The Harris honeymoon is ending — at least for Latinos, who make up 15% of eligible voters and will determine the election's outcome.
This month's NYT/Siena poll shows Kamala Harris holds a nine-point lead over Donald Trump among Hispanics. That's down from her 12-point advantage in the same poll in late July, shortly after she was coronated as the Democratic nominee.
Expect this polling gap to shrink further as Harris's wave of media enthusiasm recedes and her anti-Hispanic policies are exposed. Some swing-state polls even show Trump leading among Hispanics. You can't win without the Hispanic vote.
While the media spins Hispanic Heritage Month this month to claim the "Latinx community" has liberal concerns, the reality is Hispanic heritage is conservative. Hispanic values of faith, family, hard work, and entrepreneurship are far better reflected by Trump and Republican candidates.
Trump defied expectations in 2020 and won 38% of the Hispanic vote. His 41% support in the latest NYT/Siena poll puts him on track to exceed the modern Republican highwater mark of 40% set by President George W. Bush in 2004.
Trump's strong polling is no surprise when you consider Hispanics have been among the biggest victims of the failed Biden-Harris presidency. The cost of living, which has increased more than 20% over the Biden-Harris term, has disproportionately hurt Hispanics, who tend to earn less than average Americans and have fewer assets. Latinos' inflation-adjusted incomes have declined over the past four years.
What a contrast to 2017 to 2019, when Hispanics' real median household incomes rose by $8,000 due to the Trump economic boom.
High crime and public disorder due to Democrats' soft-on-crime policies have especially impacted working-class communities where many Latinos live. According to JCN's recent SBIQ nationwide poll of small business owners, 80% say crime has either increased or remained elevated in their communities.
In other words, Hispanics are on the front lines of America's economic and social decay.
Hispanics are also disproportionately entrepreneurial. Democrats' regulatory agenda and the lack of access to credit under this administration make it harder for their small businesses to survive and thrive.
For instance, Biden-Harris energy regulations, such as the crackdown on power plants, have raised the cost of electricity and gas, two primary small business inputs.
If elected, Harris would let the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act expire. This tax cut, which includes a 20% write-off for ordinary small businesses like the ones Latinos often operate, has been a lifeline for entrepreneurs struggling to stay afloat in this economy.
In contrast, Republican pro-growth policies, such as sound money, tax cuts, cheap energy, and deregulation, make it easier for Hispanics to start and grow their businesses. President Trump has promised to make the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act permanent and cut ten regulations for every one implemented.
But it's hard for Hispanics — or any voters, for that matter — to get this information from the candidates' policy-light campaigns and the media's nearly policy-free coverage. Job Creators Network and the Hispanic Vote Coalition are filling this gap by working with Hispanic pastors and small businesses in swing states to discuss these major issues and encourage Latinos to vote their values this election.
By doing so, Hispanics have the opportunity to change the outcome of this election and the future of the country.
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Alfredo Ortiz is CEO of Job Creators Network, author of "The Real Race Revolutionaries," and co-host of The Main Street Matters podcast.
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