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Vámonos! An Unprecedented Latino Voter Drive Could Tip the Scales in Iowa
And Bernie Sanders may be the beneficiaryhttp://www.motherjones.com/politics/2016/01/iowas-latino-vote-mobilizing-first-time-caucuses
Across Iowa, thousands of Latino voters are getting the same call. "It is important the Latino community participate in the presidential caucuses," a young Latina woman says on the robocall. "If we don't participate in the Iowa caucuses, then everyone else gets to decide for us what issues are important and which candidates will address those issues."
A total of 50,000 Latino voters are receiving direct mailings bearing similar messages, and 25,000 are receiving robo and live calls encouraging them to caucus on February 1. For those living in the 20 Iowa counties with the highest concentration of Latino voters, they are getting knocks on their door and caucus training opportunities in their communities. It's all part of an ambitious effort to organize Iowa's Latino population into an influential voting block in the caucuses next month. "People will be surprised," predicts Joe Henry, the man spearheading the effort. "I think you're going to see a little history here."
Henry's plan is the first time that there has been a targeted effort to engage Latino voters in the Iowa caucuses. If the majority of those who turn out caucus for a Democrat, the effort could help decide the tight race between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders—and thanks to the large number of young people in the Latino community, Sanders may reap the benefits.
Henry, a real estate agent with decades of political organizing under his belt, met Mother Jones in downtown Des Moines at Ritual Café, a Latina-owned coffee house that only sells vegetarian and vegan fare. There's a Bernie Sanders sign posted in the window and a stack of "FeelTheBern" and "Bernie2016" bumper stickers inside, along with the latest edition of Hola Iowa, a local paper that prints stories side by side in both English and Spanish. The Vermont senator, who gave an exclusive interview to the paper, graces the cover.
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Go Iowans! Go Latinos! Go Bernie!!!
And she is an abuela!
for Bernie's strategy across the state, and especially in Des Moines where there is a very large Latino population.
Obama did some outreach to the Latino community. It was very effective.
Great to hear that Bernie is doing this. I didn't know this. 
