From Stateline:
The hot phrase for analysts of the 2010 midterm elections is "enthusiasm gap" - the level of eagerness to participate that one segment of voters has compared to another. Across the board this year, polls show that Republicans are more energized than Democrats are. But few groups are being watched as closely for signs of voting enthusiasm as Hispanic voters. Latinos are the nation's largest minority group, accounting for nearly 47 million people and 15 percent of the population.... "Because of the closeness of the races in some states, Latinos can make a difference, if not the difference," says Louis DeSipio, a political scientist at the University of California, Irvine who specializes in Latino politics and voting.  "They are always a critical electorate in New Mexico. Should (Democratic gubernatorial candidate Bill) White win in Texas," which DeSipio considers unlikely, "It would not be possible without Latino votes."

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