Image via WikipediaPoll: Hispanics give Barack Obama mixed marks - Carrie Budoff Brown - POLITICO.comHispanic voters gave mixed marks to President Barack Obama in an election-eve poll released Wednesday -- an early sign that he has ground to make up with this constituency ahead of his 2012 reelection campaign.
Forty-nine percent of Hispanic voters said they approved of Obama’s handling of immigration, and 40 percent disapproved, according to the polling by Latino Decisions, which surveyed 3,200 voters in eight key states.
Thirty-nine percent said they would definitely support Obama in 2012, while 20 percent said they might and 29 percent said they wouldn’t back him for reelection.
“This is not a resounding endorsement and reflects frustration in the Latino community,” said Gary Segura, a senior researcher with Latino Decisions and Stanford University professor. “The president’s path to reelection with Latinos requires some work and investment of time.”
The findings provide a benchmark for Obama's support within the Hispanic community after months of contentious debate over the Arizona enforcement law and the collapse of immigration reform in Congress.
His overall job rating was 68 percent approve, 25 percent disapprove.
