Latino Political Bloggers: How they Responded to the Campaign Platforms of Barack Obama and Mitt Romney in the 2012 Presidential Election
Open Access
Author:
Echemendia, Mariel Ann
Area of Honors:
Interdisciplinary in Spanish and Advertising Public Relations
Degree:
Bachelor of Arts
Document Type:
Thesis
Thesis Supervisors:
Michelle Lyn Rodino Colocino, Thesis Supervisor Dr. Susan Mary Strohm, Honors Advisor John Lipski, Honors Advisor
Keywords:
Latino bloggers Romney Obama 2012 Election
Abstract:
The following analysis explores the confluence of two trends: the growing significance of Latinos in US elections and the contributions of Latino bloggers to United States electoral discourse. Latinos are the largest and fastest growing ethnic group in the United States, and as such, constitute an important constituency that can have a significant impact on election results. Blogging has become a popular and informative vehicle for social and political discourse. This paper examines how Latino bloggers reacted to the campaign platforms of Barack Obama and Mitt Romney in the 2012 president election, thereby providing some insight into the effectiveness of each campaign in gaining Latino support. Specifically, I analyze Latino blogs published during the influential late campaign weeks between September 1 and November 6, 2012 and attend to how candidates targeted Latino groups and how intended audiences responded. I compare and contrast blogs’ support for Obama and Romney and evaluate how well each candidate reached Latinos and Latinas in the United States.