From NBC's First Read:

Latinos are going to be one of the most important groups to watch this election year -- if not the most important group -- as no other population has grown more in the U.S. over the last decade.

A new Pew Hispanic Center poll out Wednesday finds, as reported by our sister site NBC Latino:

- 75% say they prefer a bigger, expanded role for govt, much more than the general public,
- Less than 1-in-5 (19 percent) believes in smaller government, and
- Though 32 percent consider themselves conservative (compared with 34 percent of the general public), 30 percent say they are either liberal or very liberal, a higher number than the general public at 21 percent.

Mitt Romney has a big Latino voter problem and should choose a Hispanic to be his vice presidential running-mate, according to some GOP strategists.

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), who is loved by the Tea Party, is on every strategist’s list; New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez (R) and Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval (R) have also been mentioned as possible choices for Romney. 

Non-Hispanics on the vice presidential list include Tea Party favorites like Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) and regionally popular governors like Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell (R), but strategists suggest choosing a Hispanic would be the best route.

A recent national poll from Fox News had President Obama leading Romney among Hispanic voters by 70 percent to 14 percent, a number that if it holds all but guarantees Obama’s reelection. Bush received approximately 40 percent of the Hispanic vote in 2004, while McCain received 31 percent despite his long-time support of immigration reform, which many strategists say cost him many western states.

“If Romney could use an etch-a-sketch anywhere, it’s with Hispanics,” said Republican strategist Ford O’Connell. “When they start vetting [possible running mates] they have to start with the Hispanics and go from there. He’s really hurt himself with Hispanics in this primary.”

Time and again, strategists circled back to Romney’s Hispanic problem — and said that while the decision is his, they hope he will find a Latino running mate.

“It’s not just about 2012, it’s about the future of the Republican Party,” O’Connell said. “If you don’t make inroads with Hispanics now I think the Republican Party could be wiped off the map for 20 years.”

Read more from Cameron Joseph at The Hill

Smart move by Rubio & Co. From Alexander Bolton at The Hill: 

Senate Republicans want to alter DREAM Act legislation to steal away Hispanic voters from Democrats.

Sen. Marco Rubio (Fla.), the only Senate Republican of Hispanic heritage and a possible vice presidential pick, is working on an alternative version of the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act, which would grant legal status to illegal immigrants who came to the country at a young age and serve in the military or attend college. 

He declined to provide any details, but confirmed he hopes to have legislation soon.

Sens. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) and Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas) are also working on a bill, although its details are being kept secret, according to congressional sources. Senate sources expect it to be unveiled after GOP front-runner Mitt Romney has clinched the presidential nomination.

The efforts have unnerved Democratic leaders, who are watching warily — Democrats see their advantage over Republicans among Hispanic voters as one of the party’s greatest strengths in November. 

The GOP’s image among Hispanic voters is seen as one of its biggest liabilities heading to Election Day.

After independents, Latinos are the second most important demographic if the eventual GOP nominee wants to unseat president Obama in November. Right now the eventual nominee faces an uphill to win over Latinos. Andrew O'Reilly at Fox News Latino has more:

Latino voters favor President Barack Obama by six-to-one over any of the Republican presidential hopefuls, showed a Fox News Latino poll conducted under the direction of Latin Insights and released Monday.

The national poll of likely Latino voters indicated that 73 percent of them approved of Obama’s performance in office, with over half those questioned looking favorably upon his handling of the healthcare debate and the economy, at 66 percent and 58 percent respectively.

The shift in Latino voter leanings may reflect a growing divergence with the GOP over issues -- in particular, over immigration.

Although immigration came in fourth among issues cited as important by likely Latino voters --to jobs and the economy, education, and health care-- voter responses on immigration show a wide discrepancy with the positions of GOP hopefuls.

Paradoxically, immigration is also the issue in which President Obama receives his lowest approval rating among Latino voters --some 41 percent disapprove of  the job he is doing regarding immigration, with the number climbing higher to 56 percent among Latinos between the age of 35 and 44.

One area where Republicans could gain back ground among Latino voters is by the choice of Vice President. Almost one-third of Latino voters say that they would consider voting Republican if there were a Latino on the ticket.

Ford O'Connell and Democratic Strategist Davide Mercer join Fox News' Chris Stirewalt on Fox News Live's Power Play to discuss President Obama's re-election strategy in the Southwest and Midwest, the role of the Hispanic vote in 2012, the bare knuckle brawl between Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich in the Florida GOP primary and why the Republican 2012 primary calendar favors Romney after Florida.