The Obama campaign and the Democratic National Committee will announce later today a decision to commit $20 million to bringing out the Hispanic vote. According to a recent report (.pdf) from the Pew Hispanic Center, the Hispanic vote has shifted decisively in favor of the Democratic Party. Numbering about 46 million, Hispanics make up about 15 percent of the U.S. population. As a group, their influence this election cycle will be somewhat muted due to the fact that many are either not citizens or are under 18. Forecasts indicate that they will comprise only 6.5 percent of voters who turn out in November. But their influence in swing states like New Mexico, Florida, Nevada, and Colorado could be the deciding factor in which candidate wins those states—all of which fell into the Bush column in 2004 by five percentage points or less. A July 24 poll taken by the Pew Hispanic Center showed that Obama enjoys a 66-23 lead over McCain among Hispanic voters.
