Abstract

Jorge Ramos

The article focuses on the Democratic Party in the United States, following its defeat in the 2004 elections. Well-informed voices predicted early in the campaign that this presidential election was going to be decided by Hispanic voters. But John Kerry and the Democratic Party did not take this seriously enough--and they lost. The election was decided by Latino voters in Colorado, Nevada and New Mexico. If 64,000 Hispanic voters had chosen Kerry instead of Bush in those three states, Kerry would have had nineteen additional electoral votes, for a total of 271, which would have won him the White House. Those 64,000 Hispanic votes--which represent less than 1 percent of the total Hispanic vote--could have been gained with relative ease through more interviews in Spanish, more Hispanic television and radio advertisements and by linking the Kerry campaign in Colorado with that of Hispanic Senator-elect Ken Salazar.