Key 'graphs:

"Clinton's emphasis on healthcare and the economy also helped, allowing her to trade on the prosperity that many Latinos enjoyed during her husband's administration.

"The Obama campaign, by contrast, aired Spanish-language radio ads promoting his support for issuing driver's licenses to illegal immigrants. That was a 'classic Northeastern assumption' that licenses were the primary concern of Latinos, according to Harry Pachon, president of the Tomas Rivera Policy Institute at USC.

"'It's not. I think he would have had much more traction on issues like education, or the loss of jobs . . . issues that resonate with Latino homeowners,'" Pachon said."

Check it out:

http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-me-calif7feb07,0,3415944.story

Great LA Times cover story today, check it out:

http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-me-calif7feb07,0,3415944.story

A couple of excerpts:

Latinos went for Clinton by a 2-1 margin. What made that margin even more significant was that Latinos made up a record proportion of the electorate. Three in 10 of those who voted in the Democratic primary were Latino, the exit poll said, almost double the proportion in 2004.....

Clinton's emphasis on healthcare and the economy also helped, allowing her to trade on the prosperity that many Latinos enjoyed during her husband's administration.

The Obama campaign, by contrast, aired Spanish-language radio ads promoting his support for issuing driver's licenses to illegal immigrants. That was a "classic Northeastern assumption" that licenses were the primary concern of Latinos, according to Harry Pachon, president of the Tomas Rivera Policy Institute at USC.

"It's not. I think he would have had much more traction on issues like education, or the loss of jobs . . . issues that resonate with Latino homeowners," Pachon said.....

Clinton's dominance in Latino neighborhoods contributed to a huge margin in the state's most populous county, Los Angeles. By late Wednesday, vote tallies showed her winning Los Angeles by more than 162,000 votes. That dwarfed Obama's margins in his Bay Area power base, where his leads in Alameda, San Francisco and Marin counties totaled only 37,000 votes combined.

it was an absolutely brilliant move.

and his attempts to woo them have been embarrassing--either pandering or tin-eared. But then, he doesn't understand working-class or older voters either. If you're a latte liberal or a college kid, he loves you.

I am a Democrat/Republican/Independent. I will NEVER vote for___. Now, who am I talking about?

Cheney?

about Obama's commitment to women's rights. What policies does he advocate, aside from his pretty words?

The LA Times had a great front page story yesterday about why Clinton LAPPED Obama with Latinos in California. Other newspapers have run substantive stories on the subject since Tuesday. If you really want info on the subject, it's not hard to find.

Your comments make no sense. If the country is too conservative to elect a liberal like Hillary Clinton, then it will never elect Obama since he is much more liberal than she is. If you don't know why rank-and-file Dem voters remember the 90s fondly, I pity you.

Running from debates like a scared child. What's he going to do if he gets the nomination, try and hide from McCain too? This is just like George Bush in 2004.

You're as much of a coward as your candidate. Do you have a name? Hard to debate a ghost.

He excels in very controlled and scripted settings. In the give-and-take of debate or town-hall meetings, he seems stiff, uncomfortable, and eager to escape. It's a bad quality in a Presidential candidate. McCain is a street-fighter who loves debates (his scripted speeches, by contrast, are stiff and uninspiring). After a few sharp punches to the gut, he'll have Obama stammering and blinking and looking lost. If Obama wants to be the nominee, he might as well sharpen his debating skills against Hillary now. It's very sad to see him run away like this, whimpering his excuses.

What a joke! When's the last town-hall forum he held where he answered voters' questions about the issues directly? Sure, he smiles and shakes hands after his speeches. But the extent of his give and take with voters consists of "We love you, Obama!"?"I love you back!" Tough stuff--really meaty engagement, huh?

from the Obamabots. Your candidate is afraid of debates, it's that simple. And it's sad.

Seems to really be getting through to Latinos, older voters, and working-class voters. I guess if you don't come to his rallies, he doesn't want to talk to you. Some candidate!

It's a scripted event with pre-selected participants. Very George Bush like! Our current Prez loves these pseudo-events!

Why is Obama running from them? Fear, pure and simple. A confident candidate who believes he has a firm grasp of the issues and cannot be rattled doesn't run from debates. A vacuous candidate who prefers scripted events does.

when your constituency is affluent white kids and latte liberals? Why can't he figure out some way of connecting to blue-collar Dem voters?

that's all I'm saying. Sorry if the truth hurts. Why don't you write your candidate and tell him to show some courage?

in any debate, especially the South Carolina one, where Clinton and Edwards totally tore him apart. Obama is a paper tiger with a glass jaw--to mix my metaphors. Of course he doesn't want to debate his positions. He'd rather soak up the love from adoring crowds of fans. Defending your views against criticism is hard. When's the last time Obama appeared one-on-one on Meet the Press? Maybe he would if he could bring 5000 supporters who could drown out Russert's tough queries with chants of "Yes We Can!"

Now THAT'S my fave Obamabot rationalization yet. I guess that's why a record number tuned in to watch the one in LA, huh? Just to waste their time. LOL.