Latinos for Obama

Latinos for Obamawas s part of the Democratic National Committee Hispanic Caucus' The CasaBlanca Project.

Leadership/personnel

In 2008 Democratic Socialists of America activist Jose LaLuz was the chairman of Latinos for Obama. He was also the director of the Leadership Academy with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.

LaLuz campaiged in Colorado and New Mexico registering, educating and mobilizing voters until Election Day.

Staff

• Zuraya Tapia, National Coordinator

• Josh Norek, National Field Director & Media Relations

• German A. Gomez, Board of Directors The CasaBlanca Project

• Zachary J. Gomez, Intern

• Brielle A. Gomez, Intern

Strategy

Latinos for Obama activists

According to the Communist Party USA's Peoples Weekly World September 19 2008;

Latino Voters Key to Obama Win in Battleground States

The historic Nov. 4th presidential election is less than two months away, and a monumental battle is heating up in a few crucial swing states, as some nine million Latino voters prepare to cast their ballot, which could be the deciding factor for an Obama win.

Latinos are the fastest growing minority group in the U.S. at 15 percent of the population and represent nine percent of eligible voters. But many agree the Latino vote could be the key bloc that could lead to an Obama victory, especially in battleground states where Latinos make up at least 10 percent of the voting population...

Latino voters represent 35 percent of the electorate in New Mexico, 11 percent in Colorado, 12 percent in Nevada and 14 percent in Florida. According to the poll Obama is expected to win the majority of Latino voters in California, which is the state with the largest Latino population...

In New Mexico, Obama leads McCain 56 percent to 23 percent among Latino voters. Among non-Latino voters McCain leads 50 percent to 34 percent.

In Colorado, Obama has a 56 percent lead over McCain’s 26 percent among Latinos. And among non-Latino voters Obama has a narrow 45 percent lead over McCain’s 41 percent.

In Nevada, Obama leads McCain at 62 percent to 20 percent among Latinos. Yet McCain leads among non-Latino voters at 46 percent to 37 percent.

Jose LaLuz is the chairperson for Latinos for Obama and is campaigning in Colorado and New Mexico registering, educating and mobilizing voters until Election Day. He is also the director of the Leadership Academy with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Union.

LaLuz spoke with the Peoples Weekly World during an AFL-CIO labour forum at the Democratic National Convention in Denver.

“Well over 60 percent of Latino voters are supporting Obama – closer to 66 percent now, ...The right wing is pulling all its dirty tricks even in the Latino community. We all realize that Bush used appeals to ‘family values,’ religion and the sanctity of marriage, etc. to get white workers and Reagan Democrats to back him last time...Well they are using the same stuff, the same tactics in the Latino communities. When you combine this with their attention on swing states we find they are waging an especially big push against Obama in the Mexican and Chicano communities in Colorado and New Mexico...”

LaLuz explained his tactics to the Peoples Weekly World;

"The Obama campaign is working in both New Mexico and Colorado, among other states, telling Latino voters about McCain’s terrible stands on the economy and about the horrible role Republicans have played and continue to play on immigration... “We are showing how the companies and outfits that exploit Latino workers are the people behind McCain,”

Between now and Election Day LaLuz said that the Obama campaign is registering voters in New Mexico and Colorado and developing lists of tens of thousands of Latino supporters for Obama.

“Those lists will constitute the people we bring out on Election Day.”

The Peoples Weekly World went on to say;

President Bush won 40 percent of the Latino vote in 2004, a key factor in his win. Even though John Kerry lost Ohio then, many Democrats feel if Kerry had won Nevada, New Mexico and Colorado, he would be president today. Things have changed since then and the margin of victory is in the Latino vote, particularly in these states, respectively, Democrats say. Polls across the country concur and find that Latinos are fed up with the Bush administration and the Republican Party represented by McCain and see Obama as the person to change course for the better.

References

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