After Tuesday’s vote, I learned that I fell outside two demographic groups , making me something of an anomaly.
The Los Angeles Times’ political blog, “Top of the Ticket” ran the number of Democratic women in California who voted for Senator Clinton (52%) as compared to Senator Obama, and the number of Democratic Latinos who voted for her (61%). A higher than usual turnout by women and Latinos has been credited with giving Senator Clinton a win in California.
I am a Mexican-American woman who voted for Senator Obama and apparently, was in the minority in my choice of candidates. It got me thinking. Why didn’t I fit with my groups, both women and Mexican-Americans and other Latinos? Could I be that weird?
Chuck
from Escondido, CA
February 12, 2008 at 10:20 PM
Ah, but the magic is being able to pick which demographic groups you think matter. Stats are fun to manipulate that way.
This
San Jose Mercury News article
on the same voter demographics mentions that Obama took "younger voters" and "upscale voters." Whether you're with the winner or loser depends on how you want to define yourself.
Alma from San Diego
February 13, 2008 at 12:47 AM
I'll take the "younger voters" demographic given the choice! Thanks for the links to the article Chuck. Too bad statistics are also so persuasive, given the easy ability to manipulate and "tell" whichever story the questioner wants to ask.
Trina from Carlsbad
February 13, 2008 at 04:25 AM
You realize that 62% of all statistics are made up...
Candace from t
February 13, 2008 at 05:47 PM
Alma,
I have always been suspicious of exit polls because of the margin of error. In the past, I have chosen not to answer who I voted for because I thought we had the right to a secret ballot. My experience last Tuesday was kind of unusual though. When the poll worker checked me in, she bellowed "She's a Democrat," to the worker sitting about two feet from her. I have lived in neighborhoods where a disclosure like that could get you shot, so I didn't know whether to duck or make a run for it.
Candace
Alma from San Diego
February 13, 2008 at 08:57 PM
Seriously Candace!? That's absurd. I'm a strong proponent of the value of having a secret ballot myself. Maybe that's what is disconcerting, even if only a little, about being classified as only one category in the exit polls.
Yes, statistics are easily manipulated. Good to keep in mind especially since the exit polls are often treated as true until proven otherwise.
Candace
February 14, 2008 at 02:30 AM
Okay...the getting shot part is a little exaggerated but the
bellowing part is true.
Chuck
from Escondido, CA
February 14, 2008 at 03:32 AM
Candace - we had a couple people complain at my precinct that we were being too loud in announcing party affiliation, but with the layout of our station it was pretty unavoidable. While I can understand their concern, I don't think most of them realized that not only are the party registrations public record, but we were required to keep a list (which included the party affiliations) of all our registered voters posted on the wall next to the door.
Dave
from Oceanside
February 14, 2008 at 08:15 AM
I had a similar experience with my party affiliation being blurted out.. she said, "Oh! your a Green! You're the first one.." it was 5pm.. and I was the first Green.. hmm.. talk about getting shot!
I had a choice of like 5 greenies to pick to run for president.. I wrote in Obama... and I will be e-mailing the crap out of the party to have their candidate tell their supporters to vote Democratic.. I can't believe people would actually throw away thier votes to a third party!
ExtremeModerate
February 23, 2008 at 09:32 PM
We are issues voters just like everyone else.
"We"
I always hoped Americans would think of "we" as all American citizens. Assignment of characteristics based on race is the core of racism and divisiveness. I have always been baffled by those who claim that "race" can be used to describe one's values and think that differences can bring us together.
Shared values bring us all together and commonalities make us one.
Race doesn't matter, because race doesn't matter except to racists.
Hector Escarpita from Morley Field
February 23, 2008 at 11:35 PM
Not only am I not afraid to say that I am a Democrat, I am a Liberal one at that. It is time that we stop being afraid of the "negative" connotations that are associated with one's political affiliation.
Like the aunt who raised me used to say: "Sticks & stones..."
When people cannot find an educated or more persuasive way to communicate their point of view they resort to labels,rumors and outright lies with the intent of shutting you up.
Hector Escarpita from Morley Field
February 24, 2008 at 12:23 AM
Dear Alma:
I think part of the equation has to do with the percentage of your Latino heritage. As your bio states you have lived most of your time in San Diego.
Are you first, second or third generation Latino?
The further away from the trunk the less the things that you share as a whole with the Latin community and the more Americanized you become.
I was born in the US but raised in Mexico and continue to travel and visit my relatives there. I have first hand experience with the Latin community, as a matter of fact I am still bilingual and bi-cultural.
As for your statement wondering if we were being racists -because once you strip away the sentence that is what it comes down to- you are half right but for the wrong reason.
We don't discriminate because of the persons color (that still happens against us so it is too close for comfort) but if you remember that from a economical point of view the Latino and the African-American were forced to compete against each other for the same low paying jobs and few places to live.
The real reason that Hillary Clinton managed to gain the Latino vote is plain and simple: they have heard from her for a much longer time than him and they are loyal to the one they give their nod to begin with.
Once we make up our mind and give our word to someone it is very difficult to make them/us change our mind. So in short, ever since 1992 we have heard of an intelligent woman lawyer named Hillary Rodham Clinton, the wife of the president who would not just sit down and bake cookies, who stood by her man and who said that it takes a village to raise a child and has been in the crosshairs of every conservative radio announcer since who knows when or for what reason.
A bit clearer?
