Thread: Meg Whitman courts Latino voters. Will it work?

Meg Whitman courts Latino voters. Will it work?

June 20, 2010 | 10:01 am

Meg Whitman has launched her first Spanish-language ads in her bid for governor. But can the Republican gubernatorial nominee successfully court the Latino vote?

One of the ads highlights Whitman's opposition to a controversial Arizona law that compels police to check the immigration status of those stopped on suspicion of a crime. It also says Whitman opposed Proposition 187, the 1994 California ballot measure that would have denied taxpayer-funded services to illegal immigrants. The other focuses on jobs and the economy.

Strategists say Whitman, a billionaire who has put $91 million of her personal wealth into her campaign, must secure substantial support among Latinos if she hopes to prevail over Democrat Jerry Brown in November.

"Unless she gets over one-third of the Latino vote, I don't care how much she spends, she's not going to win," said Allan Hoffenblum, a former Republican consultant who publishes the California Target Book. "She was pushed further to the right on that issue than she wanted to go, but the one key thing she remained steadfast on, even though she whispered it during the primary, was that she opposed the Arizona law."

In the video above, Times Political Writer Seema Mehta assesses the Whitman strategy. What do you think? Share your thoughts below.

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I am sick and tired with this Latino/Hispanic ethnic baiting BS. Enough is enough! It is time to stop using one ethnic group for political reasons. Enough with this! Nothing wrong with being Latino of course like there is nothing wrong with being of Chinese, Russian, Indonesian, Nigerian etc heritage.

Enough is enough!

Assuming that the Latinos who vote support amnesty is a mistake and pandering based on the assumption could be counter productive. The non Latinos are also likely to be upset if that is the direction Whitman goes in.

If you throw enough of you know what against the wall some of it is bound to stick. Whitman divided the Republican party in a state where it only has 31% of the registered voters but she hopes to go on and win the general election? But she still might pull it off. Not likely though. It's more likely she will lose even if she spend $200 million.

FORGET ABOUT ILLEGAL ALIENS. ONLY US CITIZENS CAN VOTE AND HISPANIC US CITIZENS DO NOT CARE ABOUT ILLEGAL ALIENS. SO SHE SHOULD NOT COURT LATINO VOTERS. THOSE VOTERS VOTE EITHER REPUBLICAN OR DEMOCRAT. THEY DO NOT CARE ABOUT ILLEGAL ALIENS. BY THE WAY, NO AMNESTY FOR ILLEGAL ALIENS. JUST DEPORT THEM NOW. AND DO NOT FORGET THIS NOVEMBER: REMOVE FROM OFFICE ALL DEMOCRATS AND IN 2012 DO NOT VOTE FOR OBAMA. OBAMA IS NOT A GOOD PRESIDENT. HE IS ONE OF THE WORST EVER.

Says who. In Mexifornia you don't have to show ID to vote.

We, in the Icaucus, wanted Larry Naratelli. He didn't have enough money to get his name out their. I know there are lots of opposite opinions on this, but I will write his name in. I will not vote for Meg or Gerry Brown. If Californians haven't had enough of Jerry Brown and they elect him, we are stupider than I thought.

Originally Posted by immigration2009

FORGET ABOUT ILLEGAL ALIENS. ONLY US CITIZENS CAN VOTE AND HISPANIC US CITIZENS DO NOT CARE ABOUT ILLEGAL ALIENS. SO SHE SHOULD NOT COURT LATINO VOTERS. THOSE VOTERS VOTE EITHER REPUBLICAN OR DEMOCRAT. THEY DO NOT CARE ABOUT ILLEGAL ALIENS. BY THE WAY, NO AMNESTY FOR ILLEGAL ALIENS. JUST DEPORT THEM NOW. AND DO NOT FORGET THIS NOVEMBER: REMOVE FROM OFFICE ALL DEMOCRATS AND IN 2012 DO NOT VOTE FOR OBAMA. OBAMA IS NOT A GOOD PRESIDENT. HE IS ONE OF THE WORST EVER.

And how about the republicans who support amnesty and/or oppose the AZ. SB 1070 law?

This is a big play that is run by the OBUMMER administration to qualify sheep voters.

After all, Mexico wants to supply the world with drugs, as does Afghanistan.

Dealing drugs and going to church have no common place.

ONLY US CITIZENS CAN VOTE AND HISPANIC US CITIZENS DO NOT CARE ABOUT ILLEGAL ALIENS.

That statement is way to broad there are plenty of Hispanic citizens calling for amnesty. It is however not universal and the more she goes for the amnestyists vote the more she will lose the opponents who are more likely to vote Republican.