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Familia First: Latinos are known for their love of family, and both Gov. Sarah Palin (R-AK) and Senator Joe Biden (D-DE) have compelling stories. Palin's revelation that her 17-year-old daughter is pregnant may cause some in the Latino community to identify with her, as Latina teen pregnancy rate is twice the national average. However, Palin supports abstinence-only sex education, which has only proven to be ineffective. With five children, including one who's soon off to Iraq and a special needs infant, voters could feel Palin is one of them.

Biden has three grown children. His two sons survived the car accident that took Biden's first wife and infant daughter. Committed to giving his boys a normal family life, Biden relied on family members to help care for his children in Delaware and commuted on train between D.C. and Wilmington. Biden is currently married to Dr. Jill Biden, a community college professor, who he has one daughter with. A devout Catholic, Biden balances Barack Obama's Protestant faith and could possibly attract Catholic Latinos. Biden's son, Beau, is a member of the Delaware Army National Guard and deploys to Iraq in October. Biden is concerned with how the U.S. leaves the Middle East because he doesn't want his grandchildren to occupy it 15 years from now.

The Learning Curve: Between 1990 and 2006, Latino students accounted for 60% of the U.S. public school system enrollment growth, yet struggle to graduate and access higher education. Palin supports creationism and evolution being taught in public schools, which might appeal to evangelical Latinos who abide by strict  biblical teachings and values. Palin also believes Alaska's schools have progressed under the controversial No Child Left Behind Act, enacted during the first G.W.B. term. In regards to higher education, Palin hasn't made it a high priority in her governorship, although the University of Alaska has benefited from increased oil and natural gas revenues.

Biden supports comprehensive, age appropriate sex education in public schools and wants to overhaul the No Child Left Behind Act. He supports lengthening the school day and the school year, while devoting more resources to urban schools in order to close the education gap found between children in the lower socio-economic brackets and those who fall in the middle- to upper-income level. He also believes in giving tax credits for families earning up to $150,000 so that more young people can access higher education in the U.S. Currently, Pell grants are only awarded to students from families earning under $50,000, which leave students who barely exceed the cut-off unable to receive financial aid.

Rainbow Rights: The LGBT community has become a more vocal segment of the civil rights movement with lawful same-sex marriages and partner benefits being enacted. The stigma of being a gay Latino is finally starting to ease in our communities. Palin believes marriage should only be between a man and a woman, although she did comply with a same-sex partner benefits ruling in her state.

Biden takes a more liberal approach to LGBT rights and voted "no" on a constitutional ban of gay marriage. Having traveled to Afghanistan, Iraq, and the Balkans to visit our troops, he believes nobody asks if you are gay in a foxhole, which might mean he's against the "don't ask, don't tell" policy of gays in the military.

Second to None: Sen. Biden brings more experience and credibility to the Democratic ticket, as he's been a member of the Deleware Senate for 35 years and gone on record many times. While Palin's relative youth is an asset to the McCain ticket, she hasn't gone on record nearly as many times as Biden and has only been governor of Alaska for two years. The amount of attention she can devote to the job is also being questioned, as she has a very young family. While there's no question women can successfully juggle family and career, Palin could find it hard  raising a special needs infant and supporting a pregnant teen, given her staunch stance on abstinence.