Texas Insider Report: PHOENIX Arisona Arizonas immigration law has prompted denunciations demonstrations boycotts and a federal lawsuit but it may not bring the protest vote that many Democrats had hoped would stem a Republican onslaught in races across the country. A poll released Tuesday found that even though Latinos strongly back Democrats over Republicans 65 to 22 in the Congressional elections just four weeks away only 51 of Latino registered voters said they would absolutely go to the polls compared with 70 of all registered voters.
That is because although many voters are disillusioned with the political process Latino voters are particularly dejected and many may sit these elections out according to voters Latino organizations political consultants and candidates.
The results of the poll released Tuesday by the Pew Hispanic Center suggest that the raging debate over Arizonas law and the lack of Congressional action on immigration overhaul may have turned off many Latinos. Latinos have usually voted in lower percentages than non-Latinos but the current gap between their enthusiasm to vote and that of the general population is wider than in the last midterm election.
The other side in the immigration debate is suffering no such lack of enthusiasm.
One measure of its high spirits is the dance card of Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Maricopa County which includes Phoenix. Mr. Arpaio conducts raids in Latino neighborhoods that have led critics to label him a racist and the Justice Department to start a racial-profiling investigation. Despised by some he is also in demand.
As conservatives across the country seek to burnish their tough-on-immigration credentials Mr. Arpaios endorsement is much sought after.
Every day I get calls from candidates" the sheriff said recently acknowledging that he draws protesters too.
Tomorrow Im going up to Colorado to help out Tancredo; I helped that gal in Nevada Angle" Mr. Arpaio said referring to former Representative Tom Tancredo 
who is running for governor in Colorado as an independent and Sharron Angle the Republican Senate nominee in Nevada. Im a poster boy on this issue."
The Arizona law seems to be rewriting not just the rules on immigration but also the rules on how it is talked about on the campaign trail.
Even in New Mexico a state with a large Hispanic population and traditional tolerance for illegal immigration the issue is seen as a vote-getter for Republicans. Susana Martinez a prosecutor and the Republican nominee for governor would be the first Hispanic woman to run a state if elected. She is ahead in the polls partly on the strength of television advertisements that show her standing at the border talking about how she has convicted law-breakers who have entered the country illegally from Mexico.
Both Ms. Martinez and her Democratic opponent Lt. Gov. Diane Denish support ending the policy of departing Gov. Bill Richardson that allows illegal immigrants to get drivers licenses; Ms. Martinez would also take away licenses from those who already have them.
This has been an issue that we dont usually talk about" Lonna Rae Atkeson a political science professor at the University of New Mexico said of immigration. Somethings different this year."
Political analysts and candidates say the anti-establishment sentiment roiling the electorate as well as widespread frustration over the countrys porous borders seems to be helping candidates who favor tougher immigration rules.
In every single race Im looking at candidates are being asked Would you sign an Arizona-like immigration law? " said Jennifer Duffy an editor for the nonpartisan Cook Political Report. Its now on the list of issues like a balanced-budget amendment and a tax cut. Its part of the political lexicon and it fires people up."
Often that is to the chagrin of politicians in heavily Hispanic states. In Florida for instance both parties have typically tried to steer clear of immigration out of fear of angering either older white voters who turn out in high numbers and tend to support stricter immigration enforcement or Latinos who are a growing segment of the electorate.
When Senate candidates debated last month the hosts from Univision repeatedly raised the issue while the candidates Gov. Charlie Crist Representative Kendrick B. 
Meek and Marco Rubio did their best to avoid picking a side.
In Texas where a poll conducted last month by Blum & Weprin Associates showed support for the Arizona law especially among Republicans Gov. Rick Perry a conservative Republican has said that such legislation would be inappropriate for Texas.
And Mr. Perry has avoided making illegal immigration the centerpiece of his campaign against his Democratic opponent Bill White a former mayor of Houston.
No Texas politician wants to alienate Latinos given demographic trends showing they will only increase in political clout said James Henson a University of Texas political scientist.
In California where the Arizona law divides voters the Republican nominee for governor Meg Whitman has moderated her tough stance on illegal immigration in what is seen as an effort to woo Latinos. She has been on the defensive however amid accusations that she knowingly employed a housekeeper who was in the country illegally.
Just 32 percent of all Latino registered voters said they had given this years election quite a lot" of thought compared with 50 percent of all registered voters in the country the poll found. The nationwide poll is based on telephone interviews with 1375 Latinos of whom 618 are registered voters. The survey was conducted Aug. 17 to Sept. 19 and has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus five percentage points for registered voters.
The Pew poll also found that for Latinos education jobs and health care trump immigration as major issues which could be bad news for Democrats hoping to capitalize on Hispanic anger over the Arizona law.
But Tomas Robles a student at Arizona State was so enraged by the law which would require the police to ask people they stopped about their immigration status if they suspected them to be here illegally that he registered 12 of his family members to vote and joined other activists here in a door-to-door campaign that signed up more than 20000 Latinos.
For the first time I felt it was time for me to get involved" Mr. Robles said. He was surprised to find that while some Latinos were as fired up as he was others slammed the door in his face. With the registration deadline past the new focus is on motivating voters to actually vote.
Matt A. Barreto a political science professor at the University of Washington who is a pollster for Latino Decisions a research group said Latinos feel that on many of their key issues promises were made and not delivered on" by the Obama administration and Congressional Democrats.
Latinos strongly supported Mr. Obama in 2008 so they do not have the enthusiasm of opposition that his detractors do. Its much easier to raise enthusiasm about kicking people out" Mr. Barreto said.
That has prompted a variety of campaigns to motivate Latino voters including radio ads in Phoenix and eight other cities sponsored by the Service Employees International Union and various advocacy groups accusing Republicans of obstructionism when it comes to big changes in immigration laws that President Obama and Congressional Democrats have called for.
In the Arizona races immigration hard-liners have the clear upper hand. Gov. Jan Brewer a Republican is running a strong campaign against the 
Democratic nominee Attorney General Terry Goddard in large part because of her decision in April to sign the law making illegal immigration a state crime. The fact that a federal judge blocked the most controversial parts of the law only seemed to have increased her popularity as a foil to the Obama administration.
Debate over the law has quieted somewhat since the summer. But emotions on both sides are expected to rise as legal proceedings in the case are scheduled to resume the day before Election Day.
who is running for governor in Colorado as an independent and Sharron Angle the Republican Senate nominee in Nevada. Im a poster boy on this issue."
The Arizona law seems to be rewriting not just the rules on immigration but also the rules on how it is talked about on the campaign trail.
Even in New Mexico a state with a large Hispanic population and traditional tolerance for illegal immigration the issue is seen as a vote-getter for Republicans. Susana Martinez a prosecutor and the Republican nominee for governor would be the first Hispanic woman to run a state if elected. She is ahead in the polls partly on the strength of television advertisements that show her standing at the border talking about how she has convicted law-breakers who have entered the country illegally from Mexico.
Both Ms. Martinez and her Democratic opponent Lt. Gov. Diane Denish support ending the policy of departing Gov. Bill Richardson that allows illegal immigrants to get drivers licenses; Ms. Martinez would also take away licenses from those who already have them.
This has been an issue that we dont usually talk about" Lonna Rae Atkeson a political science professor at the University of New Mexico said of immigration. Somethings different this year."
Political analysts and candidates say the anti-establishment sentiment roiling the electorate as well as widespread frustration over the countrys porous borders seems to be helping candidates who favor tougher immigration rules.
In every single race Im looking at candidates are being asked Would you sign an Arizona-like immigration law? " said Jennifer Duffy an editor for the nonpartisan Cook Political Report. Its now on the list of issues like a balanced-budget amendment and a tax cut. Its part of the political lexicon and it fires people up."
Often that is to the chagrin of politicians in heavily Hispanic states. In Florida for instance both parties have typically tried to steer clear of immigration out of fear of angering either older white voters who turn out in high numbers and tend to support stricter immigration enforcement or Latinos who are a growing segment of the electorate.
When Senate candidates debated last month the hosts from Univision repeatedly raised the issue while the candidates Gov. Charlie Crist Representative Kendrick B. Meek and Marco Rubio did their best to avoid picking a side.
In Texas where a poll conducted last month by Blum & Weprin Associates showed support for the Arizona law especially among Republicans Gov. Rick Perry a conservative Republican has said that such legislation would be inappropriate for Texas.
And Mr. Perry has avoided making illegal immigration the centerpiece of his campaign against his Democratic opponent Bill White a former mayor of Houston.
No Texas politician wants to alienate Latinos given demographic trends showing they will only increase in political clout said James Henson a University of Texas political scientist.
In California where the Arizona law divides voters the Republican nominee for governor Meg Whitman has moderated her tough stance on illegal immigration in what is seen as an effort to woo Latinos. She has been on the defensive however amid accusations that she knowingly employed a housekeeper who was in the country illegally.
Just 32 percent of all Latino registered voters said they had given this years election quite a lot" of thought compared with 50 percent of all registered voters in the country the poll found. The nationwide poll is based on telephone interviews with 1375 Latinos of whom 618 are registered voters. The survey was conducted Aug. 17 to Sept. 19 and has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus five percentage points for registered voters.
The Pew poll also found that for Latinos education jobs and health care trump immigration as major issues which could be bad news for Democrats hoping to capitalize on Hispanic anger over the Arizona law.
But Tomas Robles a student at Arizona State was so enraged by the law which would require the police to ask people they stopped about their immigration status if they suspected them to be here illegally that he registered 12 of his family members to vote and joined other activists here in a door-to-door campaign that signed up more than 20000 Latinos.
For the first time I felt it was time for me to get involved" Mr. Robles said. He was surprised to find that while some Latinos were as fired up as he was others slammed the door in his face. With the registration deadline past the new focus is on motivating voters to actually vote.
Matt A. Barreto a political science professor at the University of Washington who is a pollster for Latino Decisions a research group said Latinos feel that on many of their key issues promises were made and not delivered on" by the Obama administration and Congressional Democrats.
Latinos strongly supported Mr. Obama in 2008 so they do not have the enthusiasm of opposition that his detractors do. Its much easier to raise enthusiasm about kicking people out" Mr. Barreto said.
That has prompted a variety of campaigns to motivate Latino voters including radio ads in Phoenix and eight other cities sponsored by the Service Employees International Union and various advocacy groups accusing Republicans of obstructionism when it comes to big changes in immigration laws that President Obama and Congressional Democrats have called for.
In the Arizona races immigration hard-liners have the clear upper hand. Gov. Jan Brewer a Republican is running a strong campaign against the Democratic nominee Attorney General Terry Goddard in large part because of her decision in April to sign the law making illegal immigration a state crime. The fact that a federal judge blocked the most controversial parts of the law only seemed to have increased her popularity as a foil to the Obama administration.
Debate over the law has quieted somewhat since the summer. But emotions on both sides are expected to rise as legal proceedings in the case are scheduled to resume the day before Election Day.
