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Wednesday, July 18, 2012 | 2 a.m.
Sun coverage
Politicians who ignore the Asian-American and Pacific Islander vote do so at their own peril.
That was the message Tuesday from Asian-American community leaders during a teleconference in which they spoke about the results of a new nationwide survey of Asian-American voters.
Since 2008, 600,000 new Asian-Americans have entered the electorate, said Christine Chen, executive director of APIAVote, a nonpartisan organization seeking to increase civic participation among Asian-Americans. The number is only expected to grow; Asians make up the fastest-growing demographic group in America and are expected to vote in record numbers this fall, she added.
The telephone survey, conducted in April by Lake Research Partners, sampled 713 registered Asia-American and Pacific Islander voters from across the United States, as well as an oversample an additional 100 voters in Nevada and three other states, Florida, Illinois and Virginia. The survey had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.7 percent.
The survey found Asian-American voters in Nevada favoring President Barack Obama over Republican Mitt Romney 54 to 29 percent, said David Mermin, a partner with Lake Research Partners. While the gap would seem to be good news for the Obama campaign, it also marks a drop from the 63 percent of those surveyed who said they voted for Obama in 2008.
Nationwide, a commanding 59 percent of Asian-Americans surveyed said they would vote for Obama compared with 13 percent for Romney. The 59 percent favoring Obama was higher than the 56 percent of those surveyed who said they voted for Obama in 2008.
The survey also found Asian-Americans in Nevada to be more critical of Obama and more supportive of Romney than Asian-American voters nationwide. However, the Nevada respondents also tend to be more optimistic about the direction of the country and how things are going for people like them than their counterparts nationwide, Mermin said.
Gloria Caoile, political director for the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, said that the biggest hurdle in getting Asian-Americans to turn out in November is voter apathy and the belief that political issues do not affect their community. Caoile said her organization has been using phone banks and knocking on doors to inform Asian-Americans of the importance of their U.S. citizenship and the obligation that comes with it.
About 4 in 5 Asian-American voters in Nevada said they are almost certain to vote, Mermin said. Fifty-two percent report being more enthusiastic to vote this year.
Only 28 percent of those surveyed in Nevada said they were contacted by the Democratic Party some or a great deal, with 18 percent saying the same about the Republican Party.
“Not only are the party leaders not paying attention to those of us who are already in their base, they’re not even fighting for those of us who are independent and waiting to be wooed,” said Mee Moua, president and executive director of the Asian American Justice Center in Washington.
Assuming that Obama maintains his current 25-point lead over Romney among Asian-American voters in Nevada and that those voters have similar turnout rates as 2008, Obama could receive a 9,000-vote advantage in Nevada, enough to tip the state to the president, the survey’s statisticians said. However, 1 in 6 Asian-American voters is still undecided and the Romney campaign can still make inroads with these voters, Mermin said.
Comment removed by moderator. Inappropriate
Talk about voting against your own self-interest. A lot of Asians are small business owners and yet they favor a guy who wants to destroy these businesses through taxation, because guess what, you only have that business because the government allowed you to have it, according to Obama.
They're not stupid, they know where their best interests are. Voting for big corp. inc. gives all the advantages to mega stores which will destroy small businesses.
Warren Buffet says that he has never made a business decision based on the tax rate. Neither would a small business, like the one I have. DEMAND for your product is the key, and without a vibrant middle class, there will be little demand for the products of small, and large businesses. The Asian-Americans know this and see through the BS of the greedy 1% on the right, that's why they are for Obama.
Obama is right, all businesses in a capitalist system have to have government rules, regulation, laws and a sustainable advantage, currently provided, to remain in business. Union perks and wages would not survive in America if not for government and all businesses would cannibalize each other no matter how smart or hard you work.
Ya well the Government is supposed to represent THE people. Sadly most of this Government is run by Multi-National Conglomerates who do not like competition. Thus small operators are under attack. RHG58 is under the impression it is Socialists who are after SB when in fact it is Capitalists.
Asian Americans are well educated and are not buying the bull the Right is shoveling.
Most Asians aren't stupid. They're smart enuff to know that a strong middle-class is vital to a strong economy for jobs and small businesses to thrive!
So its true. Asians are smarter than everyone else.
They're smart enough to come in and buy Hank Paulson's and the democrats housing mess for .25 cents on the dollar, finance democrats borrowing spree for a handful of union jobs that done absolutely nothing for the economy, bring in junk by the boat load, take back solid gold and take advantage of twenty year power purchase agreements while bankrupting Harry and Barry's green energy programs. No wonder they like Barry or whoever he is this week. Other than that, they are just normal.
Obama is right that the environment that businesses operate in (infrastructure, etc.) are provided by the government, and are essential to the operation of businesses. That's one of the big differences between the US and many countries in the world. China realizes this and is POURING money into improving infrastructure so that they can stay competitive in the future, even if their wages increase.
Of course they are for Obama!
Case in point are companies like Beechcraft that just went bankrupt and being sold to the Chinese. Cirrus Aircraft has already been sold to China Aviation Industry. (look it up)
So as fast as Obama destroys the place, they get to buy it up. Or just lend us so much we can't pay. Either way, they get what they want with Obama. Of course they are for him!
President Obama in Roanoke Virginia July 13, 2012 'If You've Got a Business -- You Didn't Build That. Somebody Else Made That Happen' If You Are A Socialist Or A Communist Then You Are Rejoicing That Obama Came Clean And Is Out Of The Closet
Comment removed by moderator. Refers to removed comment.
Dipstick, Obama doesn't have any corporate sponsors?????
I guess G.E. doesn't count.
Cirrus 4-place Aircraft are in the $400,000 to $600,000 range. No one forced the sale to China. The owners could make a bundle and kick back - probably in the Cayman Islands where they stashed the second half of the sales price which wasn't published.
tbvegas..so I guess you think that: 1. All Asians are Chinese, and 2. All Asians are Chinese agents who work for the Chinese Government or Chinese Industry. Breathtaking, just Breathtaking...
Actually Dennis my comment had to do with a phrase you used. Didn't believe it but was just commenting as being politically correct. No harm no foul.
interesting the use of the term THEY in some of the comments. If they are voting americans then they are citizens. SO how does all this THEY stuff work out?
I assume you are referring to China and other countries that are buying Assets in the U.S. That is not who this article is about. It just shows the knee jerk right wing reaction to every story that is printed here!
I am surprised. Generally, this segment of our population is more intelligent than to back a President who is against free enterprise and individual independence. Traditionally, this group is against a strong central government. Either something else is driving this trend or our Asian brothers and sisters are falling prey to government hand-outs.
One would think a community with a well deserved reputation for hard work and personal responsibility would know better.
YES, Asians are smarter.
And all of my Asian freinds love Obama!
Bunch of whiners. People in 1920 would look at things today and gasp. "How can they do it with such a large government?", simply doers do and whiners don't.
Newsflash, the vast majority of small businesses fail, all by themselves. Has zero to do with anything but the fact the operator made some serious miscalculations about the viability of their concern.
If government is the problem why isn't Walmart opening stores in the Sudan? Why isn't Apple starting up new plants in places like the Congo flush with ultra cheap labor? Simple, without a structure there can be no "bidness".
What is outdated is this Fox News, Ludwig von Mises, Ron Paul load of bull. Hell if these idiots truly believed in their bs, they would be out doing things not spending millions whining about the stupid government.
Most Asians I know just-do-it.
likewise if taxes mattered Nevada's Real Estate market would be hitting new highs and we would have an unemployment rate of negative -5.
If we had more oversight in Nevada, which might have stopped the massive creation of liar loans between 2004 to 2008, I doubt most of us would be sitting in houses underwater.
If we had a viable County Government which would have told developers we have enough strip malls and stucco subdivisions and denied most of the building permits last decade, would we be sitting with these losses?
If we lived in a State without "right to work" maybe more viable long term businesses would relocate. But without worker protections how does Nevada think they are going to attract highly trained professionals and real sustainable business activity?
If we had a sophisticated Gaming Board representing residents we would already be the World's leader in internet gaming. But instead it operates at the wim of a handful of Casino operators who have shown have no loyalty whatsoever to Nevada.
On and On it goes. Government is not the problem, selfish people are.