Jesse got one thing right. I'm sick of lib lites too!
Posted on 07/09/2009 12:10:54 PM PDT by pissant
Sometimes good advice comes from the most unlikely of places. In this case, it comes from a Bush. In an interview with Tucker Carlson for Esquire magazine, Gov. Jeb Bush stated the most obvious fact of American electoral politics today: if the GOP is to rise again, it has to stop hating on Hispanics– or at least it has to stop appearing to be hating on Hispanics! He’s talking about you, Tom Tancredo, non-office-holding cable-news ranter.
[T]he demographics are going against us. Alex [Castellanos, Republican media consultant] told me today, for example, that there is not a district in California where Republicans are out-registering Democrats. Of the fifty-three districts — I think that’s right — not a single one has an improving situation. It’s striking. So you have a shift. There’s more minorities. The voter-registration efforts have been successful by Democrats, ACORN and the like. The swing voters are Hispanic voters in most of the swing states. And Republicans have done a poor job, sending signals that Hispanics aren’t wanted in our party. Which is bizarre.
The people that are on television are the loudest on the immigration issue. The emotion, the anger, is a signal. Put aside the substance, but just in terms of the language. It makes it sound like them and us. And the evidence is that after [the GOP] making major inroads, Hispanics have turned toward the Democratic party in the last two election cycles. Big time. Compare that to how my brother did and how I did and how other Republican candidates have done in the past and you can see a trend line that’s quite disturbing.
It’s possible [to oppose illegal immigration without coming off as anti-Hispanic] but it requires a tone that’s different. If you listen to the conversation, it’s not just words; it’s how they’re spoken. It has to be dispassionate, the language. But it hasn’t been.
Bush also says this smart thing on the favorite tack taken by Republican tea partyists in opposing Pres. Obama:
“Socialism” is pejorative in America, so people stop listening. People are tired of it. That word won’t stick. It’s a turnoff. It doesn’t help.
If they can’t seperate Hispanic/Immigration, thats not my fault
If Jeb Bush loves Hispanics so much where is his statement denouncing the interventionists trying to re-instate a Chavez wannabe in Honduras?
No, it’s the message Jeb doesn’t like. That’s why he’s in favor of not deporting illegals and pathways to citizenship.
This is knuckling under to the Alinskyite method of letting your opponents define you. There isn’t any “tone” that they will like other than a squeaky, girlyboy, perpetually apologetic tone.
If this is truly what Jeb said, he's an idiot.
ping
How sad is it that Joe the Plumber and Sarah Palin are the only people on a national level to call attention to the real agenda in Washington, and call it by its real name? Its even more sad that an alleged republican like Jeb Bush don't want the word used.
It isn’t the tone or the content. It’s the state run media propaganda.
Maybe YOU hate Hispanics, but I don't.
That’s the author of the piece. Jeb’s quotes are below that.
I am so tired of seeing anyone who feels ILLEGAL immigration is an affront to America, what it stands for, and how it came to be the greatest nation on God's green Earth portrayed as a racist or somehow being against immigration. Along with how they feel about and treat Sarah Palin I see one’s approach to immigration as one of the prime litmus tests for identifying a RINO.
Time is running out. If we don't wrest back control of our country and our government NOW it will be too late. Somehow we've let enough illegal immigrants come into this country over the last 20 years to affect the outcome of any election at any level.
I disagree, the tone that would work in this case would be a nasally, Ben Stein professorial lecturing style tone. A Kissinger style lecturing tone would do the trick too.
The party seems to be doing a pretty good job of that.
Hey Jeb...even my hispanic friends don’t want ILLEGALS here!!!!!!! Get a clue.
Jesse got one thing right. I'm sick of lib lites too!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.