Has Obama Lost Democrats the Latino Vote?

The president’s decision to postpone immigration reform may cost some senators their seats, and, according to one Democratic congressman, Obama may even start a “civil war” within his own political party.

The Guardian:

A Democratic congressman who has led the drive for immigration reform said Monday that Latino voters could punish the party’s candidates in the midterm elections and warned of a “civil war” among Democrats unless Barack Obama uses his executive authority to suspend deportations of undocumented migrants…Representative Luis Gutiérrez, a key figure in the push for immigration reform on Capitol Hill, said the president’s decision to delay action on immigration has sapped enthusiasm among Hispanic voters.

Gutiérrez, who represents Illinois’ 4th congressional district, said he believed the president would deliver a promised executive order “before Christmas”. But he gave a dire warning about the consequences for Democrats should Obama choose not to act swiftly and in broad terms, saying the costs would be considerably worse than the expected drop in turnout among Latinos and could result in people leaving the party.

“This problem that you see, politically, is nothing in comparison to the civil war that will be created politically in the Democratic party should the president not be broad and generous in his use of prosecutorial discretion,” he said. “Because Latinos will not be deciding whether or not they vote, but whether or not they are in the Democratic party.”

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—Posted by Natasha Hakimi Zapata