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| Florida's Latino politics shaken up as Puerto Ricans shift the ground | Florida's Latino politics shaken up as Puerto Ricans shift the ground |
| (30 days later) | |
| Veronica Romero was belting it out for Mitt Romney. Her band, Punto y Coma, flipped between Cuban and Puerto Rican numbers for a crowd of Republican supporters in Kissimmee, a central Florida town next to Disneyworld where a surge in Hispanic residents since the last presidential election is shaking up old assumptions about the Latino vote in an important swing state. | Veronica Romero was belting it out for Mitt Romney. Her band, Punto y Coma, flipped between Cuban and Puerto Rican numbers for a crowd of Republican supporters in Kissimmee, a central Florida town next to Disneyworld where a surge in Hispanic residents since the last presidential election is shaking up old assumptions about the Latino vote in an important swing state. |
| The Cuban songs played to a community that has for decades defined Latino politics in Florida as solidly pro-Republican. The Puerto Rican music was an acknowledgement that hegemony is increasingly under challenge from Latino migrants whose votes are up for grabs. | The Cuban songs played to a community that has for decades defined Latino politics in Florida as solidly pro-Republican. The Puerto Rican music was an acknowledgement that hegemony is increasingly under challenge from Latino migrants whose votes are up for grabs. |
| Romero is Puerto Rican and for Romney. But when she talks about the election she sounds much like a Barack Obama supporter four years ago. | Romero is Puerto Rican and for Romney. But when she talks about the election she sounds much like a Barack Obama supporter four years ago. |
| "We are tired of the same old. We are looking forward," she said. "We were looking for a change and we didn't get it. Especially the economy. We need more job opportunities. We are looking to work." | "We are tired of the same old. We are looking forward," she said. "We were looking for a change and we didn't get it. Especially the economy. We need more job opportunities. We are looking to work." |
| Opinion polls show Obama commanding a sizeable lead among Latino voters across the US who support him about two to one against Romney. But Florida is different. | Opinion polls show Obama commanding a sizeable lead among Latino voters across the US who support him about two to one against Romney. But Florida is different. |
| The bulk of the Hispanic population in US border states to the west has Mexican roots. Florida's Latino politics has for half a century been dominated by Cubans who fled Fidel Castro's rule and their descendants, and they have generally been solid Republicans because of their hostility to communism. | The bulk of the Hispanic population in US border states to the west has Mexican roots. Florida's Latino politics has for half a century been dominated by Cubans who fled Fidel Castro's rule and their descendants, and they have generally been solid Republicans because of their hostility to communism. |
| But years of immigration from South and Central America, and more recently migrants from Puerto Rico, has not only contributed to a dramatic change in demographics – with Latinos rising from one-tenth of the state's population 30 years ago to nearly one quarter today – but has shifted the ground in this year's presidential election. And unlike many other new arrivals in Florida, people born in Puerto Rico are Americans citizens and can vote, even if their island is not a US state. | But years of immigration from South and Central America, and more recently migrants from Puerto Rico, has not only contributed to a dramatic change in demographics – with Latinos rising from one-tenth of the state's population 30 years ago to nearly one quarter today – but has shifted the ground in this year's presidential election. And unlike many other new arrivals in Florida, people born in Puerto Rico are Americans citizens and can vote, even if their island is not a US state. |
| "The Puerto Rican vote in Florida is up for grabs," said Puerto Rico's Republican governor, Luis Fortuno. "Puerto Ricans in Florida tend to be very conservative socially. If they are second or third generation moving south from New York, that's different. Those coming straight from Puerto Rico are social conservatives for whom issues such as high taxes are very important." | "The Puerto Rican vote in Florida is up for grabs," said Puerto Rico's Republican governor, Luis Fortuno. "Puerto Ricans in Florida tend to be very conservative socially. If they are second or third generation moving south from New York, that's different. Those coming straight from Puerto Rico are social conservatives for whom issues such as high taxes are very important." |
| Democrats say some of that is true. "The Puerto Ricans like Romney because they are conservative," said Nicole Murillo, secretary of the Democratic party's Hispanic caucus in Kissimmee. "They don't like abortion. They don't like gay marriage. But Romney as a person who can fix the economy – very few believe in that. | Democrats say some of that is true. "The Puerto Ricans like Romney because they are conservative," said Nicole Murillo, secretary of the Democratic party's Hispanic caucus in Kissimmee. "They don't like abortion. They don't like gay marriage. But Romney as a person who can fix the economy – very few believe in that. |
| "When I hear from Latinos that they're not going to vote for Obama because he hasn't fixed the economy, I say: are you going to vote for Romney who only cares about the rich? I say look at it this way: they're both bad but you have to look at the one that is less bad. They say that makes sense." | "When I hear from Latinos that they're not going to vote for Obama because he hasn't fixed the economy, I say: are you going to vote for Romney who only cares about the rich? I say look at it this way: they're both bad but you have to look at the one that is less bad. They say that makes sense." |
| There are about one million Cuban Americans in Florida. Opinion polls show about three out of four of them back Romney, in large part because they do not believe Obama has been tough enough on Cuba's communist leadership. | There are about one million Cuban Americans in Florida. Opinion polls show about three out of four of them back Romney, in large part because they do not believe Obama has been tough enough on Cuba's communist leadership. |
| But there are also now about 850,000 Puerto Ricans resident in Florida. Many of the new arrivals have settled in Orlando and neighbouring Osceola County, where Kissimmee is the largest town. Latinos now make up 40% of residents and the sharp rise in the number of Puerto Ricans led to the area getting a new congressional district this year. | But there are also now about 850,000 Puerto Ricans resident in Florida. Many of the new arrivals have settled in Orlando and neighbouring Osceola County, where Kissimmee is the largest town. Latinos now make up 40% of residents and the sharp rise in the number of Puerto Ricans led to the area getting a new congressional district this year. |
| Tammy Celeste, the chair of Kissimmee's Republican party, said that knocking on doors campaigning, she hears a lot of disillusionment with Obama. | Tammy Celeste, the chair of Kissimmee's Republican party, said that knocking on doors campaigning, she hears a lot of disillusionment with Obama. |
| "The guy promised them change. He promised them the world and they fell for it," she said. "There's a lot of them that's changing their politics. Mostly they are conservative. They believe in what we believe in – less government, family. But they just need to be told in Spanish what we stand for. There are those who are much more favourable to [Obama] but they're the ones who don't want to work." | "The guy promised them change. He promised them the world and they fell for it," she said. "There's a lot of them that's changing their politics. Mostly they are conservative. They believe in what we believe in – less government, family. But they just need to be told in Spanish what we stand for. There are those who are much more favourable to [Obama] but they're the ones who don't want to work." |
| Murillo, an immigrant from Colombia and a substitute teacher, said she, too, hears the distress over jobs when she's campaigning on streets lined with closed restaurants and shops plastered with "For Rent" signs. But that does not necessarily translate into support for Romney. | Murillo, an immigrant from Colombia and a substitute teacher, said she, too, hears the distress over jobs when she's campaigning on streets lined with closed restaurants and shops plastered with "For Rent" signs. But that does not necessarily translate into support for Romney. |
| "In this area, Disney is the biggest employer. They've been cutting a lot of people," she said. "Most of the time we worry more about jobs; how we are going to provide for our families. One of the things that is happening in central Florida, people are having two jobs. That was difficult but now some people have three or four part time jobs in order to provide for your family. People don't look at Romney and think he is going to bring more secure jobs or better pay." | "In this area, Disney is the biggest employer. They've been cutting a lot of people," she said. "Most of the time we worry more about jobs; how we are going to provide for our families. One of the things that is happening in central Florida, people are having two jobs. That was difficult but now some people have three or four part time jobs in order to provide for your family. People don't look at Romney and think he is going to bring more secure jobs or better pay." |
| The Romney campaign is hitting the unemployment issue hard in adverts targeted at Latino voters. It has also bought blocks of air time on a Spanish-language liberal talk radio show during which surrogates get to argue the Republican candidate's case with a sceptical host and Obama supporter, Fernando Miguel Negron. | The Romney campaign is hitting the unemployment issue hard in adverts targeted at Latino voters. It has also bought blocks of air time on a Spanish-language liberal talk radio show during which surrogates get to argue the Republican candidate's case with a sceptical host and Obama supporter, Fernando Miguel Negron. |
| Obama scored points with some Puerto Ricans in particular, and Latinos in general, by appointing Sonia Sotomayor, who is of Puerto Rican heritage, to the US supreme court. Two former Democratic party governors of Puerto Rico, Carlos Romero Barceló and Rafael Hernández Colón – who are renowned as bitter rivals on the island – joined forces in Kissimmee to endorse the president. | Obama scored points with some Puerto Ricans in particular, and Latinos in general, by appointing Sonia Sotomayor, who is of Puerto Rican heritage, to the US supreme court. Two former Democratic party governors of Puerto Rico, Carlos Romero Barceló and Rafael Hernández Colón – who are renowned as bitter rivals on the island – joined forces in Kissimmee to endorse the president. |
| Obama has tried to woo the Cuban American community with an endorsement from Cristina Saralegui, a talk show host sometimes described as the Oprah Winfrey of Spanish-language television in Florida. Saralegui, who arrived in Florida as a child refugee from Cuba, says she is backing Obama because he "understands the Hispanic community and has supported it unconditionally". | Obama has tried to woo the Cuban American community with an endorsement from Cristina Saralegui, a talk show host sometimes described as the Oprah Winfrey of Spanish-language television in Florida. Saralegui, who arrived in Florida as a child refugee from Cuba, says she is backing Obama because he "understands the Hispanic community and has supported it unconditionally". |
| Saralegui joined Michelle Obama in an advert where the first lady said it was important to reelect her husband because of the promise of immigration reform and preserving achievements such as healthcare and widening access to higher education. | Saralegui joined Michelle Obama in an advert where the first lady said it was important to reelect her husband because of the promise of immigration reform and preserving achievements such as healthcare and widening access to higher education. |
| But while immigration plays significantly as an issue with Latino voters in other parts of the US – and Obama said in an interview with Spanish-language television that his failure to pass comprehensive immigration reform is his biggest failure to date – it does not have the same weight in Florida. | But while immigration plays significantly as an issue with Latino voters in other parts of the US – and Obama said in an interview with Spanish-language television that his failure to pass comprehensive immigration reform is his biggest failure to date – it does not have the same weight in Florida. |
| Puerto Ricans, who have automatic American citizenship, have the right to vote if they live in the US, and most Cubans who make it to Florida are generally granted legal residence. | Puerto Ricans, who have automatic American citizenship, have the right to vote if they live in the US, and most Cubans who make it to Florida are generally granted legal residence. |
| But Republican leaders' attitudes toward immigration do have an impact in Florida, where Latinos are generally more sympathetic to the plight of the undocumented even if it is not so much of a voting issue. Murillo said Republican-sponsored legislation, such as anti-immigrant statutes in Arizona and Alabama, reinforce the perception that the party is hostile to minorities. | But Republican leaders' attitudes toward immigration do have an impact in Florida, where Latinos are generally more sympathetic to the plight of the undocumented even if it is not so much of a voting issue. Murillo said Republican-sponsored legislation, such as anti-immigrant statutes in Arizona and Alabama, reinforce the perception that the party is hostile to minorities. |
| "I haven't heard people talking about immigration," she said. "It's not a big issue. But people do talk about the Republicans and how they want self-deportation and to bring the Arizona laws to Florida. They want to make the only language English, but we raise our kids bilingual," she said. | "I haven't heard people talking about immigration," she said. "It's not a big issue. But people do talk about the Republicans and how they want self-deportation and to bring the Arizona laws to Florida. They want to make the only language English, but we raise our kids bilingual," she said. |
| Romero said that while immigration is not a voting issue for her, she thinks the Republicans have called it wrong. "People have sympathy for illegal immigrants. I don't see them lying in a hammock, getting a suntan. Many of them work three times as hard as an American," she said. | Romero said that while immigration is not a voting issue for her, she thinks the Republicans have called it wrong. "People have sympathy for illegal immigrants. I don't see them lying in a hammock, getting a suntan. Many of them work three times as hard as an American," she said. |
| Which puts her at odds with Romney's views. "I think it's fair to say there's always room for change. We need to continue to review the policy," she said. | Which puts her at odds with Romney's views. "I think it's fair to say there's always room for change. We need to continue to review the policy," she said. |
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