Mitt Romney is experiencing a surprising surge of support after the first presidential debate. He is eroding President Obama's support among traditional Democratic blocs like women.
However, Romney has so far been unable to sway one group that may frustrate his efforts in several swing states: Latinos.
Recently, Romney said he would end a program instated by Obama that grants deportation deferments and work permits to undocumented immigrants who were brought to this country as children.
He also opposed the DREAM Act, a proposed bill that would create a path to citizenship for those same immigrants, which Obama supports.
Against this backdrop, the president still has the support of large Latino constituencies. Today, a new poll showed 80 percent of Hispanics in Arizona plan to vote for the president. That's a huge drop for the Republicans since 2004, when John McCain received 56 percent of the Latino vote.
Obama's Latino support is at 70 percent in Colorado, a swing state. It is lower in Florida, where popular Republican Cuban-American Senator Marco Rubio stumps for Romney.
Nationwide, 72 percent of Latinos support the president, giving Obama a 50-point lead over Romney with Hispanics. That's a statistic the Republicans will have to change, regardless of who wins this election.
Latinos are the fastest-growing ethnic group in the country, and the youngest. Both minorities and young people skew Democratic, and every month 50,000 more Latinos reach voting age.
Republicans are having some success at the state level. Aside from Rubio, Susana Martinez is the Republican governor of left-leaning New Mexico. And the Republican schhol voucher plan has nearly as many Latino supporters as detractors.
"Romney's stand on education could help him gain some traction with the Latino vote", said Monica Lozano of polling outfit impreMedia, in a release. "Providing more school choice through such things as vouchers might provide Romney the opportunity to change his low favorability with Latino voters."
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