Democratic political candidates are at a loss for how to cater to the concerns of the ever-expanding Latino voting population in Iowa without offending white people with wild talk about immigration. So far, Presidential candidate Barack Obama seems to be making the most headway in his efforts to connect with brown voters.

“We are reaching out to nontraditional people,” said Joan Kato, head of Hispanic outreach for the Obama campaign. “We can’t expect the voters to come to us, so we are going to them and showing up at events to build trust.”

Its true, The Latinos are an untraditional people. We eat exotic foods, speak in clicks and whistles and live in trees. However will we be enticed to climb down from our perches to vote? Who will show us the way?!

Most Democrats steer clear of the immigration issue unless it is raised by voters at campaign events. Most Democratic candidates supported the failed Kennedy-McCain bill in Congress, which would have provided a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants.. Yet they talk tough on border security.

“Democrats running for office could take leadership on the issue of immigration reform,” said Alex Orozco, an organizer with United for the Dignity and Safety of Immigrants. “But they are not. I don’t sense that the Democrats think immigration is a priority for them, not even close. When they do talk, they are often very good at talking more about enforcement because if they talk positively, they open themselves up to attack. The Republicans care more about this issue — but in a negative way.”

So there’s no winning for brown Iowans here, is there? But at least Obama is making an effort. Almost makes us want to crawl down from our primitive treetop homes and offer him our mud-streaked hands.

New Hispanic Voters in Iowa Push Democrats Into Balancing Act [New York Times]