Religion Not a Critical Factor for Latino Voters

[rug]

National poll reveals that the economy and immigration are of greater importance than social values

Dec. 8, 2011, 1:51 p.m. EST

LOS ANGELES, Dec 08, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- impreMedia, the leading Hispanic news and information company, announced today the results of a national tracking poll focused on religion and social values.

The survey was conducted by impreMedia and Latino Decisions between November and early December. The poll revealed that a majority of Latino voters, 53%, stated that religion does not have an impact on their voting preference, while 40% of respondents indicated that it does have an impact. However, when voters are broken down among parties, religion plays a much larger role for Latino Republicans, with 47% indicating that religion does make an impact on their electoral decisions.

When asked if the candidate's religion had an impact on their vote, 55% of respondents said that it had no impact at all; compared to 43% who believed it does have an impact.

The results further indicate that social and moral values are not top priorities among Latino voters. Overwhelmingly 75% of respondents indicated that the economy, jobs and taxes are among the crucial issues that are important to them, while only 14% indicated social values issues such as abortion, family values and same sex marriage are important.

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/religion-not-a-critical-factor-for-latino-voters-2011-12-08

[Lionessa]

1. This is good to know. I've actually had some concerns over the years

knowing that the growing Hispanic voting bloc is largely Catholic, fearing that it's an indication that as soon as things like immigration are resolved, they'd decide that their religious leanings would shift them kit and kaboodle to the republicans.

[onager]

2. That seems like a natural assumption, but...

...doesn't necessarily hold up. As a Fundamentalist Atheist, I have the same concerns.

To use the biggest and closest Hispanic example to the USA: Mexico has been officially secular since its 1857 constitution. In many ways, it's even more "officially secular" than the USA. In Mexico, the clergy cannot run for political office or endorse candidates.

At least one right-wing idiot found out the hard way that many Hispanics don't like to mix religion and politics. When "B-1" Bob Dornan was trying to take back his Congressional seat from Loretta Sanchez in Orange County, CA, he printed up campaign pamphlets in Spanish. They had the Virgin of Guadalupe on the cover. Inside were gory anti-abortion photos, in full color. There was a huge uproar in the Hispanic community and Dornan dumped those pamphlets. And lost the election.

I've lived in Los Angeles for many years and asked Hispanics about this. From the ones I've talked to (who admittedly fall on the liberal side of things), even religious Hispanics see religion and politics as two separate entities. They may go to Mass every Sunday but will vote their real-world interests first.

[Lionessa]

3. Me, it was San Antonio, not Los Angeles, as I was growing up and

exposed to Hispanic community. My used-to-be closest friend, after a Caucasian marriage and divorce, married an Hispanic man. Prior she was just a normal person, imo. After, even though her husband was actually pretty liberal, she went all super religious, started putting out even more babies (she had already two) even though she had developed a really serious kidney issue, wouldn't take birth control (even though she did use BC when we were younger and even had an abortion that I drove her to and cared for her after), and though she was one of the biggest drug and drink users in her early years, became just absolutely blood-red republican, evangelical Catholic I ever had the displeasure of being around.

I fear that this one situation seriously flavored my concerns. I also think though, that Texas Hispanics may not be as open-minded as California Hispanics, as one my expect from any ethnicity in the two states.