Latinos: How Politicos Are Missing The Boat

*The big secret about Latino politics? It’s that politicians and campaign folks don’t bother to see the trends until after they happen. The political mother-load would be to track Latino politics as it happens. That, and improve messaging and mobilization. VL

By Sandra Lilley, NBC News

It can feel like “deja vu all over again” when it comes to coverage of Latinos and American politics. Latinos are either the electoral “sleeping giant” or they’re just not that into politics, and they will always vote Democratic unless their religious conservatism makes them Republicans without knowing it, like Ronald Reagan famously said.

Two leading Latino social scientists, Matt Barreto and Gary Segura, co-founders of the polling and research firm Latino Decisions, do a reality check on these assumptions in their new book “Latino America: How America’s Most Dynamic Population Is Poised To Transform The Politics Of The Nation.”

Through a thorough recounting of past Latino voting patterns as well as through extensive surveys, what emerges is a more nuanced, big-picture look at the country’s Latino electorate and its rapid growth, which is, in the end, why it matters.

Click HERE to read the full story.

[Photo by Paul Gibson/Flickr]

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