Blacks, Latinos in L.A. more conservative than whites, Times poll finds

In national politics, black and Latino voters are, on average, more liberal than white voters. 

But in Los Angeles, not so. The Los Angeles Times poll of 1,500 registered voters in the city, released this week, shows 40% of white voters describing themselves as liberal, 36% moderate and only 22% conservative.

White voters in L.A. are about twice as likely to call themselves liberal as white voters nationwide, based on polling done nationally by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research, which also conducted the Times Poll. And note that because this is a poll of voters in the city of Los Angeles, it doesn’t include such heavily liberal, largely white areas as Beverly Hills, Santa Monica and West Hollywood.

White L.A. voters are also more likely to call themselves liberal than are either black or Latino voters. In the Times poll, 27% of black voters and 29% of Latino voters identified themselves as liberal, while 28% of black voters and a third of Latinos described themselves as conservative. 

And what part of the city has the most voters who identify themselves as conservative? Not the San Fernando Valley, which once had the reputation as L.A.’s conservative bastion, but heavily black and Latino South L.A., where 35% of voters identified themselves as conservative. 

-- David Lauter

More from the L.A. Times poll on the mayor, gay marriage, the LAPD and quality of life in L.A.

Complete polling results here.

Comments

[wait a second]

shouldn't the title be "Blacks, Latinos in LA more likely to call themselves conservative?"
that's a big difference.
if a poll found that blacks and Latinos in LA were more conservative on the issues than white voters, that would be interesting. who chooses to call themselves a liberal is related but may be getting at something other than the issues.

[Jason]

What is the purpose of this story? Why must the LATimes constantly obsess over how minority groups think about certain things. I bet you will find that Asians are conservative in LA as well. Talk about class for a change and leave race and color out of it please.

[Mike]

who cares?

[ballrmom]

why is this so hard to believe? my parents were more conservative than any family in orange county and we lived in compton. unfortunately the images of black and brown people would lead one to believe otherwise when that has never been the case in the world in which i live!

[pedro213]

I KNEW IT

[steinerla]

great...so conservative politicians should start campaigning in South LA and work to end the culture of perpetual pregnancy, relying on public assistance and flagrant illegal immigrants.

[Oliver Wang]

Why are there no Asian American voters included in this poll? They constitute over 13% of LA county's population (compared to African Americans, who are less than 10%).

[kent]

Its not that Blacks and Latinos are more conservative. Its just that there's so many White liberals who call LA home.

[Jet]

More African American and Latinos are leaving the Democratic Party as well. Lack of morality in the party seem to have something to do with the departure.

[turth be known]

it seems that the dimissive commentary here is attributable to lilly white liberals who don't want to accept that their condescending politics of holding minorities down with liberal socially dependent programs to benefit their predominately white social immoral agendas like gay marriage & abortion are failing.

[HDB]

Minorities are PHILOSOPHICALLY conservative to moderate, but we have to be POLITICALLY LIBERAL, for the GOP's policies do not consider ethnic minorities. In fact, the GOP is the party of EXCLUSION!!

[Hello?]

I second that--how about asking some Asian-Americans?

[NotEveryThingIsOK]

I think the better label is that blacks and Latinos tend to be more traditional, or in the middle...not too liberal, not too conservative...but lean more towards being conservative.

I think that is ok. Because today it seems that everything you do is ok...our standards have been lowered.

Politically, minorities tend to vote democrate versus republican (everything reaches back to the not too distant American history...additonal Nixon tapes were just released...read some of the excerpts..)

[milesjohnson46]

Blacks & Latinos in Los Angeles are more likely than whites to be religious. That explains the conservative politics. Its not complicated.

[Nick]

This seems to be an example where race and class are closely tied together. More education, particularly college and post-college, leads to more progressive and liberal political affiliation. Unfortunately, blacks and Latinos tend to get left behind in comparison to whites and Asians.

[Raffi]

But there are two types of liberal/conservative, and it is left up to those being surveyed to decide which they are. Some are considered conservative when it comes to social issues (no gay marriage, abortion) while the same person may be considered liberal when it comes to spending programs and social services. I suspect many of the "conservative" (and maybe more religious) respondents fall into this other category.

[DSL]

No surprise here. LA is full of white hipster tattooed pierced clowns with Obama bumper stickers. Pretty useless flock who hang out at the coffee shop dressed all in black and smirk at each other. Good luck getting a job at my company. Don't quit that day job at your Silver Lake thrift shop.

[Ron]

And by more conservative you mean more under the influence of religion?

[Diddy]

@steinerla

Did you really have to turn this into an immigration issue?

Sheesh..You cant here the word Latino without hearing the word illegal immigrant.

[Eric Pfeiffer]

When they lose access to health care next year, they will sing a different tune.

[Carlos]

I agree with Mike. "who cares?". Nice. I'll add this: And the point is? Okay, now I'll leave this alone and not waste my time on stupid articles that don't have a point. How about writing something about how successful blacks,latinos, asians, or other ethnic groups are. News need not only be bad or racist news.

[frank]

I have always felt that social issues are the thing that could split black/latino voters off from the Democrats if the Republicans could ever get a candidate/message that made sense...the black/latino elites are much more liberal than the masses, especially on crime, gay marriage, abortion, etc...hence the outpouring of Obama voters (voting for the first black president) that also put Prop 8 over the top.

[kevhrm]

I think these numbers say more about education than any thing. Those who are less educated have more fear produced by ignorance. That's why Joe " the plumber", Sarah Palin and other uneducated people were so prominent in the last Republican effort for the presidency.

[brett]

they think by being conservative gives them power! nothing but an illusion. just like conservative beliefs. they are all hanging themselves.

[DSL]

And by the way KEVHRM, I grew up in San Marino, where 4 generations of families have been staunchly conservative and Republican. The median income, housing price, and educational attainment levels are amongst the top in the state and country. Apparently your doltish argument about how all conservatives are illiterate morons holds no water whatsoever. Think before you speak or spout off easily refuted "facts".

[Does it make difference?]

Does 30% of blacks and hispanics being conservative make a difference? Last I checked, the electoral college is all or nothing for presidential candidates. Another slow day at the Times...

[Danny]

Duh

[Marcela G.]

It's all about the poverty, religion, and low educational level. These things harbor prejudices and intolerance. No different than most of white christian right America.

[Soraya]

I think this article completely generalizes the entire LA latino/black population based on a REGION of blacks/latinos.

I think the south central region has a particular set of factors that result in people defining themselves as "conservative", and this definition is based on religious identification, social isolation, and constant change/uncertainty. In south central, the community is mostly based on church gatherings, and not on community centers, or parks, or neighbor interaction. There are HARDLY any parks, SAFE schools, or SAFE gathering places (not even the Blue line is safe based on last year's shooting). In addition, the area is plagued by racial tension, and violence. This forms an "every man for himself, with the blessings of God" mentality, which leads to a conservative ID. If there were good public schools, good public spaces, etc., people would have less distrust in the public good, and "liberal" ideas of social welfare and social harmony. And BY THE WAY, there is a difference in being educated and tolerant, than just being educated. You can be a great speller, but be absolutely clueless about diversity, social complexity, and the importance of social resources.

[richard]

Everyone in LA is a closet conservative. Some groups are just more out of the closet than others.

[LKitsch]

I think the reason for this is simple---most white conservatives have left Los Angeles for the suburbs (Conejo Valley, Inland Empire), other regions (Palm Springs, San Diego) and other states. The majority of whites still living here tend to be urban hipsters, younger, gay & lesbian, single or childless, with a lot of artist and boehmian types. The rest left between 1975 and 2000. LA is not unique in this regard---you will find the same situation in NYC, Chicago and San Francisco. Many of the ethnic minorities living here are recent immigrants (hence more socially conservative) or still here for socio-economic reasons.

[Ed]

All you liberals are a bunch of Sheeple! Baaaaa baaaaaa baaaa.