Hillary getting support of 59% of Hispanic Democratic voters...

[SaveElmer]

SAN ANTONIO — Like no Republican before him, George W. Bush drew Hispanics to the GOP.

In the 2004 election, at least 40% of the voters in the nation's largest and fastest-growing minority group backed Bush, double the share of Hispanics who had supported Republican Bob Dole eight years earlier. But the inroads Bush made are vanishing.

The chief beneficiary for 2008 so far is Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton.

A new USA TODAY/Gallup Poll indicates that Hispanics, by nearly 3 to 1, say they're Democrats or lean that way. Of those, 59% support the New York senator over her presidential rivals — her strongest showing among any major demographic group and a huge potential asset for early contests in Nevada, Florida, California and other states with large Hispanic populations.

http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/20070628/1a_cover28.art.htm

[aquart]

1. An Hispanic who votes Republican in 2008 is insane.

The Republicans have literally pulled the welcome mat out from under them.

[Deep13]

2. If only we had a candidate with strong Hispanic ties.

Like someone who is maybe half Mexican himself and grew up in Mexico City. It would help if that candidate was a foreign relations expert with legislative and executive experience.

Oh well.

[William769]

3. So who's fault is it that the person you are referring to doesn't get the support?

[Deep13]

5. Corporate media and the compressed primary calender.

Only media darling rock states get news coverage. Only those widely known get a lot of campaign cash. Because most of the primaries are all at once, he can't concentrate his effort on one state. Campaigning in all the early primary states takes vast resources that Richardson, Kucinich, Dodd, Biden, Gravel and to a lesser degree Edwards don't have.

Also, he looks like he borrowed that suit from someone else.

[SaveElmer]

6. Sorry...but that is a cop out...

Richardson has a very good opportunity to make his case over the next 8 months...and while front runners do get more media...they also get more negative media...

Richardson frankly did poorly in the two debates where he could have distinguished himself...

Nevertheless, he is gaining impressive ground in both Iowa and New Hampshire...if he continues on that path, his media coverage will increase as well...

[Deep13]

8. A debate can only proves that one is good at debating.

Are Biden, Kucinich, Dodd and Gravel also trailing because of poor debate performance? All of them are more qualified than Obama and maybe Edwards. All but Gravel (out of the loop since 1981) are more qualified than any of the "front runners." Frankly, at this point debates are almost irrelevant. Only one person can be in the lead and only a few can be ahead of the pack. Given the perenial campaigning of HRC, Edwards and to a lesser degree Obama, anyone else is at a disadvantage.

[SaveElmer]

9. Biden had excellent debate performances...

And got a small bump out of them...Dodd just isn't inspiring to people, Gravel is crazy, and Kucinich is way to left wing, and unqualified IMO...I don't think any of them would catch on no matter how much media attention they got...

Richardson, when he got in the race, I think was given a better chance than these others...but his media campaign has been poorly run...

However, he must be doing something right given the uptick in his numbers in Iowa and New Hampshire...he does well, the media will follow...at this level, state by state, it is still ground up campaigning that wins the race

I hope he does...he is actually my second choice in this race now, so hope he does do better...

[SaveElmer]

4. I like Richardson...if he does well in Iowa and New Hampshire...

That support might go up...

[w4rma]

10. That didn't help in California when Villaraigosa was the Democratic nominee for governor. (nt)

[jbonkowski]

11. I'm not sure he is who you think he is.

Richardson has always been part of the wealthy elite. Just because he is half-Mexican doesn't mean Hispanic Democratic voters will find anything there they like or identify with. All of the other qualification you list make him as good a candidate as Biden.

So why aren't Hispanics more excited about Richardson? Consider this: As governor of New Mexico, Richardson, along with the (also Hispanic) Secretary of State, his close political ally, have taken no steps to help guarantee that Hispanics votes are better counted in elections. The poorer counties of NM get dramatic numbers of "undervotes" every election. Basically, people in these districts vote, and no actual vote is recorded on the ballot, almost certainly due to mechanical malfunction of the punch-type machines they use.

Richardson and the SoS have refused to take any steps to get better functioning machines to these voters. It's doesn't have to be an expensive computerized machine, just a better maintained mechanical machine or optical scanner. Their response to complaints about the undervotes is "A lot of these people just don't want to vote for President, so they leave it blank."

If Richardson won't fight for the rights of Hispanics in the state he is governor of, why should Hispanics get excited about him for President? He is just one of many second-tier candidates to them at this point, nothing more. His chance to win their favor is long gone.

jim

[Deep13]

13. It will be a moot point soon.

Unless he pulls off some kind of miracle in Iowa, it's pretty much game over. I expect I might have an Edwards sticker on my car soon.

[wyldwolf]

7. Who are they polling??? No one I know likes Hillary...

[ShortnFiery]

12. Whoa! I think that I've been sucked into an Echo Chamber ...

Hello ... Helloooooooo? :P