McCain balances Latino voters, GOP base

Dallas Morning News ^ | 5-27-08 | WAYNE SLATER

[dynachrome]

Mr. McCain has launched a Spanish-language Web site, aired TV spots in Spanish emphasizing his military service and, at a Cinco de Mayo event in Phoenix, declared "everything about our Hispanic voters is tailor-made to the Republican message."

Gil Cisneros of the Republican National Hispanic Assembly of Colorado, who is vice chairman of the McCain campaign in the state, said the Arizona senator has a reputation among Hispanics as patriotic, family-oriented and moderate on immigration.

He said Mr. McCain's sponsorship of last year's failed legislation to create a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants will be a strong selling point.

[dynachrome]

"last year's failed legislation to create a path to citizenship, amnesty for illegal immigrants will be a strong selling point."

[Pearls Before Swine]

Instructions for balancing act: Pander to illegals; throw GOP constituency under the bus—where else can they go?

[DoughtyOne]

The people of Mexican extract that I know are not for amnesty. They as angry about this issue as I am.

[allmost]

Screw the base. he wants his ‘guests’ here.

[pissant]

Si, Juan Hernandez es el Carlos Rovio nuevo

[KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle]

"It's a tightrope," said Celia Muñoz of the National Council of La Raza, a nonpartisan Hispanic advocacy group.

[indylindy]

McCain is an embarrassment. I think he should put Hillary as his VP. He could win that way without a vote from me.

Gawd, he is awful.

[cripplecreek]

LolCain?

[Radix]

Why don't all of us FReepers work at improving our way of life by learning Spanish?

After learning Spanish we could all do well in the lead balloon business.

[Travis McGee]

There won’t be 50 United States in 25 years.

[KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle]

He lends himself so easily to it, after all. ;)

[calcowgirl]

"He stood up for immigration when that was not popular, so a lot of Hispanics are remembering that," Mr. Cisneros said. "He'll probably reach the high-water mark that George Bush set."

That is ILLEGAL immigration, Mr. Cisneros. Until you #@#$@%s in the GOP recognize the difference, we are destined to lose elections.

[dynachrome]

“people of Mexican extract that I know are not for amnesty’

Many declare themselves “white” on census forms.

I have no problems with Americans of Mexican ancestory.

I have big problems with illegals who are not here to assimilate and bring the morals and corruption of the s-hole of Mexico, Guatemala, etc. with them.

[dynachrome]

Se,se puede!

[DoughtyOne]

I was refering to people I know who are legal U.S. Citizens of Mexican ancestry. They don’t support illegal immigration. They don’t support granting amnesty either.

Just what does McCain hope to accomplish, offend a large number of former Mexican nationals that support the rule of law and don’t like seeing our nation trashed any more than other citizens do.

McCain is an ass.

[cripplecreek]

I was refering to people I know who are legal U.S. Citizens of Mexican ancestry. They don’t support illegal immigration. They don’t support granting amnesty either.

Those that I know don't either. A friend of mine was fired from his job after calling the INS about some illegals working in our shop some years back. They assumed that his dark skin meant that he was on their side and told him that they were illegal but he's an American.

[TADSLOS]

Hispanics are his base, or so he thinks...

[DoughtyOne]

I have been amazed at how poorly the Republican party has read the illegal immigration situation. It continues to get it precisely, wrong. And as long as it does, they it continue to inflict near fatal blows on it’s collective body.

Can’t say we didn’t try to warn it.

[TADSLOS]

"How does he convince Latinos that you're on their side while convincing the rabidly anti-immigration faction of his own party?"

Yeah, that's us- rabid, xenophobic, vigilante racist, bitter gun owners who love the Constitution and the rule of law. Bite me, Celia.

[Charles Martel]

Can’t say we didn’t try to warn it.

With the countless "Bush pesos" we returned with their fund-raising mailers, yep, the GOP was amply warned. Don't mistake this as a failure to correctly read the tea-leaves; it's open defiance of the party's core voters. It's a coup, plain and simple.

So be it. McCain might squeak out a win because the opposition is so abhorrent, but the donations issue isn't going away. If anything, McCain will make it worse.

[bcsco]

Well, another one for the ping list tomorrow morning. Juan’s keeping me busy these days...

[Das Outsider]

Hispanics are his base, or so he thinks...

As long as the myth of the monolithic "Hispanic vote" is retold, the GOP will believe it. La Raza does not represent the legal immigrants of Latin American origin that I know, and I imagine the same is true in other places--that doesn't stop McCain from "reaching out" to militant ethnic separatists.

[TADSLOS]

that doesn't stop McCain from "reaching out" to militant ethnic separatists

...or the loony global warming crowd. McCain will go after anyone's vote but a conservative's.

[DoughtyOne]

I agree Charles. They won’t listen and we’re about to see what one party rule is like in this nation.

[Clock King]

They won’t listen and we’re about to see what one party rule is like in this nation.

Just look at Chicago, a corrupt fascist city.

[Das Outsider]

Gil Cisneros of the Republican National Hispanic Assembly of Colorado, who is vice chairman of the McCain campaign in the state, said the Arizona senator has a reputation among Hispanics as patriotic, family-oriented and moderate on immigration.

How is amnesty in any way "moderate?"

[widowithfoursons]

I can’t help it; I haven’t said it aloud even to myself. I cannot vote for John McCain. I can’t stand him.

[DoughtyOne]

Look at 1980s Arkansas or 2008 California. The lefties rule the roost and have about destroyed California. Now folks want to do that to the nation. No thanks.

It’s qutie frustrating to folks who have had to put up with this at the state or even city level isn’t it.

[Irish Eyes]

McCain balances Latino voters, GOP base

Should not be hard to do, most legal "Latino" people have very Conservative values.

[SuziQ]

Politicians have always worked to garner the support various ethnic communities. In the early part of the 20th century, though the candidates themselves may not have spoken to the groups directly, they certainly had representatives meeting with Irish, Italian, Jewish, Greek, Russian, in their native languages, if these voters had not yet learned English.

The Democrats were masters at this, working in large urban areas. That's one reason that voters in those areas don't trust Republicans today; they've never even seen any in their neighborhoods. Why shouldn't Republicans go directly to these voters and ask for their support? Isn't this what so many folks here were wanting the primary candidates to do; ASK them directly for their votes?

I know all of this antipathy is because of McCain's views on immigration, but that aside, he SHOULD be looking to attract more than just white voters to his side, because there are a lot of ethnic groups in this country, and many of them DO vote. The more McCain, or any other Republican, talks to them, the more they might see the value of doing more for yourself, and not waiting for the government to do things for you.

[dynachrome]

I agree. Going to La Ratsa is not the right way to go about it. Hell, I was impressed with hildabeast downing a shot of whiskey ithout turning a hair.

[dynachrome]

I can’t vote for McCain. As Old Sarge sez: “Vote Cthulu. Why vote for a lesser evil?”

[dynachrome]

Yeah, but he is going to speak at a La Ratsa meeting

[Irish Eyes]

Yeah, but he is going to speak at a La Ratsa meeting

You get them were you find them..maybe he is planning on saving a few.

[dynachrome]

Dang, you’re an optimist!

[SuziQ]

Why shouldn't he go to speak to La Raza, he's going to speak to the NAACP, isn't he? I'd say there are just as many radicals in the latter group, as in the former.

[SuziQ]

Besides, going to speak to those groups de-fangs then when it come to trying to claim that he’s ignoring them, or dissing them. I’m sure they’ll find something else to bitch about, but not talking to them isn’t one of them.

[dynachrome]

la raza is a racist group. “the race”

They are anti-American.

[AuntB]

“said the Arizona senator has a reputation among Hispanics as patriotic, family-oriented and moderate on immigration.”

Moderate? Moderate! Roflmao!

[AuntB]

“How is amnesty in any way “moderate?” “

Since they’ve perverted our language about SO many things. Not only must we speak spanish we get PC/BS English.

[Grunthor]

www.constitutionparty.com

[Das Outsider]

Since they’ve perverted our language about SO many things. Not only must we speak spanish we get PC/BS English.

From the PCBS-English Dictionary, entry 'moderate':

mod·er·ate ( \ˈmä-d(ə-)rət\), adj. 1. avoiding extremes of behavior such as assenting to the will of the majority of Americans. 2. tending towards comprehensive immigration reform (see amnesty). n. 1. one prone to giving those of conservative political views the finger.

[Grunthor]

“Why shouldn’t he go to speak to La Raza, he’s going to speak to the NAACP, isn’t he? I’d say there are just as many radicals in the latter group, as in the former.”

Holy smokes, who is next on the list, the KKK?

[Elsiejay]

Our fellow citizens of Mexican birth or Mexican ancestry are for the most part insulted by the presumption that they feel insulted or threatened by opposition to illegal immigration. Why should anyone presume that these citizens favor contempt for our immigration laws?

[DoughtyOne]

I’ve seen some of our leaders make some of the most insulting comments related to the very issue you mention. When one of our leaders talks about insulting U.S. Citizens of Mexican ancestry, they are at once intimating that these citizens are unable to understand the concepts of right and wrong, legal and illegal. I can’t explain it, other than to state what utter fools our elected officials can be.

[Old Sarge]

[SuziQ]

The KKK doesn’t represent a major ethnic group. They’re just racist kooks. McCain would nave no reason to talk to them.

[Grunthor]

“They’re just racist kooks. McCain would nave no reason to talk to them.”

Yet he’ll talk to “The Race” and the NAACP. Imagine that.

[Antonio C]

Not that old canard again. La Raza = The People not The Race. Also, exactly how many non Hispanics has La Raza or for that matter the NAACP lynched?

[DuncanWaring]

Not that old canard again. La Raza = The People not The Race.

I've checked a variety of web-based translation services; they're in nearly-unanimous agreement that "la raza" translates to "the race".

Also, exactly how many non Hispanics has La Raza ... lynched?

Lynched? Probably none.

Shot, stabbed, raped and killed-by-drunken-vehicular-homicide? By members of and adherents to La Raza? Thousands.