Hostname: page-component-7c8c6479df-7qhmt Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-03-29T10:29:59.323Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

“Should They Dance with the One Who Brung 'Em?” Latinos and the 2008 Presidential Election

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 October 2008

Matt A. Barreto
Affiliation:
University of Washington
Luis R. Fraga
Affiliation:
University of Washington
Sylvia Manzano
Affiliation:
Texas A&M University
Valerie Martinez-Ebers
Affiliation:
University of North Texas
Gary M. Segura
Affiliation:
Stanford University

Extract

Although Latinos have grown substantially as a percent of the American population to now comprise the largest ethnic-racial minority group in the U.S., whether or not this national population growth can translate into direct political influence in presidential elections has always been unclear (DeSipio 1996; Fraga and Ramírez 2003–04). At least since the 1988 election, however, scholars of Latino politics have argued that Latino voters could serve as key swing voters if certain contextual and strategic conditions existed in specific contests (Guerra 1992). Among these are: a competitive election in states where Latinos are a determinative segment of the electorate; strategic mobilization of Latino voters; active engagement in the election by Latino elected officials, related organizational leaders, and Latino campaign strategists; a viable Latino candidate; and issues of specific relevance to Latino voters (Guerra and Fraga 1996).

Type
Symposium
Copyright
Copyright © The American Political Science Association 2008

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Aguilera, Elizabeth. 2006. “Latino Registration Logs 3.5% Bump.” Denver Post, November 3.Google Scholar
Appleman, Eric. 2007. “Democracy in Action 2008: The Candidates and Their Campaigns.” http://www.gwu.edu/%7Eaction/2008/cands08txt.html.Google Scholar
Ball, Molly. 2007. “Democrats Use Soccer in Outreach to Hispanic Community.” Las Vegas Review Journal, August 3.Google Scholar
Barreto, Matt, Collingwood, Loren, and Donovan, Todd. 2008. “Early Presidential Primaries, Viability, and Vote Switching in 2008.” Paper presented at the 2008 Midwest Political Science Association Annual Conference. Chicago, IL.Google Scholar
Bartels, Larry M. 1988. Presidential Primaries and the Dynamics of Public Choice. Princeton: Princeton University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Castro, Tony. 2007. “Can Richardson Steal the Thunder? New Mexico Gov. Seeks to Make it a Latino White House.” Los Angeles Daily News, April 14.Google Scholar
Damore, David. 1997. “A Dynamic Model of Candidate Fundraising: The Case of Presidential Democratic Convention Nomination Campaigns.” Political Research Quarterly 50 (2): 343–64.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
DeSipio, Louis. 1996. Counting on the Latino Vote. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press.Google Scholar
Economist. 2007. “The Man From New Mexico.” September 20. http://www.economist.com/world/PrinterFriendly.cfm?story_id=9832877.Google Scholar
Fraga, Luis R., and Leal, David. 2004. “Playing the ‘Latino Card’: Race, Ethnicity, and National Party Politics.” Du Bois Review 1 (2): 297317.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fraga, Luis R., and Ramírez, Ricardo. 2003–04. “Demography and Political Influence: Disentangling the Latino Vote.” Harvard Journal of Hispanic Policy 16: 6996.Google Scholar
Guerra, Fernando. 1992. “California: Conditions Not Met.” In From Rhetoric to Reality: Latino Politics in the 1988 Election, ed. de la Garza, Rodolfo and DeSipio, Louis. Boulder, CO: Westview, 126–41.Google Scholar
Guerra, Fernando, and Fraga, Luis R.. 1996. “Theory, Reality, and Perpetual Potential: Latinos in the 1992 California Election.” In Ethnic Ironies: Latino Politics in the 1992 Elections, ed. de la Garza, Rodolfo and DeSipio, Louis. Boulder, CO: Westview, 131–46.Google Scholar
Latino Decisions. 2007a. “New Poll of Latino Voters in Nevada Reveals Surprising Insights into Upcoming National and State Elections.” Pre-Election Survey of Latino Registered Voters in Nevada, July. http://www.pacificmarketresearch.com/ld/poll_nevada.html (June 23, 2008).Google Scholar
Latino Decisions. 2007b. “Statewide Poll of Latino Voters in California Brings Upcoming National and State Elections into Clearer Focus.” Pre-Election Survey of Latino Registered Voters in California, August. http://www.pacificmarketresearch.com/ld/poll_california.html (June 23, 2008).Google Scholar
Latino Decisions. 2008. “Statewide Poll of Latino Voters in Texas Brings Upcoming National and State Elections into Clearer Focus.” Pre-Election Survey of Latino Registered Voters in Texas, February. http://www.pacificmarketresearch.com/ld/poll_texas.html (June 23, 2008).Google Scholar
Latino National Survey (LNS). 2007. LNS Toplines. http://depts.washington.edu/uwiser/LNS.shtml.Google Scholar
Latino Policy Coalition. 2007. “National Survey of Latino Registered Voters.” San Francisco, CA.Google Scholar
Leal, David, Barreto, Matt, Lee, Jongho, and de la Garza, Rodolfo. 2005. “The Latino Vote in the 2004 Election.” PS: Political Science and Politics. 38 (January): 41–9.Google Scholar
Leal, David, Nuño, Stephen, Lee, Jongho, and de la Garza, Rodolfo. 2008. “Latinos, Immigration, and the 2006 Midterm Elections.” PS: Political Science and Politics. 41 (April): 309–17Google Scholar
McCain, John. 2008. “Statement by John McCain on Cinco de Mayo and Announcement of New Spanish Website.” JohnMcCain.com, May 5.Google Scholar
Mutz, Diana. 1995. “Effects of Horse-Race Coverage on Campaign Coffers: Strategic Contributing in Presidential Primaries.” The Journal of Politics 57 (4): 1,015–42.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Navarrette, Ruben. 2008. “McCain's Appeal to Latinos.” San Diego Union Tribune, May 14.Google Scholar
Norrander, Barbara. 1996. “Presidential Nomination Politics in the Post-Reform Era.” Political Research Quarterly 49 (4): 875915.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Parker, Jennifer. 2007. “Democratic Candidates Court Latino Voters: Hispanic Debate Highlights Democratic Effort to Attract Latinos.” ABC News, September 7. http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/Decision2008/Story?id=3565816&page=1.Google Scholar
Reinhard, Beth. 2008. “New Latino Voters Dilute Florida's Cuban GOP Base.” Houston Chronicle, May 9.Google Scholar
Richardson, William A. 2007a. Speech at Iowa Professional Firefighters-Local 15. Council Bluffs, IA. August 7.Google Scholar
Richardson, William A. 2007b, Press conference. Las Vegas. August 23.Google Scholar
Schaller, Thomas. 2006. Whistling Past Dixie: How Democrats Can Win Without the South. New York City, NY: Simon and Schuster.Google Scholar
Scherer, Michael. 2007. “Bill the Greek. Raising Funds for His Run at Presidency, Bill Richardson Has an Unlikely Role Model—Michael Dukakis.” Salon, March 15.Google Scholar
Union Tribune. 2008. “McCain reaches out to Hispanics.” May 12.Google Scholar
White, Deborah. 2007. “Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico, 2008 Presidential Contender.” About.com, February 16. http://usliberals.about.com/od/stategovernors/p/GovRichardson.htm.Google Scholar