'Yes, we can."

The chant made famous by Sen. Barack Obama's presidential bid captures the senator's infectious optimism and movement candidacy. It also neatly translates into Spanish as "Si, se puede." That slogan, as any politically conscious Angeleno realizes, is the rallying call of this region's labor movement and its largely Latino leadership. And yet, despite Obama's surging national popularity and rhetorical identification with Latino political strength, many Latinos continue to harbor doubts about his candidacy. As this race enters its final stretch, Latinos owe Obama a second look.

Obama and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton differ on few issues and generally agree on the matters of principal concern to Latinos. Both support comprehensive immigration reform; indeed, Obama promises to press that cause even more aggressively than Clinton. Both support significant revamping of the nation's healthcare system. Both favor economic, tax and job programs that would help poorer Americans, many of Latin American descent.

READ MORE: http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/editorials/la-ed-obama17feb17,0,3776094.story

---