Hispanic Evangelicals came out in strong numbers in support of President George W.Bush in the 2004 presidential election. Many believe that John McCain does not enjoy the same popularity with Evangelical and will have to work hard to obtain their support. Obama on the other hand does not share many of the social views of this group, particularly with issues such as abortion. However, his ability to speak openly about his faith may give him an advantage over John McCain. …
Their possible role in the outcome of the Nov. 4 contest between Democratic candidate Barack Obama and Republican John McCain will be the focus of a conference in Vanguard, California, Thursday and Friday organized by the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference (NHCLC).
Religion plays a big role in American politics, and the evangelical community, which accounts for about one in four U.S. adults, is regarded as a key “battleground faith.”
U.S. President George W. Bush made significant in-roads into the Latino vote in 2004, garnering about 40 percent of it by some estimates, thanks in part to the support of Hispanic evangelicals.
But NHCLC President Samuel Rodriguez told me that their numbers are concentrated in key swing states that could go either way in November like Colorado, New Mexico and Florida.
So in a close election they could be a key vote in both battleground states and battleground faiths.
“Hispanic evangelicals are the quintessential moderates and centrists. They are committed to a prolife agenda and preserving traditional marriage. But they are also committed to tackling global warming and other social justice issues such as poverty and immigration reform,” Rodriguez said.
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