September 27, 2013
Hispanics Grow Cool to G.O.P., Poll Finds
By LAURIE GOODSTEIN

AUSTIN, Tex. — A new survey shows that Hispanics, the nation’s largest
minority group, have grown increasingly negative toward the Republican
Party during the political battle over changing immigration law and lean
surprisingly liberal on social issues like gay marriage — a combination
of factors that presents a steep challenge for Republicans in trying to
win back Hispanic voters.

More than 6 in 10 Hispanic respondents said they felt closer to the
Democratic Party than they had in the past, while only 3 in 10 said they
felt closer to the Republican Party. When Hispanics were asked to offer
descriptions of the parties, 48 percent of the responses about the
Republicans were negative associations like “intolerant” and “out of
touch,” while 22 percent of the responses for the Democrats were negative.

The outlook for Republicans has grown increasingly negative since 2004,
when President George W. Bush won re-election with 44 percent of the
Hispanic vote. The survey, released Friday by the Public Religion
Research Institute, a nonprofit research group in Washington, found that
56 percent of registered Hispanic voters identified with the Democrats,
while 19 percent said they identified with Republicans, and 19 percent
as independents.



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