Survey: Bush, Not Republicans, Popular Among Hispanics
By Jim Burns
CNSNews.com Senior Staff Writer
July 24, 2001
(1st add includes comments by the Republican National Committee.)
(CNSNews.com) - A survey released Tuesday by the Hispanic Business Roundtable and the Latino Coalition indicates President Bush has been successful in his efforts to reach out to Hispanics, but his party has not.
Both groups say this is the first comprehensive survey of Hispanics since the U.S. Census Bureau declared them the largest minority group in America.
According to the poll of 1,000 Hispanic adults, 47 percent have a favorable view of President Bush; only 23 percent have a favorable view of congressional Republicans; and 54 percent have a favorable view of congressional Democrats.
"There is an inherent presence to the presidency that carries with it a great deal of prestige," said Robert Rodriguez, executive director of the Hispanic Business Roundtable. "George W. Bush has taken advantage of some of that."
Rodriguez added, "He is the first president to have ever held the 'Cinco de Mayo' celebration in the White House, and it was well communicated to the community. He is the first one to have done a national radio address in Spanish."
"Clearly, when you find how many of the respondents in the survey rely on Spanish language media for information it is obviously having an impact," he said.
"Congress on the other hand," Rodriguez said, " is a more abstract term and is more partisan in nature. And as a result, the Republicans in Congress, if they are doing any outreach, I would strongly advise them that they ought to review it because on the surface it isn't working."
Another feather in Bush's cap with the Hispanics is his recent tax cut proposal. Sixty-one percent of those surveyed approved it. The first set of rebate checks were mailed last week.
Fifty-one percent of those Hispanics surveyed considered themselves "Democrats" while 17 percent labeled themselves "Republicans" and 11 percent considered themselves to be "Independents."
Thirty-five percent of those surveyed considered themselves "Conservative" in their political thinking, while 29 percent thought themselves to be "Moderate" and 25 percent considered themselves to be "Liberal."
"This shows that Republicans have a way to go before they can legitimately claim Hispanics as part of their coalition," said Robert DePosada, president of the Latino Coalition.
The most important issue affecting Hispanics in the United States, according to the survey, is discrimination, followed closely by the quality of education. The issues tied for third place in the list of priorities were jobs and immigration.
"One gets a sense when you read this survey that Latinos across the country feel they are being left behind. That explains why their number one issue is discrimination," DePosada said.
"Of course, you will feel discriminated when you are three times as likely to be uninsured as the rest of the population. Of course, you would feel that way when your schools are failing your kids, and when only a third have savings for their retirement," he said.
"This is a recipe for failure and dependency, and Latinos strongly believe that this has to stop. The survey shows Latinos support necessary reforms to make the system more responsive to their needs and concerns," DePosada concluded.
White House spokesman Jimmy Orr reacted, "The president's message and his presidency has been well received. The president has proved to be an inclusive leader and has demonstrated his commitment to the Hispanic community through his actions, his appointments and his agenda."
Orr added, "Certainly, the Hispanic children and seniors will benefit from the president's education, Medicare and Social Security reform plans. The president's tax relief plan provides resources to Hispanic small business owners and families."
Sharon Castillo, a spokesperson for the Republican National Committee reacted, "The last election cycle taught us that Hispanics will vote for the right Republican."
Castillo added, "As governor of Texas now president, President Bush has worked really hard to let Hispanic voters know that he opposes immigrant bashing and that he recognizes the economic and cultural contributions of the Hispanic community to this great country.
"Hispanics in general are taking a fresh look at the Republican Party and it has a lot to do with the leadership of President Bush," she said. "Hispanics are usually very conservative, and they are for education reform and that is the number one priority for this president.
"Strong family ties define Hispanics and that's the core value of the Republican Party, Castillo said. "We need to get the message out that there are Republicans like President Bush. But congressional Republicans have to have a message of hope and opportunity like the president does and they will be well received in the Hispanic community."
On abortion, the survey found that 63 percent considered themselves "pro-life" while 29 percent considered themselves to be "pro-choice."
By a margin of 58 to 38 percent, Hispanics have a negative opinion of the local public school system. The survey also showed that violence and drugs is the biggest problem facing public education, followed by the lack of quality teachers, lack of basic reading, writing and math skills and classroom overcrowding.
The survey also found that those polled said too much of current federal education money is spent on bureaucracy and not enough gets to the students and teachers. But, 40 percent of those polled believe more money should be funneled into education to help teachers and students.
The survey was conducted between July 9 and 11. The two groups, the Hispanic Business Roundtable and the Latino Coalition, said they will conduct more bipartisan surveys in the future. The two groups also announced today that they will merge, a move they see as mutually beneficial. .
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