Why Clinton can count on Latinos

Hillary Clinton is doing extraordinarily well among Latino voters, compared with rivals Barack Obama and John Edwards. According to a Times/CNN/Politico poll Tuesday, she's running 2 to 1 ahead of Obama among California Latinos. In the Nevada caucuses, exit polls indicated that she received roughly two out of three Latino votes. Nationally, polls show only a slightly lower level of support. These findings are particularly significant because Latino voters in the general election are projected to total over 9 million, most concentrated in states rich in electoral college votes, such as California and New York, or in key "swing" states, such as New Mexico and New Jersey, in which past voting patterns show that it only takes a small percentage of the Latino vote to push a candidate's totals up or down.

Pundits are explaining the failure of Obama to ignite the allegiance of the majority of the Latino electorate to date in terms of anti-black prejudices. But there are better explanations.

Perhaps more significant, Hillary Clinton has done her homework by gaining early endorsements from Latino leaders who have demonstrated influence among their constituencies. Five of the seven Latino congressional representatives in California are on her side. In addition, nationally recognized politicians , such as L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Henry Cisneros, a former San Antonio mayor and U.S. housing secretary, have endorsed Clinton. California Assembly Speaker Fabian Nuñez and Raul Yzaguirre, who for 30 years headed the National Council of La Raza, are national co-chairmen of her campaign. Patti Solis Doyle, Clinton's campaign manager, is the first Latina to run a presidential campaign.