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Subscribe to RSSNBC's Richard Lui takes a look at how the Asian-American vote is affecting the 2012 presidential campaign.
There are plenty of different voter groups for campaigns to court during this presidential election and, this year, Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders could impact the outcome in a significant way. In what has been a tight race, a relatively minor investment in these voters could pay large dividends for President Barack Obama and Republican nominee Mitt Romney.
There are three characteristics to consider about this slice of the electorate:
Swing State Population Levels
First, Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders have reached tipping-point population levels in battleground states.
For example, in Florida, Asian-Americans (single and mixed race) are 3 percent of the population, according to the Asian American Center for Advancing Justice -- small, but Obama won the state by just 2.5 percentage points in 2008. In Nevada, Asian-Americans are 9 percent of the population; Obama won by 12.4 percentage points. And in Virginia, where they are 7 percent; Obama won by 6.3 percentage points.
Another way to look at it is to total the popular margin of victory Obama had in 2008 in the nine NBC News battleground states. That’s almost 1.6 million votes. The Asian-American population in those states in 2010 was 2.3 million. After removing children under the age 18, or about 25 percent of the population, the number of Asian-Americans in those states is greater than Obama’s 2008 margin of victory in these crucial states.
Recommended: On day of data, Romney turns personal
Though 100 percent turnout and voting unanimity is highly unlikely, Virginia and North Carolina epitomize the opportunity. Until Virginia swung blue in 2008, Republican candidates hadn't lost the state since Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964. In North Carolina, up until 2008, Democrats had won only one in the previous 10 elections; Obama eked out a win by only 14,000 votes. In cases like these, smaller voting blocks, like Asian-Americans tilt the outcome
Undecideds
A second characteristic to consider: Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders this year are over four times more likely to be undecided than the average voter, according to the National Asian American Survey. Jon Stewart from “The Daily Show” joked, after all the press and debate to date, you’d have to basically live in a cave not to have been able to make a choice by now. So is it that Asian-Americans are four times more aloof when it comes to politics? Though they do register to vote at a lower rate than average, 2012 is different.
Video: Obama surrogate answers town hall questions from Asian-American voters
Sixty-two percent of them voted for Obama four years ago. But this year, the economy continues to be the biggest issue in the campaign and Asian Americans who own businesses are considering their options.
Democrat Haresh Bhungalia is undecided. “You have one candidate who wants to raise taxes, which I think is appropriate – I think that that's necessary in order for us to get back on track. And then we've got one candidate talking about cutting government spending. I think that you have to do both,” Bhungalia said.
Immigration reform is the other top issue Bhungalia cares about. It’s been delayed. Like him, three out of four Asian-American adults were born in a foreign country and are watching the debate on immigration.
Recommended: Obama accuses Romney of shifting positions
The outreach to voters like Bhungalia has not matched the potential payoff. A recent study by APIAVote in association with Lake Research Partners found 23 percent of Asian-Americans had been contacted by the Democratic Party, and 17 percent by the Republican Party, in the last two years. Some community leaders believe both Obama and Romney could do more. Mee Moua of the Asian American Center for Advancing Justice in Washington, D.C. says Asian-Americans need to be considered.
“As we head toward election day, candidates and political parties will step up their voter engagement efforts,” said Moua. “Those who want to succeed will recognize the importance of the Asian-American voter. Those who ignore us, do so at their own peril.”
At APIAVote’s Presidential Town Hall in Fairfax, Va., in July, neither candidate showed up, sending videos and surrogates instead. The Romney campaign had bumper stickers in several different Asian languages, and both Obama and Romney have Asian-American outreach information on their campaign websites.
Obama’s message to Asian-American voters
Romney’s message to Asian-American voters
Donation Rates
A third consideration: Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders are not afraid to use their economic muscle. (Despite being half to a third the size, the group’s combined consumer and business spending power of almost $1.2 trillion equals African-Americans and just trails Latinos.) They equaled whites for the highest rate of donation to political campaigns in the last election: 13 percent. This was higher than African-Americans (8 percent) and Latino-Americans (5 percent). As the economy faltered, Asian-Americans so far this cycle have donated at 11 percent.
These characteristics might be attractive to candidates, but there are challenges. This group is complex: representing 49 different countries of origin and more than 100 languages. And the community leaders don’t always coordinate well given their varied backgrounds and histories.
Video: Romney surrogate answers town hall questions from Asian-American voters
Joe Watkins, who was an aide to President George H.W. Bush, says there is one common denominator: “Asian-Americans like everyone else just want to be considered Americans, and when candidates reach out to them as such, as American voters, I think they're thrilled by that.”
After the landmark 2008 election, enthusiasm has ebbed. Voter ID and registration law battles across the country have cast concerns. And in places like Florida, early registration levels are less than half what they were four years ago. With such serious questions about turnout, Asian-American and Pacific Islanders could be 2012’s ultimate swing vote.
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For a country that is supposed to be diverse and transparent there sure is a lot of polling being done by race.Let's see,we have Asian Americans in our family.The self employed are voting for Romney.The public sector employees and retirees are voting for Obama.My Pacific Islander customer doesn't like neither but her spouse is a police officer so they re going with Obama.My aunt, who is well healed hates the rich Republicans and her husband can't stand the welfare Democrats.They both were self employed successfully for years and retired early.I can't figure out the logic of either one.My own personal poll shows that people vote along socioeconomic lines and not their race.
Romney's two sons were warmly received by the Koreans and Vietnamese Americans community yesterday. Their rockstar like reception caught Democrats like Congressman Gerry Connelly and Jim Moran like a Shock-and-Awe!@@! One of them wagged his finger at the Romneys and another couldn't even look at them. Korean community elders said that Connelly's arrogance (just look at his smug face) and the disastrous handling of the economy by Democrats will mean that Korean Democrats this year will be going with Romney. The Vietnamese American Community on the other hand rolled out the red carpet for the Romneys, see the pictures and it clearly shows which way the Asian Americans are voting this year..
Democrats at least since 2008 have miscalculated the Asian Americans voter mindset. While close to half have blindly voted with them thinking that they are better for the minorities, Barrack Obama have alienated Asian Democrats because he has shown that among minorities, some other ethnic groups deserve more. Case in point, Obama's small business agency released information that showed a dismal 13% increase in his administration's support for Asian owned businesses, while a whopping 150% increase for AfAmerican owned business. Obama is no Bill Clinton and Asian Americans won't be voting for him a second time.
See Asian Americans voters in action at
Asians knows how to creat jobs................................ I built my own business, prefer cash only and I Hate TAXES!
Asians knows how to help the middle class................ We are the middle class and we WORK HARDER than other minorities!
Asians knows how to help small businessmen............ We are the faces of main street Small Businesses!
Asian knows how to grow the economy.................. Look at all the Asian owned businesses in the neighborhood!
I'm an Asian American, and I'm NOT voting for Obama. THIS VOTE IS FOR MITT!
See Asian Americans voters in action on the picasaweb site, look up asiantelemart
The notion that Asian Americans lack the intelligence to vote with their heart and not their skin color; and the notion that Asians are poor and under privileged is what will turn Asian Americans to Romney in this election. The photos posted previously by Jingsuperman is pretty convincing!
Being poor and underprivileged is the sole purpose of the Democratic party. Then they have you under their control and therefore have your vote. When you get on the government teat it is hard to get off and then you become the Dems. base of voters. You lose your sense of self worth and your personal responsibility to take care of yourself and make your way in the world. I am all for a helping hand when hard times strike but lifetime welfare and never ending entitlements are not sustainable.
Why would anyone believe Romney in public, including the debates, when behind closed doors, he spewed his heart out and showed his contempt for half the nation, many of whom are conservative and would vote for him??? It’s ree-D-Q-lous!
Why would anyone believe in the Republican Party when in the 2010 mid-term elections, they promised “Jobs, jobs, jobs”, but when they wrested control of the House in Congress, all they did was try to repeal Obamacare, try to undo the law of the land in abortion legislation, defund Planned Parenthood, bust unions, cut govt. jobs, which in itself contributed to the unemployment numbers, and blocked everything to do with jobs legislation??? It’s ree-D-Q-lous!
Why would anyone believe the likes of Newt Gingrich who was having an affair with his intern at the same time he was hammering President Bill Clinton on his indiscretions??? It’s ree-D-Q-lous!
Why would anyone believe Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, & Glenn Beck, NOT ONE of whom possesses a college education, yet all of whom spew massive conspiracy theories of one kind or another, the realm of the uneducated, truly the blind leading their blind audiences??? It’s ree-D-Q-lous!
Folks, if you’re making less than $250,000 a year and vote Republican, you are truly a fool who's a brainwashed zombie, and behind closed doors, Romoney and his cohorts, like Rush, Sean, Hannity, et al, are laughing at you and all the way to the bank.
Asian Americans will affect the outcome of the election. Impact is one of the most often misused and over used word in the language.
America is the melting pot for all cultures and Mitt has attacked Asians and others. He is pandering to Latinos and blacks while leaving other races as not included. Well after attending the DNC Convention I met people of every culture, religion and race. The Convention was for all Americans and it was great. Mitt has paid a few blacks/Latinos/Asians to lie for him for votes but people know better and Mitt has no interest in Americans at all.
Remember when Hillary Clinton called Obama "naive" on foreign policy?? ....guess she was right.
SORRY MR PRESIDENT.. I AM JUMPING SHIP with the rest of my Asian relatives
and friends. The true YOU really come out yesterday due to your 4 years of
poor performance and empty promises. Fool us once is ENOUGH...
I say this "SORRY MR PRESIDENT.. I AM JUMPING SHIP with the rest of my Asian relatives
and friends. The true YOU really come out yesterday due to your 4 years of
poor performance and empty promises. Fool us once is ENOUGH..."
and jingsuperman say this = we are both on the same page because we AINT NO FOOLS AND WE KNOW MATH WELL.
jingsuperman
Asians knows how to creat jobs................................ I built my own business, prefer cash only and I Hate TAXES!
Asians knows how to help the middle class................ We are the middle class and we WORK HARDER than other minorities!
Asians knows how to help small businessmen............ We are the faces of main street Small Businesses!
Asian knows how to grow the economy.................. Look at all the Asian owned businesses in the neighborhood!
I'm an Asian American, and I'm NOT voting for Obama. THIS VOTE IS FOR MITT!
Millions watched last Wednesday night and saw "that kid" that runs around talking "smack" about somebody but when confronted face to face, and is called out on his "smack talk" becomes suprisingly silent, particularly when he is called out on his misrepresentations and his blatant lies are pointed out...
On Thursday, "that kid" went out trying to pretend the confrontation never happened
Leaders, rise to the occassion....pretenders fade into the woodwork...
...
The asian community is a difficult one to connect with.
They do not typically accept help.
We must get creative to make them dependent on the government and therefore give them a reason to vote with the democrats.
.
Obama / Biden in 2012.
...
You know this Presidental race is about what makes you as an individual feel more secure, and where your finances sit. If anyone out there remembers 2008, then you know what happened to your retirement, and you know that BUSH, was President. The Republicans feel they can take from us and keep it for themselves. The Republican VP, was on the Finance Committee, the time he has been in Senate. Well guess what he did nothing in his job that help us as AMERICANS, and we have a group of SENATORS, that chose not to do their job, and signed a plege not to allow any bills to come up for a vote if it would help us as AMERICANS, they chose not to do their job. I really hope that everyone votes, but I really hope they vote DEMOCRATIC, because we will paly hell if ROMNEY GETS IN, another thing, this man ran a company that took peoples jobs away, he stole their RETIRMENT funds, everyone says how, well the laws helped him steal. I have relatives that lost their jobs, their retirements, when working for companies that ROMNEY chose to BANKRUPT. The harm he cause, there is no way to count the heartache he cause, lives he destroyed with no thought and then put the funds in his children's trust accounts. This man does not care about a person that works a 40 hour week, and those on SS, how anyone could vote for him is beyond me. we can only hope OBAMA/BIDEN 2012. By the way folks Obama is President, remember the day of the debates, Turkey bombed Syrai, he had a lot on his plate that day, apparently more than ROMNEY, lets stand as AMERICANS, not have a REPUBLICAN PRESIDENT NOR A REPUBLICAN CONGRESS, what you have left after the first round you won't have any if the REPUBLICANS get a second shot at your RETIREMENT. Our poplation of women out there will find our selves in sorry shape, Romney will probably take our right to vote away some way some how.
I can't see Asians voting for Obama. Asians are education focused; Asians are smart people. They aren't going to fall for Hope and Change when a Plan is needed. They look at Obama's Chicago and all that he has done to get the HS graduation rate to 60%! Yeah, nothing! When you apply for a job and don't even have a HS degree, what do you expect? A politician who accepted his own city's inferior education policies is not going to be tolerated by a culture that emphasizes education.
Bleeding heart liberals are the only people I know that will condemn people who have some cash while they sit and sock away their millions and use the taxes of the poor working man to do their donating and caring for those who they call poor. The poor that they support are those from other countries who hate the mention of the United States and will stand in foreign city squares and burn our flag. They also would support the lazy who don't want to work because it is too easy to live off of taxpayer dollars. Many of obama's supporters are so rich they make most of the repubs look like moderate wage earners but this dem party has voters so duped they want you to believe that repubs are a bunch of bigoted, god fearing Christian millionaires when indeed they are exactly the same. They want to paint this picture for those who can't think for themselves anymore because they have been supported by the government for so long they know no other way. Every dictator and his government in recent history has come to rule because they have pretended to take up the cause of the down trodden working man who has to work for the big business man. They try to organize the workers and say you must overthrow the rich which is what happens and the dictator and that party take over the country and then only they will become rich. The lowly workers in the United States don't understand that the reason many a business struggles with hiring people or making a less expensive product consumers can afford is because of all the restraints and policies the government has put on them. This is how the government can gain control of the business in the country and then the media, which they already have in this country, and finally they will have complete control and you need look no further then Hitler's Germany, or Mao's China or Stalin's Russia and we have the same thing brewing in South America with Chavez and his bogus election. Watch closely because if obama iss re-elected we will follow the same path.
Ha! My wife is Chinese, and I know many Asian immigrants. In spite of more "hope-spinning" (lies) by NBC, I can assure you that most Asian-Americans will vote Romney.
Asian-Americans do so well in America precisely because they are self-reliant, intelligent, and motivated....the antithesis of an Obama supporter.
Obama has bent over backwards to reward Spanish Speaking illegal immigrants while punishing Asian Americans who try to follow the broken immigration systems rules to be reunited with their loved ones.
This is one Chinese immigrant who is voting for Romney. I refused to vote for McCain or Obama in 2008, and Obama won my state of North Carolina by a slim margin. I was kind of glad he beat McCain because I wanted Americans to get a taste of Marxism first hand. How do you like it so far?
Dear Friends:
Is real life like the movie the Avengers? Romney is the Evil one who stabs the man and kills them and makes the people bow like robots. Obama is the American Hero! Biden is his assistant as the Vice President. Hillary Clinton is the woman in the black space ship! Save the American nation our boarders, US Constitution and Freedom. Man is in space even in advertising. But this is like the real life.
The building looks like the White House. The American People calmly and ferousciously fights for our We the People and the USA. vote Americans for Obama and Biden for our freedom. Do not bow to the will of the Satan or his sons.
Invaders are among us like those that shot the arrows and bows. Why are there Venezuelans voting in Louisiana for Venezuela election. This is the USA and we are in our election not theirs or any other country. Get out foreign nationals. We will not bow to the will of dragons or Satan or Romney nor Mormons.
Vote Americans for the American Heroes. Obama and Biden. Freedom! Freedom! Freedom!
Religious Freedom! We are not all Mormons or Morons. Around the world this is a nation and we are strong! The sneer of Romney do not succumb to this. Nor you American Asians. Vote Democratic and those that are not Mormon. Amen. Send this around the Internet and face book and tweet in all languages.
Protect America. This is from Dear Friends and Katrina Lady. Amen. Soon more natural disasters strong and hurricanes. Amen.
What are you talking about religious freedom????????? First of all religion is to be seperate of our government and secondly if anyone gets stepped on its Christians. You by even speaking out about Mormons, a recognized religion, are going against the religious freedom that you are speaking. You my friend are a hypocrite. Please don't use American and freedom in the same text as obama. This person steps outside the Constitution whenever he can to get his way. The Supreme Court even had to change the way we read the health care initiative to make it not be UnConstitutional.
Get the Julles or jewels. Vote Obama and Biden. Fight the Avenger!
Nit wit Mitt Wrongney has been repeating the same lies
saying he cares for the poor while on camera. Off camera he says it is not his
job to care for the poor. When the cynical Wrongney was speaking his lies at
the presidential debate, he said that Obama did not say what the specifics were
for who qualifies for refinancing their home. We all should know including Nit
Wit Mitt what it takes to qualify for a mortgage loan. The agreement is worked
out with the bank that is to refinance the applicant. Wrongney is telling us
that our deficit is increasing because of Obama’s policies. When Obama took office as president, the war
was costing more than $20 billion a month. One aircraft carrier uses one
million gallons of fuel every five months. The auto industry was set to lose
nearly one million jobs. George Bush had a bailout bill on the table as he was
leaving office. Obama used that to save the jobs of the nearly one million auto
workers. They were and are paying it back.
There were so many things that Nit Wit Mitt Wrongney
proposed that Obama has been trying to get the Republican run House of Reps to
pass for nearly three years. In his campaign speeches, he is saying the exact
same things as Obama said when he became president. Wrongney will do anything
because his money is his god. The Republicans said they don’t want to work with
Obama. The Republicans said they want him out of office because he wants to
help everyone in America. The
republicans are mostly self-serving and only want to fill their own pockets with
tax payer dollars by steering the money into their projects and special
interests. Nit Wit Mitt Wrongney said that the president’s policies failed but
the Republicans never allowed anything to get passed by voting NO on every
single measure. Remember that everyone in Washington was voted into their
position there by American voters to do a job. When the Republicans lied about
the socialism that doesn’t exist, they were voted in. Now the Republicans are
causing major gridlock on every measure that is put forth to make it appear
that President Obama is a failure.
President Obama doesn’t speak to America as if he is
speaking to ignorant and uninformed citizens. Wrongney is talking to America as
if they are completely uninformed and ignorant about what the republicans have
been doing to stop any kind of progress in Washington. Wrongney has put forth
his plan and it contains some of the plans that Obama has already tried to get
Washington to put through. Some things Wrongney said he wants to do is
something that are already in place at this time. Wrongney still thinks
everyone is completely stupid. That is how Wrongney wants to treat Americans.
His plan is to allow the individual states handle the billions of government
dollars. This will open the door to self-serving and greedy politicians to do
what they want with the money. The people waiting for help from the state
government will die on the hospital steps while they are waiting. The sick will
die in waiting rooms and at home because of the greed and misappropriation of
funds. It is happening right now in Florida and Mississippi. Billions are in
the hands of politicians that have personal agendas while those who need it are
waiting to get help. The governor of
Florida was cited for $10 billion dollars in Medicare fraud while he ran some
of the hospitals in Florida. The Republicans and TEA partyers are going to
destroy America as if a Terrorist group has taken over. The republicans are
doing the work of terrorists right now in Washington by stopping every plan
that Obama has on the table. People need help right now but Wrongney says that
he has a plan for the distant future. Obama has a plan right now in front of the
Republicans. When the Healthcare reform bill was being discussed by the
republicans and democrats in the same room, the republicans had the bill in
front of them on the table. The republicans were saying; “We can’t read this
bill” or “We don’t know what is in this bill.” It was right on the table in
front of each person on the Democrats side and the Republican side. The Republicans
were saying; “We want to be included in this process.” They were sitting in the
same room while the process was happening. Yet they were creating video bites
to be used later to fool feeble-minded and unaware American citizens. The democrats gave their input without any
nonsense. The republicans were just saying; “I am not going to read this bill. “ They just want to get the money into their
own pockets. Now Wrongney has been saying that he has a bill that will be a
better one. When they say that they haven’t read the first one, how will they
know that Wrongney’s bill is better?
Feeble minded Americans were told that they were angry by
Fox and CNN. They didn’t know what they were angry about until they were told
why.
The fake polls began to pop up after one month of Obama
being in the office of president. The feeble minded people were told to go into
the streets and say they were angry. The media used steering tactics and fake
polls. They were and are spending and making millions of dollars on the feeble
minded that were duped by the media. The satanic Fox network had the biggest
influence on the feeble minded. I saw how it transpired and was not fooled. Fox
was stirring up the masses to rebel and riot in the streets. They paraded into
Washington DC with pictures of Obama hanging, swastikas and confederate flags
waving. Foxaholics began to buy guns because they were told to fight against
fake socialism in America. They were told that the FEDS were going to take
their guns. CNN joined the band wagon
and reaped millions of dollars. Mr. Murdoch’s media machine has been paying and
getting paid to spread UNLIMITED, MALICIOUS AND UNRESTRAINED LIES ABOUT THE
PRESIDENT.
This created a windfall of billions for the people at Fox
and CNN. People at Fox sold their souls for money and began to lie effortlessly
and very professionally. Some of the Foxaholics were buying guns by the box
loads and hiding them. Guns sales are
still soaring because of these steering tactics. Right now the word on feeble minded
street level is that there is going to be a civil war before the election. They
are preparing for this by digging bunkers and stocking up on thousands of
rounds of ammunition. Fox will be right in the middle orchestrating this civil
war. How much more satanic can it get than that? There are other nations that
want America destroyed. Fox and CNN are helping their cause.
Maybe Nit Wit Mitt Wrongney needs to go in a plane to
39,000 feet and roll the window down.
The Republicans want to privatize prisons and hospitals
to keep government money and to place rates however they want.
The votes from 26 states are sent to Tampa, Florida to be
counted. This is where the Republicans headquarters are located. The company
that owns the voting machines is owned by Spain and has its financial offices
in the Cayman Islands where Wrongney keeps his business affairs finances.
Your so wrong on so many things.Soros has a interest in the voting machines from Spain,he is a democrat supporter.
Its time for grownups in the white house.Lets get the egg head professors with no experience to leave.The most corrupt and devisive administration in my life time.Horrible group of anti Americans who don't have a clue.
Rooney's way of acknowledging black America is disenfranchising his vote. How sleazy can anyone get. nevertheless, the black vote will be and is very powerful come election day. Then the American people can goodby and good ridden to Romney