Hispanic vote majority could be Obama's

The Hispanic vote in the Clovis-Portales area will lean heavily toward President Barack Obama in the Nov. 6 election, according area political and business leaders.

They base that prediction on conversations they've had within the Hispanic community.

Their predictions are consistent with a recent CNN and Opinion Research Corporation International survey that found Obama retains a big lead over rival Mitt Romney among Hispanics, with the president getting 70 percent of the Hispanic vote to 26 percent for Romney.

New Mexico has voted Democrat over the last five presidential elections with the exception of 2004.

Bobby Sandoval, a city and county commissioner in Clovis, said he thinks Hispanic voters will vote for Obama because they're seeing conditions improve in the economy.

He also feels that members of the Hispanic community aren't as concerned with issues that have been labeled "Hispanic issues" as they are focused on issues that affect everyone, such as job creation.

"I'm cautiously optimistic that things are getting better right now," said Sandoval, a Democrat. "We're really not sure where Romney is coming from and what he wants to do. He might be a better president, but we can't tell from what he's saying because he doesn't specify his goals."

Sandoval added that those who were disappointed with promises made by Obama that weren't fulfilled shouldn't be because he feels Republicans in Congress voted down Obama's legislation.

"It takes both sides to make something work," Sandoval said. "Everything that was good was voted down because it came from a Democratic president, not because of its merits. There were a lot of things he tried to do that he couldn't get accomplished because Congress couldn't get along."

Jim Lucero of Portales said he and his family are Republican supporters and is baffled as to why the majority of Hispanic voters plan to vote for Obama given his performance.

"I believe in smaller government and less taxes," Lucero said. "I think the direction this country is going in is the wrong direction. Everything Obama stands for I believe is the wrong direction for this country."

Lucero cited Obama's foreign, domestic and energy policies as examples of what he disagrees with.

He thinks Romney is portrayed negatively in mainstream media as a rich white man who doesn't care about the poor.

"I'm very in tune to this current election," Lucero said. "I was basically unemployed during Obama's first term."

He added that Romney supports small business and Lucero thinks small business is the backbone of this country.

Portales business owner Pilar Moreno said she's voting for Obama as a Hispanic because he cares more about helping low-income families than Romney. Moreno added that her friends in the Hispanic community feel the same.

"I came from a low-income family," Moreno said. "(Obama) will do for us and not for the rich. He understands the issues of low-income families."

Moreno, a naturalized citizen, said she hasn't seen many presidents in her lifetime who were champions for low-income people with the exception of John F. Kennedy.

She said Romney is also against issues that matter to the Hispanic community such as immigration reform.

"We don't need another (George) Bush," Moreno said. "For Obama to get done what he needs done, he needs another four years."

Former Portales city councilor and World War II veteran Al Bachicha said he's satisfied with the procedures Obama is taking to better the economy.

"I support him very much and I'm voting for him because I'm satisfied with his endeavors to get the economy going," he said.

He said that Hispanic voters are likely to vote for Obama but he feels it has nothing to do with their heritage.

"We don't think that way anymore, everyone stands for their own," Bachicha said.

La Casa CEO Seferino Montano said job creation and health care are the two biggest issues in the Hispanic community and he feels the nation, under Obama's leadership, will experience improvement in both areas.

"I think some Hispanic community leaders were concerned that more could have been done towards immigration but most Latinos are looking forward to immigration reform as some legal pathway to citizenship under Obama," he said.