MSNBC is reporting that Latinos could give President Barack Obama and the Democrats an edge in battleground states in 2012 Why? States like North Carolina, Virginia and Nevada aren't thought of as immigration portals or left-leaning strongholds.
The 2010 census revealed that in the past decade, the adult Latino population has nearly doubled in Nevada, Virginia and North Carolina. Also, it's increased by 60 percent or more in two Midwestern battleground states, Indiana and Ohio, which means that Latino voters will play a major role in those elections. In Nevada, for example, Latinos were about 11 percent of registered voters in 2008, according to the census' Current Population Survey.
About 90 percent of those registered actually voted, and according to exit polls, 76 percent of them cast ballots for Obama. A similar thing happened in Colorado. Former president George W. Bush won Colorado and Nevada in 2004, while Obama won both states in 2008.
The census data are confirming what many people already know: Latinos are a major part of this country, so why should elections be any different? We wonder how soon politicians will start backtracking on their anti-Latino rhetoric.
Read more at MSNBC.
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