Poll Shows Kerry Leading Among Registered Latinos Most Reject President's Handling of Economy, War in Iraq
By Richard Morin and Dan Balz Washington Post Staff Writers Wednesday, July 21, 2004; 6:46 PM
Democratic Sen. John F. Kerry holds a strong lead over President Bush among the nation's Hispanic voters, with a majority rejecting the president's handling of the economy and saying the war in Iraq was a mistake, according to a survey by The Washington Post, Univision and the Tomas Rivera Policy Institute.
At a time when Bush and Kerry are running roughly even among all registered voters, Kerry enjoys a 2-1 advantage over Bush among registered Latino voters. Hispanics give Bush lower approval ratings than does the overall population, and the poll shows that the bulk of the Latino community continues to identify with the Democratic Party.
The findings suggest that, at this point in the campaign, Bush is falling short of his goal of notably improving on the 35 percent share of the Hispanic vote he received four years ago, although his advisers said they believe he is still on track to do so. Kerry advisers, in contrast, said they are determined to keep Bush from winning as much of the Hispanic vote as he did in 2000.
Bush enjoyed solid Latino backing as governor of Texas, particularly in his 1998 reelection campaign. In the past four years, his political advisers and the Republican National Committee have worked assiduously to court the Hispanic community, which they see as a key not only to the president's reelection this fall but also to the long-term strength of the Republican Party.
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The survey found that Kerry claims support from 60 percent of all Latino registered voters in the 11 states surveyed while Bush has 30 percent. Just 2 percent support independent Ralph Nader, with 8 percent undecided. Among all voters nationally, Bush and Kerry were tied in the most recent Post survey, with each receiving 46 percent of the vote.
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