In the primaries, their candidate of choice was Hillary Clinton.

Latino Americans, who overwhelmingly backed Sen. Hillary Clinton in the primary election, now appear to be flocking to Sen. Barack Obama as their choice for president. In fact, more than three in four Latinos who voted for Clinton last time – 77 percent, according to a new Pew Hispanic Center survey – say that Obama is their man in November. Fifty-five percent of all Latinos said they believe Obama is better for their people, while about one in 10 believe Sen. John McCain is a better choice. When it comes to education, Latinos like Obama over McCain 66 percent to 19 percent; on jobs, it’s Obama 65 percent to 19 percent; health care, Obama over McCain 64 percent to 19 percent; crime, Obama 50 percent to McCain 26 percent. Twice as many Latinos prefer Obama over McCain on the issue of the war in Iraq, 58 percent to 27 percent. And while Obama did not fair well against Clinton in the primaries, the fact is, Latinos overwhelmingly identify with the Democratic Party. Only 26 percent of Latinos say they identify with Republicans the Pew survey shows. Latinos comprise about 15 percent of the U.S. population but only 9 percent of eligible voters, but as their numbers in society rise, they are becoming the most sought-after political bloc.