The Hispanic Influence
Although, Hispanic populations may not have determined the outcome of presidential votes by county, they certainly may help the nation shift towards the Democrats. The cartogram supports an understanding of places with high Hispanic populations shifting to the Democrats. In the past, Hispanic vote has not been consistently Democratic, with Bush taking surprisingly high margins. However, it seems that Hispanics have helped shift the vote Democratic. Particularly in places like the west coast of Texas, Florida, and California. Furthermore, it is evident in the cartogram, that places with very low Hispanic populations shifted more Republican. A rise in voter participation amongst Hispanics as well as changes in voting patterns by Hispanics can help account for a shift towards the Democrats and Obama’s victory.