make-up comprises primarily of Mexican Americans, but includes Americans from every country in Central and South America as well. Their views on life and indeed, politics, too, overarchingly vary.
Bill King, a man who dons several hats – a businessman, lawyer, ex-opinion columnist, and past editorial board member at the Houston Chronicle – brought to light the reality. He points out that even within families that originate from Mexico, the ideas and worldviews can be dramatically different.
He further elaborates that the Latino community isn’t singularly focused on immigration matters. A few years ago, he recounts having dinner with an equal mix of Democrat and Republican representatives from the Texas House. Except for one, all Democrat members were Latinos.
During the dinner conversation, each representative shared why they felt discontent with their existing party beliefs. One of the participants, a devout Catholic Latino member, explained his disenchantment stemmed from his party’s dismissive approach towards his opposition to abortion, stemming from his religious beliefs.
Another pronounced leading counter-argument rebuked the idea of defunding law enforcement: half of his family, as he stated emphatically, were serving members in law enforcement. One more member expressed deep concerns about his family’s oilfield service business, fearing the adverse effects that could be inflicted upon their livelihood by Biden’s green energy mandates.
Interestingly, immigration was a topic left untouched during the course of the dinner, King recalls. Equally noteworthy is the fact that a separate University of Texas survey unearthed substantial support (71%) among Latinos, favoring solidified U.S. border security bolstered by advanced technology, infrastructure, and personnel.
Furthermore, the percentage of Latinos supporting the need for enhanced border security was not far behind that of the white demographic (85%) and the black demographic (81%). It is increasingly apparent that Biden’s relaxed approach towards border control is not doing him any favors in Texas, this holds true even amongst the Latino demographic, as noted by King.
Border security, deportation, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy, and the issue of U.S. companies employing immigrants without legal status, are all topics that reveal a vast array of opinions within the Latino community. King asserts the fact that Biden’s failure to concede the practicality of certain Trump-era border controls and his inability to instigate necessary immigration reforms have landed him in his current precarious position.
The once-assumed stronghold of Latino support appears to be crumbling. By misinterpreting their political preferences, President Biden’s campaign may have set a domino effect into motion. This assumption, coupled with the inability to recognize the heterogeneity of the Latino community, has led to the present day political conundrum.
More Articles: Real News Now
