Imperfect Paradise: Are Latino pollsters helping or hurting the Democratic cause?

Norco 80

LAist Studios

True Crime

4.2 • 887 Ratings

🗓️ 13 July 2025

⏱️ 57 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

As Democrats confront declining Latino support across three consecutive presidential elections, a fierce debate is unfolding within the party: Are Latino advocacy groups and polling firms helping or hurting the Democratic cause? Critics argue that a flawed messaging strategy — and a complacent advocacy infrastructure — have led to Latino voters drifting right, even toward Donald Trump. But advocates push back, warning that the narrative of a dramatic rightward shift is exaggerated and politically dangerous. In the final episode of a three-part collaboration with Latino USA, Imperfect Paradise host Antonia Cereijido and Latino USA host Maria Hinojosa take you inside the high-stakes debate over the future of Latino political power in America.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	This is Larry Mantle. Join me Tuesday, August 12th at the Skirball Center for a deep dive into the history of Los Angeles News Media.
0:08.7	It's part of Airtalk's 40th anniversary tour. Tickets at alias.com slash events. We'll see you there.
0:15.8	This Old House Radio Hour is your new home improvement podcast. In each episode, we answer your questions.
0:22.1	Whether you're fixing a leak, refinishing a floor, or restoring a century-old house.
0:26.7	Our roster of experts have the answers to help you get the job done right.
0:30.5	Here's a little history to start off our show. Americans started using the term Hispanic in 1970,
0:36.9	when the category was added to the census. And ever since,
0:40.7	there's been this perception that Hispanics would need their own political representation.
0:51.4	Now, today the preferred term has become Latino, and the number of Latinos in this country since that first census has continued to boom.
1:02.5	As of July 2023, there are more than 65 million Latinos in the U.S. making up over 19% of the nation's population.
1:12.7	And there are a growing percentage of this country's electorate. Latinos make up nearly 15% of all eligible voters, according to
1:18.8	the Pew Research Center. The hope for the Democratic Party, especially since the mid-aughts,
1:24.2	was that the Latino vote would be reliably theirs, especially because they were
1:29.1	the party pushing for more progressive immigration policies, or so they said. And Latinos have
1:34.5	historically favored Democrats. Often more than 60% of Latino voters choose Democratic presidential candidates.
1:42.0	However, the results of the recent presidential election, which elected Donald
1:46.1	Trump, have led some to question that notion that Latinos and Latinos would be more reliably
1:51.1	Democratic voters. Well, by now, it's been more than half a year after the election, and political
1:59.6	strategists seem to have very
2:01.5	different opinions about why Latinos are voting less for the Democratic Party than ever before.
2:08.7	Is it faulty data, tone-deaf messaging? Is it an agenda that's too progressive or too
2:14.6	moderate for Latino and Latina voters?
	...

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