Hispanics turn cold shoulder to Abuelo* McCain

By GottaLaff

Awww, pobre Abuelo* McCain:

Despite championing immigration reform in 2007, John McCain is poised to lose the Hispanic vote by a landslide margin that is well below President George W. Bush's 2004 performance.

Polls show Obama winning the broadest support from Latino voters of any Democrat in a decade, while McCain is struggling to reach 30 percent, closer to Senator Bob Dole's dismal 1996 result than to Bush's historic 40% four years ago.

McCain seems to have wound up with the worst of both worlds: He appears to be getting no credit from Latino voters for his past support for immigration reform, while carrying the baggage of other Republicans' hostility to illegal immigration. [...]

As October puts four states with large Hispanic populations - Florida, Colorado, Nevada, and New Mexico - at the center of the presidential contest, what appeared at first to be a possible strength for McCain has emerged as a profound weakness.

"I feel bad for McCain," said Sam Rodriguez, the president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference and a prominent supporter of George W. Bush in 2004, who is neutral this year. "We find ourselves between the proverbial rock and the hard place. We really like John McCain. We really don't like the Republican Party."

Democrats relish McCain's quandary.

Yes, yes we do. Y si se puede!

*abuelo, -a

masculine or feminine noun

1. grandfather, (f) grandmother (familiar)

• abuelos -> grandparents
• ¡cuéntaselo a tu abuela! (informal) -> pull the other one!
• éramos pocos y parió la abuela (informal) -> that was all we needed
• no necesitar abuela (informal) -> to be full of oneself

2. old man, old person (anciano) (hombre); old woman, old person (mujer)

abuelo [ah-boo-ay-lo]

noun

1. Grandfather, ancestor. (m)

• Abuelos -> grandparents
• Está hecho un abuelo -> he looks like an old man

(fig.) Old man, forbear.