Thread: Carson: Latinos don’t just care about immigration

06/17/15 07:32 PM—Updated 06/17/15 09:49 PM
By Jane C. Timm

Speaking to a group of Latino elected officials, Republican presidential candidate Dr. Ben Carson said immigration politics pigeonholes Latinos.

“A lot of people told me what I should talk about when I came here, they said Latino elected officials? You need to talk about immigration,” Carson told the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials on Wednesday afternoon. “Well that’s like when I talk to an [African American] group and they say you need to talk about government entitlements. Give me a break! People have a vast variety of things that they’re interested in and to pigeonhole people into one area I think indicates something more about the person doing the pigeonholing.”

Carson, who routinely complains about the “P.C. police,” often portrays himself as an outsider to politics and has suggested that progressives are manipulating minorities by making them think they are victims.

Latino voters do vote on a number of issues – in 2014, Pew Research found the economy to be the group’s top concern – but they also widely support immigration reform: A full 66% of Latino voters said immigration reform was “extremely or very important,” according to Pew polling from the same year.

And Carson himself did offer up his own immigration solution.

“We do have an immigration problem that would be solved if you sealed the borders and ceased the benefits, so that people wouldn’t see a reason to come here,” he said. “However as a compassionate nation and compassionate people, we should say what can we do to help the people in nations who feel they don’t have the opportunity in their nation.”

http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/carson-la...ut-immigration

Was that double speak? How much can we do? Show me some return on what we have done.

“We do have an immigration problem that would be solved if you sealed the borders and ceased the benefits, so that people wouldn’t see a reason to come here,” he said. “However as a compassionate nation and compassionate people, we should say what can we do to help the people in nations who feel they don’t have the opportunity in their nation.”

Man, you were doing so well with your first sentence. Why continue with another one that totally spoils the first one? What is wrong with you? We have over 100 million US citizens who don't have opportunity in our own nation. How can you be a doctor and not know that we have 70 million Americans on Medicaid and at least another 30 million one paycheck away from eligibility for Medicaid? How can you not know that this means they have a total net worth of less than $2,500, which in our "land of opportunity" is the same as having nothing at all.

Now, with at least 100 million US citizens who can't find jobs sufficient to support themselves successfully, why don't you TELL ME what YOU THINK we can say we can do for people in other countries who are dissatisfied with their lack of "opportunity"?

The correct answer is: NOTHING.

There is absolutely NOTHING we can say we can do to help people in other countries when we can't even help our own people live independent self-reliant lives because we already have more people than we have jobs, money and "opportunity" to sustain them successfully.

Why is it that politicians consider Hispanic voters more important than Americans voters of European heritage? Can it be that Whites are in fact the only ethnic group that is not hung up on the inherently racists ethnic identity thing?

95% of Blacks voted for Obama. 40% of Whites voted for Obama. If Whites voted for Romney with the same percentage as Blacks did for Obama, Obama would have never come close to being elected. So who are the racists?

Originally Posted by csarbww

Why is it that politicians consider Hispanic voters more important than Americans voters of European heritage? Can it be that Whites are in fact the only ethnic group that is not hung up on the inherently racists ethnic identity thing?

95% of Blacks voted for Obama. 40% of Whites voted for Obama. If Whites voted for Romney with the same percentage as Blacks did for Obama, Obama would have never come close to being elected. So who are the racists?

It's not about race. What's being ignored by GOPers is the women vote. They're trying to replace the votes they lose in the women vote with Latino votes so they can maintain their anti-woman, anti-gay stances and still try to win the White House. It's quite foolish, but then people who are anti-woman and anti-gay are generally pretty foolish. They think Latinos because most of them are Catholic will side with their anti-abortion, anti-gay stances, but they're wrong. These two issues are why most Latinos are Democrats. These two stances are why Democrats are still the majority party, it's why even though Republican History and the Original Republican Philosophy would have dictated Republicans be a majority in our country by now, but we aren't and won't be until we change the platform and stop this nonsense against women and gays.

Sorry Judy it is about race. And I am sick tired of the lets pretend that Whites, especially males, are not the targets of bigoted discrimination by the government and every non Caucasian group.

Spare me the women have it so hard on stuff. White males are the only group of people of which there can be too many in jobs or college admissions etc. So-called Affirmative Action is pure racial discrimination against White males. So-called Hate crimes are never applied against blacks who brutalize whites. Blacks are a disproportionately large percentage of all government jobs whether State or Federal. Look at any TV commercial. Blacks are only 13 percent of the population yet they are probably 20% of the actors in TV commercials. And now we are going the special privilege for Hispanics route.

Originally Posted by csarbww

Sorry Judy it is about race. And I am sick tired of the lets pretend that Whites, especially males, are not the targets of bigoted discrimination by the government and every non Caucasian group.

Spare me the women have it so hard on stuff. White males are the only group of people of which there can be too many in jobs or college admissions etc. So-called Affirmative Action is pure racial discrimination against White males. So-called Hate crimes are never applied against blacks who brutalize whites. Blacks are a disproportionately large percentage of all government jobs whether State or Federal. Look at any TV commercial. Blacks are only 13 percent of the population yet they are probably 20% of the actors in TV commercials. And now we are going the special privilege for Hispanics route.

I never said anything about women have it "hard on stuff." I'm telling you why Romney lost, he lost because of the women vote, not because of the Latino vote. And white male Republicans could improve their lot if they stopped picking on women and gays through these anti-woman and anti-gay platforms in the Republican Party. At some point, it might be smart to replace the present foolishness by broadening the base of the Republican Party so more good things can be accomplished that benefit all citizens by ending the platform positions on abortion and homosexuality so more women, men who support them, and gay people will join our party or at least vote for our candidates.

Originally Posted by Judy

I never said anything about women have it "hard on stuff." I'm telling you why Romney lost, he lost because of the women vote, not because of the Latino vote. And white male Republicans could improve their lot if they stopped picking on women and gays through these anti-woman and anti-gay platforms in the Republican Party. At some point, it might be smart to replace the present foolishness by broadening the base of the Republican Party so more good things can be accomplished that benefit all citizens by ending the platform positions on abortion and homosexuality so more women, men who support them, and gay people will join our party or at least vote for our candidates.

Ok, Judy I unfairly put words in your mouth. Sorry.

Less than 3% of the population identify themselves as gay. The Republican have been opposing gay marriage and abortion because a very large part of the Party’s base is fundamentalist Christians. The Republicans could never win an election without them. As a matter of simple politics the Republicans would loose farm more votes from fundamentalists Christians than it would ever gain by appealing to Gays or pro abortion women.


Romney lost because a large number of conservative voters stayed home because they were tired of having to choose between an establishment RINO or a Democrap. Obama won re-election with fewer votes than he won in his first election.

Originally Posted by Judy

It's not about race. What's being ignored by GOPers is the women vote. They're trying to replace the votes they lose in the women vote with Latino votes so they can maintain their anti-woman, anti-gay stances and still try to win the White House. It's quite foolish, but then people who are anti-woman and anti-gay are generally pretty foolish. They think Latinos because most of them are Catholic will side with their anti-abortion, anti-gay stances, but they're wrong. These two issues are why most Latinos are Democrats. These two stances are why Democrats are still the majority party, it's why even though Republican History and the Original Republican Philosophy would have dictated Republicans be a majority in our country by now, but we aren't and won't be until we change the platform and stop this nonsense against women and gays.

Being against abortion doesn't make a person anti-women, nor does believing marriage should be between a man and woman makes you anti-gay! Guess you've got the lefts talking points and phrases down pat. Furthermore, no, the majority of Latinos do not support abortion. The study I just read shows them pretty evenly divided on the topic.

Originally Posted by MW

Being against abortion doesn't make a person anti-women, nor does believing marriage should be between a man and woman makes you anti-gay! Guess you've got the lefts talking points and phrases down pat. Furthermore, no, the majority of Latinos do not support abortion. The study I just read shows them pretty evenly divided on the topic.

Well, let me put it more direct then. In my opinion, anyone who wants to use laws to represent their views to force a pregnant girl or woman with an unwanted pregnancy into childbirth against her will is anti-girl and anti-woman just as forcing gay couples who want to marry to live without the same legal and financial protections of state-recognized marriage that other couples have is anti-gay.

As to Latinos and abortion, I guess it depends on what study. Here's one in Texas:

The poll found that Latino voters in Texas hold very similar views to Latino voters nationwide on abortion rights and the health insurance coverage of abortion and birth control. Exit polls in the 2012 elections showed that 66 percent of Latino voters believed abortion should be legal, while only 28 percent disagreed. In Texas, 6 out of 10 Latino voters said even if a church leader says abortion is wrong, it should be legal, and 78 percent said they agree that women should be able to make their own decisions about abortion.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/1...10.htmlLatinos and Abortion

MAY 11, 2014

This story is included with an NYT Opinion subscription.






To the Editor:


Re “In California Race, a Latina Democrat Carries Hopes of Her Party and People” (news article, May 5):


It’s disappointing to see myths perpetuated about Latino attitudes toward abortion, which was the case when, as you reported, Representative David Valadao, a Republican running for re-election to California’s 21st District, said he believes that his conservative politics on issues like abortion and taxes appeals to Hispanic voters.


This isn’t just incorrect; it also serves to shame and silence Latinos who support abortion access or who have had an abortion themselves.


Latinos hold compassionate views on abortion; according to our polling, three of four Latino voters believe that a woman should be able to make her own decision about abortion and pregnancy without the interference of politicians. I talk to Latinas every day who are struggling to care for their families, protect their health and make the best decisions about their futures. What they need is more access to quality health care services, not political grandstanding based on stereotypes.

JESSICA GONZÁLEZ-ROJAS
Executive Director, National Latina
Institute for Reproductive Health
New York, May 7, 2014

And if it's not anti-woman to force girls and women into childbirth against their will, lets see how they voted on other women's stuff like ... equal pay for equal work.

Oh my .....

Equal Pay For Equal Work Seems Like A No-Brainer, Right?

http://www.forbes.com/sites/peggydre...brainer-right/

On Wednesday, Senate Republicans blocked—for the third time—the Paycheck Fairness Act, a bill proposing to close the pay gap between men and women. The goal of the bill—the attainment of equal pay for equal work—seems like a no-brainer, right? Women with the same job, and same qualifications, as men deserve to be paid the same. They do not deserve to be discriminated against in salary on the basis of gender. Seems obvious. And yet not a single Republican voted in favor of the Act, and many Americans no longer know what to think, either.

The problem is that the message has been greatly muddled, twisted, and usurped, mostly for political gain. Equal Pay has become less a noble, unquestionable goal than a political talking point. Democrats argue that wage disparities persist, pulling out the oft-cited figure that women, on average, earn 77 percent to a man’s dollar. They accuse Republicans of failing the bill in favor of “more important” political agendas.Republicans, meanwhile, say the bill is simply a Democratic ploy to distract from the disappointment of Obamacare; that it’s been against the law to pay a woman less than a man with similar experience in the same job since the Equal Pay Act of 1963. Paycheck Fairness, they say, would make it impossible for employers to tie compensation to work quality, productive, and experience. Lawsuits would increase.

And, well, look, they point out: Even women in the Obama White House earn 88 percent of their male counterparts, according to study conducted by the American Enterprise Institute.It’s undeniable that women are losing ground. A study released earlier this week from the Pew Research Center reported that after decades of decline, more mothers—nearly 30 percent—are staying at home to raise children, a 6 percent increase since 1999. But these aren’t quite the women we often think of as stay-at-home moms, the ones choosing to rebel against the Sandberg manifesto and “opt out,” or who can rely on well-paid husbands to foot the bills.

The women represented in the increase are younger, less likely to be white, more likely to be foreign-born, and less likely to be college educated. They’re staying at home in increasing numbers not by choice, but because they can’t find work—or the work they find isn’t well compensated enough to cover the necessary childcare. Perpetuating the cycle is the fact that, as Pew also reports, women are more likely to experience family-related “career disruptions.” They fall behind when they take time out to raise kids. They return to the workplace at a disadvantage.

Whether women earn 77 cents to the male dollar, as the Obama administration sticks to, or the figure is closer to Pew’s findings of 84 cents for most women and as high as 93 percent for younger women, it’s clear that the playing field is not equal. It’s also clear that disparities are indeed related to gender. Recent cases have shown that women who ask for pay increases often don’t get them. What they get instead: negative reactions. A 2007 study found that women who asked for raises were perceived as demanding. Men, meanwhile, faced no backlash.

Even Republicans concede that gender discrimination is no myth, and have offered an amendment to the Paycheck Fairness Act that would address the opportunity gap and prevent employers from retaliating against workers who share salary information.Which means that both parties want the same thing. So what’s the problem? The problem, of course, is politics. And unfortunately nothing will happen until Democrats and Republicans agree to make Equal Pay a fairness issue rather than a political one. In the meantime, it’s women who suffer.

Follow Peggy on Twitter and Facebook and learn more about Peggy at www.peggydrexler.com

http://www.forbes.com/sites/peggydre...brainer-right/

I don't understand people who want to force girls and women into childbirth against their will, who want to force gay couples to live without legal and financial protections or deny them services, who want women to do the same work as men without the same pay, and so on and so forth.

But hey, if Republican candidates want to continue to alienate women and gays to pursue the "Latino vote", have at it, but I think most will be very disappointed with the outcome.