Why Democrats Are Losing Hispanic Voters

[Jk23]

(Article from November 3, 2022 feels like it was written yesterday)

https://archive.fo/ZjPXs#selection-739.0-748.0

Earl and Mary Rose Wilcox spent the morning juggling plates of chorizo and shouting orders in Spanish toward the kitchen behind them. Now they’re catching their breath in a corner booth at El Portal, the South Phoenix restaurant they’ve run for two decades. They point out the members of their family depicted in a mural on the nearby wall, retracing the mission that brought them to this place and wondering aloud how it all went wrong.

I came to Arizona looking to answer the question of why, over the past few years, so many Hispanics have fled the Democratic Party. This exodus is evident across numerous counties, congressional districts, and battleground states, but the stakes seem highest in Arizona, where Republicans are promoting a slate of extremist candidates and counting on Hispanic voters to help put them in office.

What I found is Earl and Mary Rose, a couple in their mid-70s and the twin bosses of a Phoenix political machine, reckoning with the same awful conclusion I have heard from so many Hispanics, both here and around the country. “The party doesn’t care about us,” Mary Rose tells me. “They pretend to care every two years.”

-----

To some extent, López said, the same principle applies to other issues she feels Democrats are enamored of—green energy and racial justice, individual pronouns and group identities. “What the hell is a ‘Latinx’?” she said, throwing up her arms. “Now we’re inventing language?” (This was but one of the many unsolicited rants I heard against the term Latinx.)

[ananda]

28. Trump targeting Black Haitian "migrants"....

might have been intended to make Latinos think they
were exempt.

Since Latinos are prejudiced against Black people, this
would be a double whammy... targets a group they
hate, and makes them think they are exempt.

[brush]

102. Sad to say racisim towards Black people definitely exists in some...

Latinos. Assimilation into the white world may be their most important aim.

Many are not allies.

[durablend]

2. Wait till they get rounded up and shipped out

YEE BOI THE REPUBLICAN PARTY CARES ABOUT YOU!!!!!!!!!!

[Jk23]

3. Um who is going to round them up all the Sheriffs and Border folks down there are Hispanic. NT

[travelingthrulife]

12. They are constantly hassling people near the border. They will have zero problem

rounding up other hispanic people.

[Trueblue1968]

22. Lying that Dems dont care about them .... That is such a lie. Well when they get rounded up, i cant help them

[Trueblue1968]

24. I will be a rebel against DonOLD and most likely be in prision .......

[LeftInTX]

23. Good luck deporting ICE and CBP

Replace with Anglo English speakers Lol

[33taw]

81. Or, the proud boys

[yardwork]

36. Sigh. Nobody is going to round up citizens.

Latino voters are, by definition, US citizens. They don't identify with many recent immigrants and it's insulting to suggest they do.

Further, immigrants from Mexico are different from immigrants from Venezuela, who are different from Puerto Ricans (who are U.S. citizens). Lumping them together and assuming they're all Democrats is a mistake, and it's condescending.

[Bookreadingliberal53]

73. Stephen Miller is planning to denaturalize Naturalized citizens nt

[at140]

101. In his wet dream

This idiot has no power to do any such thing.
Trump has hired lots of Hispanics.

[Wiz Imp]

103. You're nuts

MAGAs have explicitly said they want to get rid of all immigrants. You really think they're going to see a Hispanic person and say, "oh, they might be a citizen, I'll let them go"? Hell no. they'll round everybody up and worry about trying to sort it out later.

[Aristus]

123. Exactly.

Anyone remember the “Papers, Please!” bill from years ago, when Republicans proposed that cops have the power to detain anyone they suspected of not being a citizen, and demanding to see prove of citizenship?

I’m guessing Trump-supporting Hispanic people don’t. Everyone knew that the only people who would be stopped would be non-white people.

[Demsrule86]

115. Trump has said he wants to strip them of their citizenship multiple times.

[AncientOfDays]

116. look at the past

Eisenhower made a mass deportation of "Mexicans" - included a lot of actual citizens. I don't think the tRump regime will be all that precise either.

[LeftInTX]

134. Things have changed. Mexico won't accept them.

Back then, Mexico didn't care or check the border. Well the US didn't either. Bush changed all that. Mexico will verify Mexican citizenship before admission by deportation.

[Dem4life1234]

4. Why are some Hispanics not doing what's best for them?

That's a better question! Dems have reached out and have their best interests. It's not the Dems fault.

Dems are much of the reason they are even allowed to be here!


And it's regional, New York and Cali Hispanics are staunch Dems, it's the Texas ones that seem to fall for Rethugs.

All I can say, machismo culture? Many of them historically came from countries with autocrats in power and a horrible class/colorist system. I think the latter is true, as many immigrants who become citizens came from repressive governments and they support Dems, so that throws the autocracy theory out the window.

All I know is it's pathetic, Rethugs don't give a shit about them, and don't even like them.

[orange jar]

9. They believe Trump's policies are their best interest.

Rhetoric like, "Why is X group voting against their own interests?" comes across as condescending and patronizing. Year after year of warnings of this very specific phenomenon, and we're still responding to it in this manner. Hispanic Americans are individuals, not a monolith — same as Black Americans, Asian Americans, Arab Americans, etc. They voted for Trump because they simply agree with Trump's policies more, whether we accept that or not.

[Dem4life1234]

14. What is it about Rethugs policies that it's in their best interests?

If they are not rich, what is the point? If the Hispanic person is rich, then that would make more sense. Most aren't rolling in dough.

I'm simply speculating why some run over to the Rethuglican party.

And you are correct, they are not a monolith (notice in my former post I specified that it's also regional), but the shift is concerning. You can't rule out the fact that colorism, classism, and machismo culture play a role.

[orange jar]

20. It is concerning.

Whether it's based in statistical reality or not, many of them were hurt by inflation and high prices and think that Trump's tax breaks and tariffs are going to help them. Reports of how good the market economy is doing do nothing to convince them if they personally do not feel or see the improvements.

I'm not sure if it's so much what they think he'll do in the future, or if it's more so that they remember how their lives were like during Trump's presidency and want a return to that. Either way, they want a change from how they feel they're faring under Biden's administration (including Harris). They also agree with Trump's strict border policy and don't believe that his mass deportation rhetoric will include them.

I'm not going to argue against sexism playing a part of Harris' loss. Misogyny spans across all colors and cultures (even among women). However, I think it's just one factor out of many that drove traditional Democratic voting blocs to the Republicans.

Lastly, some of these voters don't necessarily want to run to the Republicans — it's more so that they want to vote against the current zeitgeist, whatever that may be. I wish that had worked out in our favor instead, but it didn't. I'm honestly beginning to wonder if incumbency is going to become a liability in future elections instead of an advantage.

[LeftInTX]

30. They support border security and low prices

[Scrivener7]

71. So they voted for the guy who trashed the

economy and trashed the bipartisan bill that would have been the best boost to border security in a generation.

[Amishman]

67. Social issues

In my experience Latinos are not socially progressive. As mentioned in the article, they don't like the de-gendered Latinx label.

Transgenderism and non conventional gender definitions are also less popular.

Again - this is generalization and Latinos are a diverse group, I'm saying on average.

I wonder if the Trump campaigns relentless framing of Harris as trans friendly was a factor in the ground he gained with this group.

[LeftInTX]

77. To be fair lots of moderates and older Dems

Don't feel comfortable with multiple gender pronouns. I find them confusing! I won't repeat them around voters. I don't know what mine are!

[BannonsLiver]

138. Huge factor

We don’t have any more political capital to give to the trans issue, unfortunately. They’ve won that battle and have weaponized compassion Dems have for those folks and used it against us.

[Jk23]

117. They prefer low crime and secure borders

And a rightly wrongly student Trump will provide such things.

Plus they tend to be less concerned about abortion rights and other issues of that type being quite Catholic.

[yardwork]

37. This.

[PhilosopherKing]

48. Condescending or not

The truth is the truth. It used to mean something.

[oldmanlynn]

57. Which policies

What about when Trump constantly insults, Mexicans? What about when he said the one judge couldn’t be a judge on his case because he was a Mexican even though he was an American? I don’t see what policy you were referring to are beneficial to them that has come from the Trump administration.

[orange jar]

5. "Latinx" is certainly one of the problems.

It's academia speak that 99% of average Hispanic voters find condescending, nonsensical, and even culturally insensitive.

A greater issue though, IMO, is that Democrats seem to think Hispanic voters' main concern is immigration policy. I mean, in a way it is — rightly or wrongly, many Hispanic voters do not support undocumented immigration. More importantly, though, Hispanic Americans are just as concerned with pocketbook and kitchen table issues as any other American group. They care about issues solely affecting Americans. Easier pathways to citizenship and cooperation with Central and South American countries are low on their list of personal priorities.

[rollin74]

8. Well stated

this is what I have found to be the case as well

A lot of Latinos are not sympathetic to people who came to this country illegally. There is actually a good deal of resentment.

[Scrivener7]

19. Everything you listed was a non-issue manufactured

by the republiQan propaganda machine.

Somebody somewhere said "LatinX" so Mary Rose voted for Trump? You know what the correct answer to that is? "You're an idiot, Mary Rose."

Mary Rose is concerned about "kitchen table issues?" You know what the correct answer is? "Did you bother to compare both parties' results on economic benefits for the majority of Americans? Clearly not, Mary Rose, or you wouldn't have voted like a such a complete moron."

Mary Rose doesn't support undocumented immigration? You know what the correct answer is? "We had a bipartisan immigration bill that would have slashed numbers of undocumented immigrants. And the party you voted for trashed that bill, Mary Rose. So why the hell did you vote for them, Mary Rose? What's wrong with you?"

[Jk23]

25. Just because the Republicans turned them into talking points

Does not mean they are not real concerns. This is like the crime issue. It is not just Republicans worried about shoplifting gangs and street take overs.

[Scrivener7]

27. They're not real concerns. And they're certainly

not a reason for anyone with half a brain to use as an excuse for why they voted for trump.

[Jk23]

35. I am not sure telling voters their concerns are not real is a winning strategy

I honestly find it often veiled racism stating minorities are not intelligent enough to know what is best for them,

[Scrivener7]

49. I'm not saying anything to "minorities." I'm

talking about trump voters. And trump voters clearly are NOT intelligent enough to know what's best for them.

Or are you saying he's the candidate who truly addresses their needs? Is that what you are saying? Or was it just something you threw out to make a veiled accusation of racism to me?

[Pisces]

56. Well calling people stupid isn't going to win them over. Talking over them isn't going to help either. If the

Goal is to win, we need to micro identify what works and do that!! Not complain because they don’t get it. We need to find a way to make them get it in their language not our Latinx language that appeases the politically correct but pisses off the community its suppose to represent.

[Scrivener7]

63. As I said above: this has nothing to do

with the fact that someone somewhere said "Latinx." This has to do with racism and sexism. And our failure to understand that many groups - Hispanics, Black men, white women, Democrats as a whole - have a certain percentage of members who are racist and sexist.

As I also said before, if we ever get a chance again and we run a straight, white, middle-aged, protestant man, you will see I am right. I am sad I am right, but I am right.

[Pisces]

66. I don't disagree with you. I think if Biden had not run for reelection Kamala would not have been the

Candidate. I think the Democratic Party was fearful of offending the black constituents who are a the backbone of the party.

I think sexism is alive and well within our party. It’s very sad and disgusting. The goal is to win in order to make changes and I think we need to roll up our sleeves and win.

[Scrivener7]

68. All we need to do is run a vanilla white guy. Sad as that is.

[Scrivener7]

65. And PS: is Latinx your language? It isn't my language.

When was the last time you heard anyone slipping the term into conversation? Personally, I can't think of a time.

It's republiQan-propaganda-machine manufactured issue. If Mary Rose fell for it, that's on her.

[prodigitalson]

118. It was used quite a bit on MSNBC.

[MichMan]

140. Senator Warren is selling merchandise on her website with Latinx

https://shop.elizabethwarren.com/products/elizabeth-warren-latinx-with-warren-unisex-t-shirt

[Sympthsical]

95. Californians are overwhelmingly approving Prop 36

To increase penalties for shoplifting and fentanyl offenses, because they are responding to crime policies that politicians who are much farther to the Left than the electorate thought were a good idea.

It is winning with 70% at the moment in a state that is reliably 2/3 Democratic.

Nowhere on earth, much less in America, is it a winning political play to tell 70% of the electorate their concerns don't matter.

And if one of the bluest states isn't crystallizing the peril of the condescending attitudes people have about this stuff, I don't know what else to say. Only that I hope none of them are involved in political campaigns. We'd lose in a landslide for the next 50 years.

[Jk23]

109. And for some reason Harris didn't publicly supported

I know it's a little early to do an autopsy of the campaign but it's just another example of an easy layup where she could separate herself from what the Republicans are saying about her.

[orange jar]

33. What seems like a "non-issue" to you is going to be a major issue to someone else.

I'm not saying it's right or that it's wrong. However, I think a lot of insular Dems/liberals/progressives undercount how cumulative small annoyances can be to voters. I have seen several people say stuff along the lines of, "I lean liberal, but X makes me want to vote for the other side just to shut them up." Do you want to know a major reason why Trump won in 2016 (and also seemingly won this time)? Some of it is a genuine backlash to the persistent scolding that they see coming from people who claim to be on the left. If they don't vote for Democrats, then they're suck ups to whites? Or they want to be white? Yeah, good luck getting them to our side by basically calling them race traitors.

Trump is vile in every way. Many people who voted for him like how vile he is. However, if we continue to insist that 100% of these people are Nazis and refuse to listen to their concerns (especially economic concerns), then we will continue to lose elections and ask ourselves why this may be happening. Sorry, but traditionally Democratic voting blocs trending toward Trump/Republicans should be a bright red flag. Should our values become more conservative or bigoted? Absolutely not. However, the constant dismissal and patronizing attitude toward the economic concerns of voters will keep demotivating our side from voting and drive everyone else to the Republicans out of sheer desperation to be heard, even if the Republican party's promises are undoubtedly hollow.

I can't tell if we just genuinely cannot hear ourselves sometimes or if we just think it's completely normal to further insulate ourselves without even looking at someone who has different experiences than us.

[Scrivener7]

44. Sorry, no. I'm not taking responsibility for

adult people voting for trump because republicans told them we scold them.

Have YOU ever said they were suckups to whites? Because I certainly haven't. And I haven't heard anyone else saying it either.

Do we not listen to the economic issues of ALL Americans who are being fleeced by billionaire class? What economic issues are we NOT listening to? Or are you falling for the old trap of blaming Democrats for the things that we've tried to pass and republiQans have blocked. Are you, or are they, suggesting that republiQans ARE listening to their economic concerns? Is that a joke?

I'm wondering if you, and those making these arguments can hear yourselves.

This race was lost because of racism and sexism. Not because someone somewhere said "Latinx." And our mistake has been thinking that Hispanics, or Black men or white women or Democrats or any other group we deal with as a monolith does not have a percent who are racist and sexist.

Run a straight white middle-aged protestant man if we ever get another chance, and you'll see I'm right. I hate that I'm right, but I'm right.

[PhilosopherKing]

50. You are correct

[SweepPicker]

39. This!

"many Hispanic voters do not support undocumented immigration."

I hear the above every day! Many of you here feel sorry for those "just trying to escape a horrible country to make a better living in the USA." The problem is, they're also hurting a lot of the Hispanics as well as other ethnic groups in the USA because they work cheap and many don't pay taxes and feed off the welfare system. Oh and the comments "they do jobs no one else will" is a slap in the face to those of us who do just that, legally and proudly.

[Scrivener7]

46. Then why would they vote for the man who

trashed the bipartisan immigration bill that would have slashed the numbers of undocumented immigrants?

[Elessar Zappa]

78. The fact is

that we have something like 12 million jobs that need to be filled. We’re at full employment so we need to let in immigrants at a large rate. We need them in healthcare, construction, skilled labor such as plumbing, auto mechanics, etc. We simply don’t have enough citizens to fill the jobs.

[oldmanlynn]

60. And they are just as susceptible to the propaganda that comes from the right wing propaganda machine

[cadoman]

99. agree but maybe some eduation is needed? it's a much more inclusive term

It's the sort of thing we should be striving for, though maybe with less immediacy.

[claudette]

130. So that would be

a rationale reason to vote for someone who sees Puerto Ricans as garbage? I don't think so. I read that one Latino said Dems lost their votes because Latino men believe a woman's place is in the kitchen. Is that true?

[LeftInTX]

133. No about the women's place

Most of the women work.
The men drive trucks and can be redneck. They like to watch football, BBQ, drink beer and have picnics. The men are sorta redneck.

[radius777]

136. Immigration, crime and inflation is what sunk us across the board

with many demographics - there was a 10 point rightward shift in blue states like NY/NJ/IL and in FL.

Gaza and Biden's support for Netanyahu hurt us amongst Dems and Dem leaning independents.

[Scrivener7]

6. Oh, fuck that idiocy. When was the last time

anyone said the word "Latinx" to her? What a moron.

Democrats don't care enough about you, Mary Rose? So you thought you'd vote for the rapist who vocally and actively despises you? What the hell is wrong with you? How brainless can you be?

Asshole. I will have no sympathy when the shit rains down on your stupid head.

[AkFemDem]

45. Mary Rose probably isnt gonna have sympathy for us either when...

our candidates keep losing. So guess we're all even.

[Shrek]

58. Apparently someone is saying it

The last line in the snip from the OP:

(This was but one of the many unsolicited rants I heard against the term Latinx.)

[Scrivener7]

61. Yes. Because the very effective republiQan propaganda

machine made it an issue. Just like all those trillions of trans kids ruining the bathrooms and sports teams. That's a big issue for republiQan voters too.

It's time we called this nonsense the nonsense it is.

[prodigitalson]

119. Yeah lets just pretend like it wasnt used on MSNBC

a lot.

[Scrivener7]

122. Let's just pretend they didn't stop using it some time ago. And let's just pretend THAT is a

legitimate reason to trash the American Democracy and the balance of power throughout the entire world.

It really JUST. FUCKING. ISN'T.

[prodigitalson]

125. Lets just say it didnt help

[Scrivener7]

132. Lol. I'm sure the Ukranians facing genocide share your

opinion, and the opinion of those who are giving it as a reason, of the significance of MSNBC saying Latinx.

[Greybnk48]

121. 100%. I've heard "Latinx" used once or twice on TV In my entire fucking life! 76 years.

And I worked for the University in my State for 20 years until 2013!

[larwdem]

7. r's

So they think the republicans care about them???? Fucking stupid,

[City Lights]

10. They are in for quite a shock if they think the GOP cares about them.

Sometimes all I can do is shake my head. These people don't seem to have any idea how government works. The president can't just wave a magic wand to hand out goodies to groups of people. The GOP are the ones who won't lift a finger to improve the lives of any group other than the über rich. These people will eventually learn they've been had.

[Orrex]

18. If they're anything like the poor white dipshits who go Red...

they'll simply blame other people, rather than the billionaires they vote for.

[Jspur]

64. I wish I could agree with you on the part you said they will

eventually learn that they were had. I don't think they will because most people have a hard time accepting, they have been played and used. It's very embarrassing for someone's pride to realize they have been used. Instead, they will double down harder on supporting Trump even when he screws them over.

[SunImp]

11. Another warning sign here in 2022 when Dems lost a special district in tx

https://www.politico.com/news/2022/06/15/latino-democrats-election-texas-00040057

“I hope the DCCC learns their lesson with this before it happens across the country,” said Democratic Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, who due to redistricting will face GOP Rep.-elect Mayra Flores this fall in a redrawn district.

“The DCCC needs to sit down and look at South Texas seriously,” Cuellar said. “I don’t think it’s a political realignment, but this should send a message to the DCCC ... You can’t take Hispanics for granted, which they always do.”

[kacekwl]

100. You know what

no candidate came to my town or had a town hall near me talked about me or my wife my family specifically. No candidate or party addresses my specific problems my concerns. Should I assume that they don't care about my issues personally my town specifically my job specifically. I suppose I'm going to not vote or vote for the new candidate because the candidate in power hasn't called me or reached out to me personally. The new guy said he will fix my problems in two weeks so Sounds good to me. Do you really need to be coddled and rocked to bed ? I wish I knew what was the problem they are facing that needs personal attention.

[nycbos]

108. Yup

Largely on immigration. It doesn’t connect with progressives that Hispanics actually work for the border patrol and when the squad talks about abolishing it doesn’t exactly help.

[Orrex]

13. That explains why they're abandoning Democrats

But why are they embracing Republicans who openly hate them?

[Zeitghost]

17. Just curious

But where are you from?

I live in the middle of an area of California with a huge Mexican and Mexican-American population. The open, overt anti-Mexican racism just does not exist like it did when I was a kid in the 1980's and 1990's, even amongst Republicans. I suspect that in other areas of the country that have not had a significant Hispanic population for multiple decades are still going through the growing pains and tension that encourages that kind of open racism due to people being fearful of change.

[Abnredleg]

34. Some of the GOP hates them

In the SW and Florida the Hispanics are turning to the GOP because the party is doing serious outreach and taking them seriously. Not to mention, in many of these areas there is sufficient density of Hispanics that they are the dominant group and thus have less issues of racism. Don’t forget that Texas is 40% white and 40% Hispanic - they don’t consider themselves a minority population who needs the guidance and help of whites, either GOP or Democratic.

[Orrex]

40. Ah. That makes sense, alas.

I live in western PA where there are pockets of Hispanic population, but they're still very much a minority. I'm sure that the dynamic is every different where they live in greater numbers.

Democrats need to do better than "hey, at least we're not Republicans."

[Jk23]

142. Because in a lot of these areas all the Republicans are Hispanic

You look at the border towns in Texas or Miami-Dade County or Central California and the Republican party is a very Hispanic.

It's much like border patrol is very Hispanic as other sheriff's down there so when democratic congresswoman from New York attacks the racist border patrol she's basically attacking Hispanics.

[Zeitghost]

15. Many disregard the issue here

But I don't think they understand the pushback by many hispanics over the use of Latinx. Many feel it is disrespectful of their culture and language from what they perceive as elitist whites.

There are other issues as well. I work in agriculture and my office is a made up of a majority young, college educated 1st and 2nd generation Mexican American woman. They all voted for Trump. Most are socially and fiscally conservative and feel the left takes them for granted and patronizes them. We don't have much of the overt anti-Mexican racism here in Central California and while it does exist, they dismiss it as the grumblings of a dying generation.

[soandso]

26. This all day

And just look at some of the posts here calling them stupid and claiming to know what's good for them. Just wow.

[Dem4life1234]

87. A person is stupid to vote for a Rethug if they are not filthy rich with a dark heart!

[soandso]

94. Okay but

see how far that condescending attitude goes with Latino voters.

[TheRickles]

31. I'm curious - which of Trump's policies do your co-workers like?

I don't know of any plans of his that would benefit the non-wealthy. So what is it that attracts them to Trump?

[Zeitghost]

91. It's really more

Of a left-right, Republican-Democrat issue than it was being pro Trump.

But I would say abortion, traditional family/gender roles and other social issues like that. They were very against Covid lockdowns and the response by the California government to COVID. Crime, homeless issue and being pro-police are also factors.

[JI7]

16. Hispanics and muslims just tend to be conservative

So it's easier to lose their support over any of things. And it's also mostly men when it comes to Latinos. The women tend to be more liberal.

[Raven123]

21. A very long article that did little to illuminate the issue for me.

Frankly, what is a unique “Hispanic” issue? My interpretation of the article is that Hispanics have positions across the political spectrum, like everyone else. I honestly don’t get it.

[Dangling0826]

29. Because Harris was a woman

[DBoon]

32. so is the current president of Mexico

[valleyrogue]

55. These voters aren't living in Mexico, and she just got the job. n/t

[Dangling0826]

38. It is said that Mexico is better than America in that aspect

[LeftInTX]

47. Just because they elected a woman? Pakistan?

I rest my case!

[AkFemDem]

41. I'm a veteran and....

I tend to have more liberal friends than not, even from my military circles because we self select our peers but that said, a lot of my friends from service are hispanic. And almost 100% are not just republican, but vocally republican to a degree that exceeds my old white battle buddies (of either party) Like all over social media for months its been pro-Trump stuff. I'm talking from both men and women- and their family roots vary too- Puerto Rico (yes even after IT happened), Mexico, Cuba... for many, there's Catholicism and a vehement pro-life policy, but also add in machismo, men lead, sexism (so Kamala had a big strike against her going in.) There's also a "my family worked hard to get and stay here legal so they should too" mentality. There's also more of a lean on traditional family values. And yes, as much as some head in the sand folk here ridicule such things, there's also the price of eggs. Turns out hispanic families don't like expensive groceries either.

[Docreed2003]

42. Maybe, call me crazy, but instead of slamming this couples concerns

We should actually listen to what they are saying and make inroads to correcting the idea that Democrats only care about them every two years?

Like it or not, no part of our coalition should feel as if they are not appreciated or that their voices aren't heard.

[onecaliberal]

52. The dump admin will worry about them NEVER. Not one milisecond.

Called cutting off your own nose to spite your face.

[Docreed2003]

69. I don't disagree

But if we want to actually connect with voters and understand and address their concerns, we can't take them for grated and assume they'll vote for us because "we're better than the other guy". That isn't winning us elections, clearly

[onecaliberal]

75. Misogyny, racism and sexism.

They're pathetic excuses don't hold water now.

[Dem4life1234]

89. Connect how?

Some voters are misogynist, connect with them?

Ok, maybe if we ran straight white middle aged men some wouldn't be so weird about it? I'm sorry Kamala was a woman and the machismo caused them to be turned off.

I am tired. Just let this country eat itself. Some voters are ignorant.

[Docreed2003]

98. I think you aren't hearing what I'm saying

I am in no way suggesting we should only have straight, male candidates. What I am saying is actually connecting with voters and addressing their concerns, rather than pandering to blocks of voters by saying "we're better than the asshole over there"

[Sparkly]

113. Heard it, saw it, did it, watched it for 24 years now.

Enough.

[MichMan]

141. Interesting that the OP was written two years ago

Wonder if anything has changed?

[Keepthesoulalive]

43. What's missing from this conversation

People need to care about people that look different , speak different languages, and have different customs. We need to make America a better country and hating people because the didn’t understand how you would like to be addressed. It is Important but maybe you should try talking to that person and to help that person understand what it means to you. I went to school with kids from South America. Don’t ever call someone from Peru a Puerto Rican. Hispanic works . But the larger picture is voting for trump helps no one but the billionaires and tyrants.

[walkingman]

51. Religion

[Self Esteem]

53. It's simple: when the economy is perceived bad, the party in power gets the blame.

If Trump had eked out a win in 2020, the blame would be on him and Democrats would likely be celebrating a landslide victory.

For months and months and months, so many people dismissed the idea that the economy might actually be perceived as awful and that it was dragging down the Democrats. The messaging should have never been, "hey the economy is great!" and rather, "we know the economy is not perfect. Here's why and what we plan on doing to fix it."

Hispanics shifted because many Hispanics are working class and they were pinched by inflation. On top of that, it's never been as solid of a demographic for Democrats as Black voters. So, the shift was more dramatic.

Trump did about as well as Bush did in 2004 among Hispanics.

[Scrivener7]

70. Nope. It was because a certain percentage of them,

like a certain percentage of every group we ever talk about, didn't want to vote for a woman of color.

[Self Esteem]

72. I do not agree and boiling it down to that doesn't fix the actual issues that might have led to that problem.

Polls showed Biden doing even worse than Harris among Hispanic voters. The signs were there.

[Scrivener7]

74. Yes. He was perceived as too old.

Run a middle aged protestant white guy and see what happens.

[Self Esteem]

76. In this economy? Same results.

Stop kidding yourself. It was the economy.

[Scrivener7]

80. Nope. And you seem to be falling for

the propaganda that lies and tells us Bidens economy is bad and trumps was better.

None of which is true.

[Self Esteem]

83. Except I have election data to back me up.

[Scrivener7]

86. Election data doesn't say the economy is bad. It may say people

THINK the economy is bad. But, comparatively, it isn't. And that just proves my point.

[Self Esteem]

90. It doesn't prove your point. Perception is reality.

You can claim Hispanics are sexist and racist against Blacks but that dog won't hunt with me and I'm sure it won't prove a winning argument when trying to convince them to vote for Democrats in 2026.

But good luck with that. The perception of the economy is what drove Hispanics to Trump. That's literally what I said and you agreed with me. Not sure why you want to pin this on a gender issue or a race issue and you keep moving the goalposts which just sounds silly at this point (when pointed out that Biden actually did worse in polls than Harris, it's because he's old).

Take care.

[happybird]

92. Step outside the Blue bubble

(Yes. We have one, too) and actually LISTEN to what those who voted for Trump are saying. Not Twitter accounts and “everyman” quotes in articles by pundits. Listen to what real people in your town have to say.

I live in a red county in Northern Virginia, just minutes west of the big blue DC suburbs. What people are saying: It’s the economy. Yes, misogyny and racism played a role, but working people are beaten the eff down and tired of struggling to try and make ends meet while the Dem propaganda machine (yes, we have one of those, too) keeps saying how wonderful the economy is. Sure, if you’re an investor. Not if you are working class. Gas, groceries, rent, insurance, utilities, tuition, vehicles… people are struggling. They do not give a flying fuck about stock market gains. It might as well be on Mars. Meanwhile, the administration is sending huge amounts of money to Ukraine and Israel and dropping student loan debts while these people can’t afford new clothes for their kids. Top that stress with the scolding/worrying about being uber-inclusive/political correctness and they have simply had it with us librulz.

Denying reality is not helping and that attitude will just alienate more people who do align with us on issues like abortion, health insurance, and social security.

Edit to Add: My take on all that is they are scared and unsure of the future. Trump’s overblown rhetoric validated those fears and made them feel righteous and “heard.”
This made it easy for many to give in their latent sexism, racism, and xenophobia. That’s what frightened people do, they circle the wagons.

[Scrivener7]

111. People said it was the economy last time they voted for trump too. It wasn't. It was racism and sexism.

We listened deeply to all those people in the diners. We were treated to reams of articles about how it was all about the economy. It was all about economic insecurity. And then trump trashed the economy. And it made no difference to them.

It isn't the economy. It's racism and sexism.

[oldmanlynn]

54. It all seems to be BS

You can’t say that the Republican party has done anything for them so for them to look at it like we haven’t done enough I mean, except for every every two years is BS. They could say the same thing about the Republicans.

[surfered]

59. We're they asked what Republicans have done for them?

[AZSkiffyGeek]

62. Mary Rose Wilcox...

She lost to Gallego when he first entered the House about 15-20 years ago. And was shot in the ass in an assassination attempt over funding the Diamondbacks ballpark (I don't remember which side of the issue she was on though).
I didn't realize she'd gone over to the Trump side.

[kacekwl]

79. They seem to be taking a page from MAGA .

I got mine so F the rest. Good luck to you all.

[kacekwl]

82. Maga has a couple of

different names to call you other than Latinx. Maybe you haven't heard them.

[Jk23]

84. I don't disagree

but the smugness of the Latinx slur somehow makes it worse.

[Scrivener7]

88. It's a slur, now? You're pushing this very hard, aren't you?

You must be hearing this "slur" a lot in conversation.

[Jk23]

93. Actually I see it at work often in documentation and internal memos.

There has been considerable pushback from members of the community described. Still, it is there. I am not personally insulted by it. I find the stripping of gender from the Spanish language a bit silly. But it is a real own goal from people who purport to be concerned with social justice issues.

I would not be surprised if in five years we view it as we would the word colored.

[Scrivener7]

110. A "real own goal" from which people, now?

[Politicub]

85. Maybe they'll get the care they're seeking from Trump.

He says he loves them and then he abuses them.

Clean air and water. Durable infrastructure. A chance to get ahead. And so much more. That’s what care looks like.

Care to them sounds like whining about things that don’t hurt them at all. Using someone’s pronouns? That must hurt so much. Green energy? Perhaps they like the feel of pollution and smog burning their lungs. So much care.

[XanaDUer2]

96. They sound like idiots nt

[Demovictory9]

97. The hate that Venezuelan migrants are getting wirk permots, housing and benefits immediayel when they struggled

Big article about this a few weeks ago. Lots of hostility to the latest big wave of migrants from immigrants already hear

[Silent Type]

104. Hispanic voters have their citizenship, they have theirs.

[MustLoveBeagles]

105. Mary Rose finds LatinX offensive

But seems just fine with trump's racism.

[La Coliniere]

106. Right wing Spanish Language radio stations now

abound in the USA. Those stations have increased in number over the past 10 years. They push the same bs as their English language counterparts and they have their own Hispanic Rush Limpballs who spiel the hate 24/7 in most Hispanic communities. Combine that with the many Spanish language evangelical churches that have arisen during the same time and you have many more voters who vote Republican because that’s the message and propaganda they are being fed. It’s a big part of it. I know a couple of Puerto Rican families who were Catholic Democratic voters but once they left the church and signed on to the evangelical message, they became solid GOP voters. They weren’t too bothered about any of the “garbage Island” insults. They still voted MAGA. I asked about those awful insults and the father of one of the families responded “we have thick skin”. WTF

[JustAnotherGen]

107. Meh

I'll be sitting in a piazza far away when these folks are rounded up for forced labor.


They did it to themselves.

And don't tell me they won't do that. Internment Camps were a thing. As was the Mexican round up during the Great Depression - some were American Citizens.

[Sparkly]

112. "Ask not what you country can do for you" has become

"Nobody's paying attention to MEEEEeeeeeeEEE!!!!!"

[Scrivener7]

114. OMG. You are so right!

[kentuck]

124. Hispanics, I suppose, are like everyone else that votes in their own self interest.

Why was it in their interest to vote for Donald Trump?
Think about it.

If they were a big part of his coalition, he would be less inclined to go after them or to deport them. That would not be in his interest.

Maybe it is as simple as that?

[Wiz Imp]

143. You r argument boils down to they are incredibly stupid.

Anyone who thinks Trump will not go after them just because they voted for him is delusional. MAGA has made clear that their goal is to have a 100% white "Christian" nation.

[kimbutgar]

126. So the repuke party cares about Hispanics?

They forget about him saying Mexicans are murders and rapists in 2016.

[Jk23]

131. See this is the fundamental misunderstanding of the Hispanic vote

They're Americans they hate the other Mexican immigrants. And they definitely hate the Hispanic immigrants from other countries.

There's probably no demographic more against illegal immigration than the Hispanic demographic and until the Democrats get that through their very f****** thick skulls they're going to continue losing these elections.

[Scrivener7]

135. So they voted for the guy who trashed the

bipartisan legislation that would have done more to curb illegal immigration than any other proposal in a generation?

Sorry, but bullshit.

[Maninacan]

127. Evangelicos

I have been around Latino Evangelicals who thought Obama was the anti christ
Even thougght Yoga was a religion.

[claudette]

128. Not sure why

they would vote against their own interests - just like a whole lot of white women did last Tuesday. Am I now supposed to feel sorry for anyone who loses a family member to "mass deportation" or a magat woman who can't get reproductive care and dies? Sorry.

[Scrivener7]

137. So, the last time we twisted ourselves into pretzels

trying to understand all those disaffected white men in diners, and we believed them when they told us they felt economically insecure. Then we flagellated ourselves for years for letting them feel that way because, we concluded, that was why we lost.

That wasn't why we lost. They didn't vote for trump because they felt economically insecure.

It looks like this time we're going to flagellate ourselves because MSNBC used to say Latinx, and Hispanics hate illegal immigration (though the ones we lost voted for the guy who trashed the bipartisan bill that would have slashed illegal immigration.)

We didn't lose them over Latinx or illegal immigration. We lost them because we ran a woman of color.

The only lesson here, and it's difficult to face, is that a percentage of each group of our own perceived allies, including women, Black men, and Hispanics, are racist and sexist.

[Retrograde]

139. Same reason the descendants of Eastern and Southern Europeans vote GOP

A century ago their ancestors were being demonized in this country. A few generations later, they feel accepted as "real" Americans and are pulling up the ladders behind them. As more are native-born citizens with some degree of prosperity, they are more likely to identify with the GOP. Just my opinion, based on speculation rather than numbers.