Slate: Biden Has a Real Latino Problem

With just over six months before Election Day, the odds of a Joe Biden presidency are improving. Despite being unable to campaign in person, Biden has opened a comfortable national margin over President Donald Trump. He also leads in most battleground states, including Florida and Wisconsin. If he wins every state now leaning his way, Biden’s Electoral College tally could be significantly larger that Trump’s in 2016. It would be a resounding victory.

Still, Hillary Clinton held a similar edge over Trump in the middle of the spring four years ago. To prevent a bitter surprise in the fall, Biden’s campaign needs to focus on those demographics that remain skeptical of the former vice president. While the election’s result might finally hinge on suburban voters, that holy grail of modern American politics, no group should concern Democrats more than Hispanics.

A recent Latino Decisions poll reveals a clear enthusiasm gap among Latinos for both Biden and the 2020 election itself, with only 49 percent of registered voters currently committed to choosing Biden over Trump, and just six out of 10 planning to go to the polls in November. Compare that with black voters, who seem deeply committed to Biden’s candidacy: In another recent poll, 65 percent said they would support Biden. While a mere 23 percent of Hispanic voters seem to be leaning toward Trump, the lack of interest Biden generates within a community already plagued by low voter turnout should be an immediate cause for alarm for the Democratic Party.