Posted on 09/03/2015 1:03:06 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
Here’s another demonstration, says David Frum, that Bush is never more passionate than when he’s talking about immigration and biculturalism. The Trump/Bush debate over whether it’s appropriate to address Latino voters in Spanish is like the Christie/Paul argument over the NSA and civil liberties: Each man’s position on the issue speaks directly to what it is his fans like most about him. Trump’s the guy who’s demanding assimilation, Jeb’s more comfortable with multiculturalism, at least as Spanish speakers transition to their new culture. He also says Trump “doesn’t believe in tolerance,” which means … what, exactly? If cracking down on illegals is “intolerant,” we have a much bigger amnesty problem with President Jeb than I feared. What he means, I guess, is that it’s inherently “intolerant” to discourage the speaking of languages other than English, even if you’re doing so because you think it’ll help immigrants integrate more quickly. In that case, a question: Is it also intolerant to demand that illegals learn English as a condition of gaining legal status? Because that’s what Jeb’s own immigration plan calls for.
By the way, new numbers from PPP on how Bush and Trump stack up with Latino voters. Jeb does better, as you’d expect, but “better” in this case is really a synonym for “less terrible.”
Jeb is -23 with Latinos, Trump is -41 — but overall Trump’s numbers are better thanks to his relative strength with white voters. Head to head with Hillary:
Assuming undecided Latino voters split roughly evenly, Jeb would be on track to take about a third of the Latino vote, not half bad by the usual GOP standards and an improvement on Romney’s dismal take (just 27 percent) against Obama three years ago. On the other hand, for all the heavy breathing about Trump alienating Latinos, he does no worse here against Hillary than Mitt did against Obama. (Then again, given how weak a candidate Clinton is compared to O, that’s no achievement.) Overall Trump’s actually a few points closer to Clinton than Bush is, again on the strength of slightly greater support from white voters. Maybe all of this turns around if/when Jeb becomes nominee and begins a charm offensive in Hispanic media — or maybe it’s a simple function of the fact that most Latinos are reliable Democrats. Do note that even the relatively little known Bernie Sanders leads all Republican challengers comfortably among Latinos here. And Marco Rubio, the GOP’s great Latino hope, trails Hillary among that demographic 62/30.
He just doesn’t get it.
....Bush is never more passionate than when he’s talking about immigration and biculturalism...
Well, at least he gets excited about something.
I think Jeb’ mouth is his biggest enemy.
Press dos for Español.
Not a thing when your in Spain. It is rude when in Germany and it is revolutionary when your being invaded by Mexico.
Advice to the Donald: ignore Jeb Bush.
What a silly, silly boy the Gobbies have on their hands.
I agree with you. I think we should encourage Jeb to speak ONLY in Spanish. How many of us native English-speakers are listening to him anyway?
Trump got under Jeb’s skin on this and Jeb can’t let it go even though the more he talks about it the more he hurts himself.
But when you are publicly campaigning for an elected U.S. state or federal office, or when you are functioning as a U.S. state or federal government official, then ENGLISH is the language you should be speaking.
Damned good answer.
Here's another one: Gov. Bush, to be a voter you need to be a citizen. To be a citizen you either need to be born here or, if not, you need to pass some tests - among which is one in English. Therefore, if someone cannot speak English, chances are that they are not a voter...so why would you be speaking to them, as a candidate.
Jeb’s Spanish is very wooden.
But it’s the pandering which is most annoying and embarrassing.
Immigrants should be assimilating into the US. And elected officials should be encouraging assimilation.
When immigrants refuse to assimilate and refuse to come here legally, it is only natural that a backlash would result.
Agreed. We are an English speaking nation.
I just returned from S America....not a thing wrong with speaking Spanish.....there LOL
What’s wrong with speaking Spanish? Uhhh, how about that you’re disrespecting the large majority of Americans who don’t speak Spanish?, those same Americans whose vote you’re asking for while at the same time, totally disrespecting them. What a tone deaf moron!
It is called “Enabling Illegal Aliens”. Legal aliens must speak English.
RE: I just returned from S America....not a thing wrong with speaking Spanish.....there LOL
Ahhh, but what’s wrong with speaking ENGLISH there?
The language of business in America, and the language of law in America, is English.
The national citizenship test for legal immigrants desiring naturalization is in English.
ALL the other ‘international tongues’ are second rate.
Ebonics is second rate.
Any political elected representative at any level that speaks to me in any other language, including Pig Latin, has got something to hide.
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.