Pew Hispanic poll: immigration far eclipsed by economy

Posted Thu, Jan 15, 2009 at 1:05 pm
A new Pew Hispanic poll provides some evidence that immigration issues aren't as vital an issue to Latinos as hacks try to tell us. The summary and PDF with the full results is here. Here are the percentages for "extremely important":

57%: The economy
51%: Education
45%: Healthcare
43%: National security
33%: The environment
31%: Immigration
20%: Energy policy

Note that two surveys were conducted, and all adults Latinos were eligible. Thus, the persons answering that question could be Puerto Ricans, native born Mexican-Americans, legal immigrants, illegal aliens, or so on.

Further, voters (presumably citizens) were asked "What one issue mattered most to you in deciding how to vote for president?" They were not given a choice of responses. Only 6% named immigration, behind the economy/jobs (31%), "change" (13%), Iraq (7%), and "candidate attributes" (14%). No one appears to have named Sarah Palin as a reason one way or another. Only 2% named Bush, and only 1% named things related to the Republican party.

None of the above is very favorable to those who support massive/illegal immigration, so NC Aizenman of the Washington Post supplies the orthodoxy (link):
Still, Mark Hugo Lopez, co-author of the survey released today, cautioned that the current results may reflect Latinos' increasing concern with the economy more than mounting apathy over immigration. He noted that 75 percent of Hispanics reported that immigration should be at least a "very important" priority for President-elect Barack Obama, and 88 percent cited it as at least "important."

Lopez also said the current poll did not necessarily disprove the impression of many analysts that the Republican Party's opposition to the legalization plan contributed to Obama's two-to-one victory over Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) among Hispanics. Although previous polling indicated that registered Latino voters had more confidence in Democrats' ability to manage the economy, a September poll by the Pew Hispanic Center also found that 55 percent of Latino registered voters believed Democrats had more concern for Hispanics, compared to 6 percent who cited Republicans.

"We don't have any evidence to be able to tease out the independent effect of immigration [on the election's outcome]," said Lopez. "There are several possible scenarios there and I don't think our survey allows us to tease them out."
Hacks are funny.
Tags: 
washington post
immigration poll
pew hispanic
mark hugo lopez
nc aizenman

Comments

Mary (not verified)

Thu, 01/15/2009 - 19:12

You are assuming they care what research proves....or what the public wants. They don't.

Edward (not verified)

Fri, 01/16/2009 - 00:51

Nice list, but there is only one issue present that is actually responsible for all the others. And Mary is onto the answer. Ending all the jobs and benefits that lure illegal aliens into committing their crimes, as well as really securing the border, would probably solve all the others. Ignoring the consequences of that one issue guarantees that ALL of the other issues will never be resolved, in fact, they will only get worse. Government agencies and programs aren't in the business of solving anything, otherwise they put themselves out of business. Instead, we hear their constant litany of proposals to increase the magnets and exacerbate all the problems we are trying to get rid of! 'Amnesty, more guest workers, path to citizenship, DREAM or SCHIP.' All non-solutions and on purpose, because they justify perpetuating and expanding the government. Bureaucrats, agencies, boards and commissions all subsist on the same 'welfare teat', the taxpayer. And they are all unemployed if they solve anything. Ask them if they 'care'? "Of course!". Ask them what they are doing to fix the problem? Same non-answer, "working hard on it". That tea party is long, long past due.

eh (not verified)

Fri, 01/16/2009 - 03:07

The bullshit that some people waste their time on is amazing -- not TLB, rather that absurd poll (there is no 'Pew White Poll') and this autopilot WaPo article.

Fred Dawes (not verified)

Fri, 01/16/2009 - 14:35

all of the above are right.

Smitty (not verified)

Mon, 01/19/2009 - 22:14

The "Economy" is much like the weather, everybody talks about it, nobody can do anything about it, its size is irrelevant, too bad we don't have an "economy" tax.