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Comedian George Lopez bags groceries while campaigning for Barack Obama at a North Las Vegas supermarket. He says personal contact is the key to getting Hispanic votes.
Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2008 | 2 a.m.
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- Comedian George Lopez talks about how candidates can improve their relationships with the Latino community.
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- Lopez on the importance of seeing candidates in person.
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- Lopez talks about getting a phone call from Barack Obama and emails from Hillary Clinton's campaign.
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- Lopez on believing in Obama.
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Sun Archives
Beyond the Sun
Comedian George Lopez had just spent an hour squeezing baby cheeks, signing the T-shirt of a chubby kid -- “for ‘El Gordo’ (the fat one)” and tossing free sweets, with a wink, into shopping bags at the checkout counter.
Lopez, the first Hispanic entertainer to have a network TV series bearing his own name, was making the rounds on a recent Saturday, unannounced, at Mariana’s Supermarket in North Las Vegas, stumping for Democratic candidate Barack Obama.
But mostly he was being himself, with his people. At one point, he turned to no one in particular and said, “This is it. This store is so powerful.” And the feeling was mutual: He beamed at the people and they beamed back.
Out front, a nonprofit group was registering voters, hoping to enlarge the Hispanic electorate, which now accounts for 12 percent of the Clark County rolls. Together, the volunteers and Lopez are trying to reach a goal that has proved elusive for at least a decade: persuading Hispanics to vote in large numbers.
The buzz is undeniable. The Obama campaign and Dem Nevada are on the front lines of that outreach. Which brings us to the central question: Just how do you get Hispanics to the polls?
Adam Segal, director of the Hispanic Voter Project at Johns Hopkins University, drew a deep breath when asked the question, which he has been researching since 2000.
“Very complicated,” he said, exhaling.
But maybe not. Sure, many Hispanics are turned off by events of the past seven years -- the war, the economy, immigration crackdowns. But Segal believes they can be reached.
But how?
For one, Segal says not all advertising and outreach have to be in Spanish. At least half of all Hispanic voters will respond to appeals through mainstream -- read English-language -- media, as long as they’re reached “as Hispanics.” By this he means the messages have to address their concerns -- the economy, education, the war and immigration. Also, they ought to use respected voices from the Hispanic community.
But what may be more effective with Hispanics is old-fashioned flesh pressing, person-to-person communication, Segal said.
Of course, that matters to everybody. In an ideal world voters could meet the candidates before going to the polls.
But Hispanics, despite their differences in country of origin and immigration status, tend to have in common a predilection for word of mouth. They favor personally acquired information before making important decisions.
“If all the $20 million went into paid media and outreach efforts and not enough into community support networks ... it would miss a key opportunity,” Segal said.
The solution is to send forth Hispanics who have backgrounds similar to those of the voters they are trying to reach, he said.
In a limousine outside Mariana’s, Lopez said basically the same thing.
“You could spend $50 million or $100 million, but until you get to the ground level -- like in a supermarket -- you’re not going to get Hispanics to vote,” he said.
“It’s not high school Spanish in ad campaigns that does it. We need to feel like we’re significant. We need face to face, we all want to see the body.”
As evidence, he noted that Hillary Clinton sought his support by having staff members send him four messages. Obama, however, called him personally -- and that made a difference in his decision to support the Illinois senator.
Put another way, money may be important in drawing the Hispanic vote, because it pays for ads and staff. But what may go further is time and shoe leather.
To whom it may concern;
I have recently become abhorred at the increasing level of bigoted and hateful postings by one of your readers using the name GOD. In recent days he has countlessly evoked the need to shout INS and POLICE at voting ballots to watch Sen. Barack Obama's supporters "all flee at the polling places come November," as well as using Sen. Obama's middle name Hussein. Other gems from this poster include applauding Sen Kennedy's brain tumor and attacking two women who recently graduate from college by overcoming immense odds being first generation Mexican-Americans. While I full support "GOD's" right to voice his/her opinion, it is your responsibility to ensure that your newspaper does not continuously print such racist and slanderous postings.
Hey Fred,
Thanks for standing up for decency. I concur with your assessment.
Hispanics are in important demographic to reach. Demonizing them simply because of their majority careers just shows frustration and ignorance. Turn back the clock 100 years, and replace "Hispanic" with "Irish", and you'll see the same exact situation. Irish were treated as slave labor too, demeaned down to have only the worst jobs. But it's that hard work ethic that the Irish had that helped to rebuild America after it's previous bouts with tough times. Same with the Hispanics. Give it enough time, and Cinco De Mayo will be right up there with St. Patrick's Day.
Ironically enough, it's how people have ignored the Latino spending dollar that they became protected from this ridiculous credit crisis that we have right now. You can argue that illegal labor takes revenue out of the community all you like, but the truth is that they contributed more through sales taxes TO the economy, than they removed from it by transferring money elsewhere. Most importantly, they save money. And corporations are now responding to this. Ever notice how all the beer & liquor ads on the East side of town are now being replaced with Spanish language ads from Bank of America & Wells Fargo? It's because these folks are accumulating money. They spend it frugally, and make for the most part far better financial choices with the income that they do generate. Compare two households: One from Summerlin, and a Hispanic one from the East Side. Take a comparison of their assets and I'll bet you'll find that while you could inflate the *net worth* of the Summerlin family, the Hispanic one from the east side will own more of their property outright. And that's not even figuring in other personal debts like college tuition. Hispanics don't simply run up large amounts of credit and risk defaulting on them. They know the magical word of "budgeting". They buy far more sensible clothing, automobiles and homes, and perform the maintenance themselves. Right now, and for a few years to come, Hispanics are going to be the most stable demographic of people we're going to be able to rely upon financially.
Hispanics are going to be the people that help save the economy. And that's coming from a white guy who also had to do lots of hard working jobs to get where I am today.
To have someone go out and meet with them like Lopez did here, does indeed speak volumes about Obama. Lots of people have criticized him for being too inexperienced to deal with foreign relations. But as we can see here, he's already demonstrating one way that he knows how to build them up. That's something to take notice of.
There is nothing wrong with GOD posts. He should have the right to voice his opinion freely. There is nothing racist about what he says. What is so wrong about using Obama's middle name? That is his middle name, right? I ask that liberals stop trying to get people banned from the comment section of this paper just because they're not Obama supporters. You have plenty of left-wing websites full of people that agree with you. Go there.
I don't question their right to voice any opinion, but argue that such statements as "Better yet, just yell "INS" or "Police" and watch them all flee at the polling places come November," is racist, and have no place on this web site. As for the use of Hussein, yes it is the Senator's middle name, but the constant referral of the Senator as Hussein Obama rather than Barack Obama, or Senator Obama is clearly meant to identify him as Muslim, which he is not. It is a rather underhanded, and uneducated slur. As a republican I find it repugnant. Go find your own web sites.
Don't argue and complain to each other, about these open border people. DO SOMETHING! Just griping gets us nowhere. They will use the 'Race Card' against anybody that is against their policy. They win a lot of the time, because our tainted politicians are a bunch of wimps. Overall the Democratic party wants to give every lawbreaker here a path to citizenship. I watch their platform on C-span tonight. Some guy named Diaz has it all mapped out. It's just another word for AMNESTY. The 12 to 30 million people squatting here, pays a fine.
What $3.000 dollars? Learn English and go to the back of the line. While thousands of new potential immigrants wait years patiently, in foreign countries. Why bother with this scenario of waiting, if other can steal across our undermanned border, and take up residents? Why?
I know when I came legally to America, I paid $2500 dollars for the service of an attorney. Jumped through hoops with the INS so called back then. Plus I had to sign an affidavit that I wouldn't become a public charge. However all those who come today illegally, know how to tap into the welfare 'Cash-cow' When you was released from Ellis Island back in the 20th century, you were only to glad to learn English, find work and grab at the American dream. Today these people from third world countries, still hold an allegiance to some foreign government and have no intentions of assimilating.
The only chance we have surviving this invasion, is demanding Democrats sponsor the Federal SAVE ACT (H.R.4088) They don't want to, because if these millions of people get AMNESTY..they can vote! However, they will probably vote anyway!
Last chance for US, before November. Join NUMBERSUSA, CAPSWEB and fax for free your representative.
Even though I'm not a Democrat, my opinion is that Obama will win the presidential race? Personally I'm not happy with either party, because they both are going to force Amnesty through for illegal aliens. In regards to the financial stabilization, this is the biggest menace to American jobs and all our children's future. OVERPOPULATION will cause more issues, then anything else that confronts this country. Water shortages in the Southwest, lose of energy supplies and overuse of resources.
Even with about 80 percent of the American people against a path to citizenship, either McCain or Obama owe favors to an assortment of special interest lobby. Most of their campaign contributions come from power house of corporate entities, who like their steady stream of cheap labor. Our only chance is for the Democrat voters to demand the Federal SAVE ACT (H.R.4088)which will add an iron gauntlet to the laws on the books. More funding! Compared what taxpayers are spending now? PENNIES! It will cost astronomical sums of money if Comprehensive reform is secretly pushed through the Congress. Read about the facts and not rhetoric at NUMBERSUSA, CAPSWEB.
The one who uses Deity’s common identity so freely is not only a bigot, but more than a little deranged loving see his ratings anonymously in print to show his friend (should he find one); sounding as one who lacks a life, if not a history.
May I ask, of which illegals do you speak and by whose definition?
As a paternal second generation American (Mexican), who’s families have been in and out of what came to be called The United States of America, from Santa Fe to Ciudad Juarez since the 17th century to the present and having 12 Pilgrims and no one else here for much less than that on my maternal side, I doubt very seriously I will be fleeing from anyone at the polls or anywhere else; most especially not from you or like “thinkers” (and I use that word more than a bit loosely).
And yes, I will proudly be voting OBAMA ‘08