New Synovate Study Shows Hispanic Voters Have Views Similar to Whites, Blacks and Asians in the US - Except on Immigration and the War in Iraq

A new survey by market research firm Synovate shows how whites, blacks, Hispanics and Asians in the US feel about major issues in the upcoming presidential election. The study shows that Hispanic voters have views similar to other races except when it comes to immigration and the war in Iraq.

Chicago, IL (PRWEB) April 1, 2008 -- While researching the influence of race in the upcoming presidential election, Synovate found that Hispanics' political views are similar to those of the rest of the population, except when it comes to immigration and the war in Iraq.

Synovate surveyed a total of 1,000 whites, Hispanics, African-Americans and Asian-Americans across the US to glean their views on the biggest issues facing the country during this hotly debated election year. With the US minority population expected to grow to approximately 40% of the total US population by 2020, according to the US Census Bureau and Synovate's 2008 US Diversity Markets Report (http://www.synovate.com/knowledge/publications), the importance of minorities on the outcome of upcoming elections can't be denied.

The biggest division between Hispanics and the rest of the population is on the topic of driver's licenses for illegal immigrants. Though at least 80% of white, black and Asian respondents say that illegal immigrants should not be granted licenses, few Hispanics agree. Eighty-four percent of Hispanics surveyed think illegal immigrants should be able to get a driver's license. Additionally, even though every other group ranked the economy as the most important issue in the US this election year, Hispanics ranked it after immigration.

The issue of border control in the US clearly divides white and black voters from Hispanic voters. Seventy-nine percent of whites and 69% of blacks want to increase border restrictions compared to just 20% of Hispanics. About half of Asians think borders should be more controlled.

When it comes to the war, 91% of African-Americans and 85% of Hispanics disapprove of the US presence in Iraq versus 59% of whites. Similar figures were echoed when respondents were asked about their confidence in President Bush's performance, with 86% of African-Americans, 67% of Hispanics and 61% of whites giving him poor ratings.

Interestingly, 40% of Hispanic respondents say that a candidate's ability to speak Spanish would influence their choice for president, while less than 10% of the other races indicated that this would influence them.

When asked to cite the 'least important' issue in the upcoming election, all groups agreed that same-sex marriage is at the bottom of the list, with gun control a close second. However, for Hispanics, the second least important issue is the war in Iraq.

"This is likely due to the fact that many Hispanics, as first generation immigrants to the US, do not yet have family members serving in the military," said Tom Mularz, Senior Vice President at Synovate. "This is in sharp contrast to African-American respondents since 30% are either in the military or have family members in the military. This was the highest of all the groups surveyed so the war is going to be a much bigger issue to them."

When asked about their overall financial well being compared to two years ago, about one quarter of each race surveyed think they are better off now, while at least one-third of each group said that they are worse off. Among those that say they are in a worse financial situation now, the feeling is highest among African-Americans and Hispanics, at 41% and 41% respectively.

Respondents were also asked whether they were more concerned about unemployment or their investment performance. All the groups except for whites indicated that unemployment was more worrisome, with concern highest among African-Americans (74%) and Hispanics (71%). In contrast, 52% of whites said they were more concerned about the performance of their investments.

Slightly more than half of all whites, blacks and Hispanics surveyed indicated they will likely spend their upcoming tax relief checks while 64% of Asian-Americans plan to save it.

The survey was conducted in February 2008 by Synovate eNation (http://www.synovate.com/whatwedo/other/omnibus/enation), a national Omnibus survey that polls 1,000 US consumers five times per week.

About Synovate

Synovate, the market research arm of Aegis Group plc, generates consumer insights that drive competitive marketing solutions. The network provides clients with cohesive global support and a comprehensive suite of research solutions. Synovate employs over 5,800 staff in 121 cities across 57 countries.

For more information on Synovate visit www.synovate.com.

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