Socialism "Propaganda" Costing Democrats Latino Votes, Firm's Research Finds Out
Democrats embracing socialism is costing the political party the Latinos' support and Latino votes, according to a Democratic research firm's analysis.
Equis found in a poll that more than 40 percent of Latinos feel Democrats are embracing socialist policies, according to The Hill report.
Concerns about socialism increase by a generation, with 45 percent of immigrants concerned about socialism, as compared to 59 percent of fourth-generation Hispanics.
The poll found out that there are differences between first and second generations Latinos compared to third and fourth generations regarding the meaning of socialism.
The first and second generations of Latinos defined socialism as the government telling people what to do.
Meanwhile, third and fourth-generation Latinos described socialism as "People will become lazy and dependent on government."
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Democrats and Latino Votes
Equis said that some four in 10 Latinos who participated in the 2020 election expressed their concerns about Democrats adopting socialism.
The research firm stated that Latinos' concern about socialism has created a gap for the defection of voters, according to an NBC News report.
Republicans were then given a way to move in on Democrats areas where Democrats have usually done well with Latinos by promoting the party as the better option for workers looking for the American Dream.
Equis's research showed that the concern about socialism is more prominent in Florida. However, it is not confined there.
Latinos who voted for Donald Trump in 2020 were more likely to say they were concerned about Democrats embracing socialism and leftist policies by 71 percent.
In addition, about 30 percent of Latinos who voted for U.S. President Joe Biden in 2020 also expressed the same concern.
Equis' report said that GOP's messaging on socialism propaganda is sometimes reduced to disinformation.
Stephanie Valencia, co-founder and president of Equis Labs, said that closed media ecosystems are feeding the modern "red panic," adding that it is weaponizing the American Dream.
Valencia said that GOP is peddling socialism as the opposite of the American Dream and is something that will destroy the dream, which creates fear around the socialism label.
U.S.-born Cubans and mainland-born Puerto Ricans have the highest fear of the Democratic party embracing socialist or leftist ideas.
Equis argued that the 2020 focus on the economy and away from immigration have given an opportunity to Trump and the Republicans to make gains.
Last week, a Wall Street Journal poll showed that Hispanic voters evenly split between Democrats and Republicans.
Ivan Zapien, a Democratic lobbyist, said that both parties should always have a sense of urgency in communication with Latinos, according to another The Hill report.
Zapien is also a former executive director at the Hispanic Leadership Council of the Democratic National Committee.
Biden won 63 percent of the Latino vote in the 2020 race, which is about 30 percentage points more than Trump.
The Journal's poll also found that just 44 percent of Hispanics would vote for Biden if the 2024 presidential election were held today. Meanwhile, 43 percent would vote for Trump.
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This article is owned by Latin Post.
Written by: Mary Webber
WATCH: Stephanie Valencia: Democrats Need To Lean In To Win Latino Voters - from MSNBC