Posted on 06/28/2013 1:03:41 PM PDT by neverdem
This is the third part in a series exploring whether the GOP really needs to pass a comprehensive immigration reform package to continue winning elections (Parts one and two are here). It's worth re-emphasizing that this series isn’t intended to offer a policy prescription. The purpose here is to challenge the almost universally unchallenged argument that the only real debate is whether the GOP will die a slow death or a fast one if it doesn’t back the bill.
What really motivates Hispanic voters?
One of the assumptions lurking behind the immigration debate is that Hispanics spurn Republicans in large part due to identity politics, with immigration as a primary motivator. But there’s usually precious little data offered up to buttress this assumption, aside from the occasional generic poll question of “How important is issue this to you?”
But dig down. When Pew asked Hispanic voters what the most important issue was in 2012, immigration ranked near the bottom of the list. At the top of the list was jobs, just as it was for whites. In the 2008 exits (the last presidential election for which we have full data), a majority of Hispanic respondents told the exit pollsters that they didn’t care much about immigration (regardless of how they ultimately voted), or that they cared a lot (but voted Republican).
Many point to George W. Bush’s performance with Hispanic voters, especially compared to Mitt Romney’s, as evidence that the immigration reform issue is crucial. After all, Bush was strongly in favor of a path to citizenship, and exit polls show him winning 45 percent of the Hispanic vote (though many analysts believe this likely overestimates his share of the Hispanic vote). But there are two counters here.
First, consider a different Bush, George H.W. He had many of the...
(Excerpt) Read more at dyn.realclearpolitics.com ...
Future holds nada as long as the objective is free stuff from the government and turning a blind eye to illegal immigration.
Utterly laughable.
Arithmetically challenged.
Once you discard the premise that we are all created equal and start trying to tailor your appeal to different ethnicities the game is over.
The democrats win.
I think the GOP is going to open the border and lose the votes of everyone in the process.
What would happen if EVERYONE joined the Democrat party?
Where would the demons come from?
Hmmmmmmm...
Amnesty started with the Republicans and Ronald Reagan,
WHERE ARE THE MILLIONS of Hispanics and their Children and their Childrens Children voting REPUBLICAN!?!?
NOT!
We screwed ourselves! WHY do it again?
***...Bush was strongly in favor of a path to citizenship,...***
Who - Mr. ‘Family values don’t stop at the Rio Grande’? Actually, it is more accurate to state he was willing to erasing the borders entirely, a la North American Union Treaty.
GOP is only using the ‘Hispanics won’t like us unless we do this’ excuse to fulfill their dreams of making us into a regional entity; a dream that failed more than a decade ago.
What happens to the pissed off honkies?
One word comeback to them........California. ;)
When the House doesn’t pass amnesty Rubio switches party.
Did any of you read the essay, or did you just react to the title?
What the future hold?
Nada!
Almost. I reacted to ‘what really motivates hispanics?’.
So let me ask you - what issue do you have with what I posted? Do you disagree? Or is it that you don't want the brilliant GOPe master plan to be discredited?
I think the GOPe is talking to hear itself talk for blowing an election with Romney that should have been in the bag.
Dreams about a North American union are just that, dreams. Mexico and Canada can’t go with the Second Amendment for starters.
Interesting how they never get into the religious difference within the Hispanic vote.
The GOP is finished. It tried to be Democrat-Lite at the very least, and in some instances even tried to out-Democrat the Democrats. And it happily tossed conservatives under the bus.
The GOP deserves the ignominious death towards which it is headed.
There’s no such thing as an “Hispanic voter”. Attempts to discern what motivates this mythical creature are fruitless.
There are white Cubans, Venezuelans, Colombians, Argentinians, Chileans, etc who are motivated by the same things we are.
Then, there is an invading army of Indians (Mayans and Aztecs) and mixed breeds from Mexico and Central America who are part of the free s*** army.
Treating them as the same is absurd. We should be encouraging the former and rounding up for deportation the latter.
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