Kristian Ramos who now works for The Atlantic is not a Trump supporter at all. During the Obama Administration Ramos worked for the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, he knows and is “firmly aware of the power of the Latino vote.” During his time working for the caucus, it was his job to follow and track Latino voting blocks.
Ramos points out that in 2016 Democrats received 66% of the Latino vote, as of right now Latino support for Democrats is at 65%, based on his calculations if the Democrats hope to take the White House “Democrats need about 70 percent of this vote.” Ramos writes (keep in mind he’s an Obama liberal):
When Democrats reach out to Latino voters, they are too focused on immigration, and say too little about other issues these voters prioritize. If they want to win over enough Latino votes to retake the White House, Democrats must continue to fight for the immigrant community, but they must also offer a positive, aspirational narrative that embraces Latinos as a vibrant part of America.
In an election that will likely come down to the smallest margins of victory, the consistent support for Trump from a small, but vocal, subset of Latino voters is a real threat to Democrats. If unchanged, this dynamic could have devastating repercussions for Latinos, and for the country as a whole.
The president’s treatment of immigrants at the border is inhumane and wildly unpopular with Latinos. And yet, his support among this voting bloc is not cratering. In fact, he enjoys more support from this electorate than Mitt Romney did in 2012, and about the same level that John McCain did in 2008.
Being able to provide for one’s family is one of the main reasons many people—from any country—immigrate to the United States, so the fact that Trump’s rhetoric on a growing economy has found an audience is not surprising. In Florida, for example, a poll by Equis Research showed that 57 percent of Latinos supported the way the president handled the economy. If you look at only Cuban voters from the state, that number jumps to 71 percent.
Bingo! Exactly what he said in the paragraph above, “being able to provide for one’s family” is one of the main reasons Latinos are supporting President Trump; it’s the economy stupid.
I wouldn’t mind going out on a limb either and say that I would bet support among the Latino community and African American community is higher than reported.
