Hispanics tend to support Bush, tax cuts, and morality...

[Al B. Sure!]

but not the Republican party

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=68&ncid=68&e=1&u=/nyt/20030803/ts_nyt/hispanicsbackbiggovernmentandbushtoo

They were twice as likely to call themselves Democrats as Republicans, viewed the Democratic Party more favorably than the Republican Party and, by a margin of 49 percent to 21 percent, said the Democratic Party was more likely to care about the needs of Hispanics.

They applauded tax cuts, calling them better economic policy than reducing deficits, and embraced the use of school vouchers. They were less likely than the population at large to support the legalization of homosexual relations between consenting adults. And 44 percent of Hispanics said abortion should not be legal, compared with 22 percent of non-Hispanics.

Hispanics were evenly divided on the question of whether homosexual relations between consenting adults should be legal; among the general public, this position is supported by 54 percent to 39 percent.

Hispanics approved of Mr. Bush's job performance 52 to 38 percent, while 54 percent said that he "cares about the needs and problem of people like yourself." By contrast, just 40 percent of Hispanics said they had a favorable view of the Republican Party, while 60 percent said they had a favorable view of Democrats

[Spiffor]

These figures are frightening. 22% of your general population wants to make abortion illegal !? In what kind of feudal kingdom are you living!?

[Al B. Sure!]

Spiffor:

that statistic is misleading because it dont take into account the differences between making abortions illegal and making abortions on demand illegal... a majority are against the former while a majority support the latter.

[Spiffor]

Originally posted by Albert Speer
that statistic is misleading because it dont take into account the differences between making abortions illegal and making abortions on demand illegal

Does "abortion on demand" mean a request for abortion made by the mother in the 3 first months of pregnancy, without any justification needed ?

[Al B. Sure!]

i'm not sure of the specific language that pollsters or pundits or interest groups or whatever use to describe abortion on demand but i believe it is first six months with no reason, last three months for any reason... the majority of americans are understandably bothered by rich people having abortions, etc. interestingly though, the majority of americans (according to my gov't textbook) are in favour of gov't funding for poor women to get free abortions. so its a odd twist that neither pro-life nor pro-choice represents

[Spiffor]

Originally posted by Albert Speer
interestingly though, the majority of americans (according to my gov't textbook) are in favour of gov't funding for poor women to get free abortions. so its a odd twist that neither pro-life nor pro-choice represents

You have just raised my opinion of the Americans a few notches. This is an excellent idea.

[st_swithin]

Chr1st, this is why you guys can't get a date - you're living in the wrong fvckin' century, me darlins!

You should go back to the Dark Ages of Europe - say, 1200 - 1500 CE (Common Era, aka A.D.) and open a pub.

You'd be so much happier away from us non-God-fearing, anti-waste, pro-choice (which means, the choice is up to whomever the procedure will be administered), polypartisan meat-eating types.

Tek eh peekchur - eet lasts longair.

[Jon Miller]

so the baby gets to decide?

Jon Miller

[Spiffor]

Originally posted by st_swithin
Chr1st, this is why you guys can't get a date - you're living in the wrong fvckin' century, me darlins!

I have a girlfriend.
Wait, that must be because I am pro-choice and I respect women

[DanS]

I read that article last evening and came to the conclusion that these are your very typical Reagan Democrats (i.e., non-hispanic catholics from working-class neighborhoods) from two decades ago.

From the experience of my rather large family, the half that are against abortion will turn Republican. Abortion is a very effective wedge issue. Before you know it, many hispanics will be unable to identify with the Democrats.

[St Leo]

so the baby gets to decide?

What do babies have to do with this? We are talking about abortion, not infanticide.

[GePap]

As long as Republicans are seen as a sort of "nativist" party, the hIspanic vote will remain solidly democrat: also, most Hispanics are urban, another solid democrat area. Hispanics are socially conservatives overall, but as far as tax cuts go, notice they prefer tax cuts to deficit reduction: doesn't say much about spending reductions...

African Americans are probably the same: more socially conservative than whites: that has not meant a shift from democratic support anyway.

[Al B. Sure!]

yeah Gepap... thats what has always bothered me. ethnic minorities whether Black, hispanic, or asian are generally very socially conservative but (except for asians who do tend to vote republican) vote consistantly democrat.

the problem is that the republican party has been too protrayed as a party of rich white men which there might be some truth to. the republican party really needs to emphasize moral conservatism a bit more and back off the pro-business stance a bit... though i think being pro-business ultimatly is for the better, it does not look good in the eyes of voters. if the republican party can become more populistic (or the democrats continue heading more and more left), then it's only a matter of time before the republican party once again becomes the urban-centered party of Lincoln

[yavoon]

Originally posted by Spiffor
These figures are frightening. 22% of your general population wants to make abortion illegal !? In what kind of feudal kingdom are you living!?

ironic that not killing babies would qualify one as a feudal kingdom.

[Spiffor]

Forcing women to have unwanted kids is definitely feudal in my book

I still cannot understand how the US, a presumably modern country, can still be that backwards about issues like creationism and abortion. In Europe, anti-abortionists and creationists are extremely marginal and considered as loonies or monsters by the general public. And rightly so