“The major impediment is the harsh rhetoric of some Republicans regarding immigration. The solution is less about policy than about respect for the Hispanic community. If federal immigration law is reformed with substantial Republican supportincluding for a long and demanding but achievable process of earning legal statusthe GOP can consistently earn 35%-40% among Hispanics. Having Sen. Marco Rubio as the GOP spokesman on immigration issues will hasten the GOP recovery”
I appreciate that K Rove has been in the business of political analysis for a long time, however, as one who makes a living analyzing data and designing successful strategies for moving forward, there are a lot of assumptions in Mr. Rove’s analysis that demand scrutiny. What evidence is there that Repubs have “harsh rhetoric” on immigration? I understand that Repubs want a properly managed immigration system, including border management that protects Americans from harm. I also understand that millions of people violate US law regarding immigration while people who follow US laws in many areas of life are concerned about their own treatment. Is there something harsh about these views? Is harshness actually part of Repub statements or is it simply a propaganda message created by non-Repubs? If you don’t know the difference, I don’t think your recommendations, Mr Rove, are well-founded.
Also, and perhaps more directly related to your predictions regarding future Repub election success, what evidence do you have that immigration legislation led by Repubs will lead to increased votes from Hispanics? And, if it leads to even 45% Hispanic votes for Repubs, isn’t that still a minority percentage, Mr Rove? Don’t you need 50+% of the votes to win? Will adding 11 million new voters and gaining 5million Repub votes be a victory, Mr Rove, if there are 6 million Dem votes? Consider the math Mr Rove.
I notice, Mr Rove, that you emphasize demographics and voter percentages. Missing is an explanation of WHY voters in the groups you identify voted the way they did. Why did they change their votes over the years? I am not so much interested in superficial percentages as I am in the reasons people vote the way they do. Write an article about the “why’s” of voting, and I will be much more interested. Lots of the election results would have differed if a larger percentage of eligible voters actually voted—you could change a lot and win a lot of elections if you find out how to motivate voters.