Thread: Hispanics focus of GOP debate tonight

(My apology if this or a similar article has been posted previously.)

PANDER WATCH: LET'S CALL THE CAMPAIGN OFFICES TOMORROW OF ANY GOP CANDIDATE WHO WAFFLES OR BACKTRACKS ON LONG OVERDUE ANTI-ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION MEASURES OR WHO SUPPORTS AMNESTY.

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Newsday.com
Hispanics focus of GOP debate tonight
BY LETTA TAYLER
December 9, 2007

Seeking to reverse defections by Hispanic voters, Republican presidential candidates will participate tonight in the party's first debate on a Spanish-language network. But the jury is out on whether the move is too little, too late.

All but one Republican candidate declined an invitation to debate on the same network, Univision, in September. Seven of the eight Democratic candidates, in contrast, debated that month on Univision, the nation's largest Spanish-language network.

Most GOP contenders, including former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, also have declined two other invitations to address Hispanics and have cranked up their hard-line rhetoric on illegal immigration.

In that climate, many Hispanic advocates showed scant surprise that a nationwide poll released Thursday by the Pew Hispanic Center, a Washington-based research organization, found Latino voters favor Democrats over Republicans 57 percent to 23 percent. That 34-point edge is up from 21 points just one year ago.

"Hispanics feel angry and ashamed and betrayed," said Luis Cortés Jr., the founder of Esperanza USA, a coalition of Christian Hispanic leaders and churches that was influential in President George W. Bush's outreach to Latinos.

Latinos are the fastest-growing segment of the electorate, Cortés noted. "If Republican candidates don't stop demonizing us, they could see a 95 percent Hispanic voter turnout against them."

Indeed, some skeptical Latinos may watch the 7 p.m. debate in Miami simply to compare the footwork of candidates such as Giuliani and nomination rival Mitt Romney, the former Massachusetts governor, who have accused each other of being too soft on undocumented immigrants.

"It'll be fascinating to see these candidates try to pivot off their past rhetoric," said Janet Murguia, president and chief executive of the National Council of La Raza, a leading Hispanic group. "I don't believe Hispanics will have a short-term memory about the demonization or scapegoating."

While stopping short of saying Republicans must mend fences, some GOP strategists see the debate as a key moment to woo Hispanics whose votes could be pivotal in many states.

"The Republican candidates have an outstanding opportunity to earn Hispanic support" during the debate, said Ken Mehlman, a former GOP chairman who ran Bush's 2004 campaign. "The question is whether they will seize it."

To reverse Hispanic defections, Republican candidates must "embrace the politics of 'and' and not the politics of 'or,' " Mehlman said. "It would be a mistake for us to turn our backs on legitimate concerns about border security. But it would be an equal mistake for us to appear to new Americans and to those who aspire to become Americans that they are not desperately welcome in our party."

GOP candidates who embrace the "and" stance include Arizona Sen. John McCain - the only contender who accepted the previous Univision debate invitation - and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee. On the other end of the spectrum, Rep. Tom Tancredo of Colorado has compared illegal immigration with terrorism. Tancredo is the only candidate who is skipping the Univision debate, which he calls un-American because questions will be asked in Spanish, with simultaneous translation, and answers will be translated into Spanish.

Giuliani has sought to downplay policies he inherited and renewed as mayor that let undocumented immigrants use local services and shielded most of them from being reported to immigration authorities. When Romney accused him of running a "sanctuary city," Giuliani retorted that Romney operated a "sanctuary mansion" by employing undocumented gardeners at his house. That prompted Romney to fire his landscaping company.

Hispanic support for Republicans is at its lowest point since Bush's first campaign in 1999, when Democrats held a 33-point edge over the GOP, the Pew survey found.

Latinos will comprise about 9 percent of eligible voters in the presidential election, but only about 6.5 percent are expected to cast ballots. Still, election analysts consider them a potential swing vote because they are strategically located.

For example, Hispanics constitute a sizable share of the electorate in New Mexico, Florida, Nevada and Colorado, four of six states that Bush carried by margins of 5 percentage points or less in 2004, the Pew survey noted. All four are likely to be closely contested, and all but New Mexico have primaries in January or February.

http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld ... full.story

"Hispanics feel angry and ashamed and betrayed," said Luis Cortés Jr., the founder of Esperanza USA, a coalition of Christian Hispanic leaders and churches that was influential in President George W. Bush's outreach to Latinos.

Correction: American citizens feel angry and ashamed and have been betrayed.

"The liberty of a democracy is not safe if the people tolerate the growth of private power to a point where it becomes stronger than their democratic state itself. That, in its essence, is fascism - ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or any controlling private power."
Franklin D. Roosevelt

So if the candidates start pandering and back tracking on their commitment to stop IA's the votes they will loose will far outweighthe 6.5% hispanic votes they gain.

Latinos are the fastest-growing segment of the electorate, Cortés noted. "If Republican candidates don't stop demonizing us, they could see a 95 percent Hispanic voter turnout against them."

Who cares, would they rather have the 6.5 percent expected to vote and I don't believe that all of them agree with people like Janet Murguia, president and chief executive of the National Council of La Raza. (for the Race) or the rest of the voters. A lot of legal Hispanic voters have lost their jobs to the lower wages accepted by the illegals.

Republicans do not demonize legal Latinos, get your terminology straight.

In that climate, many Hispanic advocates showed scant surprise that a nationwide poll released Thursday by the Pew Hispanic Center, a Washington-based research organization, found Latino voters favor Democrats over Republicans 57 percent to 23 percent. That 34-point edge is up from 21 points just one year ago.

Really!!! Of course they will always vote for the Democrats over the Republicans because they get more freebies from them. Wise up GOP (The Stupid Party) you will never have their vote.

Latinos are the fastest-growing segment of the electorate, Cortés noted.

and why is this? If we just had legal immigration their would be a wider variety of people from around the world, those who would want to become American Citizens and assimilate with our culture and love of this Country like they used to, not just the moochers from below looking for a free ride. No wonder they can take a lower wage, we subsidize the rest of their needs with our tax dollar and I'm sick of it.

"The liberty of a democracy is not safe if the people tolerate the growth of private power to a point where it becomes stronger than their democratic state itself. That, in its essence, is fascism - ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or any controlling private power."
Franklin D. Roosevelt

This is the best quote I have ever seen, it says everything in one compact paragraph.

I think I will steal it.

"The liberty of a democracy is not safe if the people tolerate the growth of private power to a point where it becomes stronger than their democratic state itself. That, in its essence, is fascism - ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or any controlling private power."
Franklin D. Roosevelt

Darlene wrote:

This is the best quote I have ever seen, it says everything in one compact paragraph.

I think I will steal it.

Feel free to use it Darlene--it is sooooo AMERICAN!

I use different quotes depending on the topic of the post. Due to the Spanish Republican debate tonight am using:


"If You Can Read This Thank A Teacher If You Can Read This In English Thank A Soldier!"