Posted on 08/09/2008 11:42:33 AM PDT by NormsRevenge
U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez joined local and state Republican political leaders in Ontario on Friday as part of an effort to build support among Latinos for Sen. John McCain's presidential bid.
In his speech to about 100 people at Ontario's Doubletree Hotel, Gutierrez focused on broad economic issues and McCain's experiences as a prisoner of war and in Congress to make the case for why McCain is a better choice for president than Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill.
Gutierrez did not stick to Latino-specific themes but talked instead about McCain's proposals on taxes, trade and energy. He said McCain, R-Ariz., has shown leadership by taking unpopular stances
"It doesn't really matter that much what someone says in an interview," Gutierrez said. "What really does matter is what they've done."
Courting Latino Voters
Both candidates are expected to fight hard for the Latino vote this year, especially in battle- ground states with growing Latino populations such as New Mexico, Nevada, Colorado and Florida.
Friday's event ended with music from a five-piece mariachi band playing instruments decorated with "Unidos con McCain" bumper stickers. Gutierrez's campaign swing also included events Thursday and Friday with Latino groups in Seattle and Portland, Ore. Gutierrez is scheduled to go to Nevada today to meet with another Latino group.
Friday's event was the kick-off for California Latinos for McCain.
Arizona, McCain's home state, has a significant Latino population. Before his campaign, McCain co-sponsored a bill that would have allowed illegal immigrants to become citizens after learning English, paying fines and back taxes, and clearing a background check. He now says his first step in immigration reform would be securing the border.
McCain and Obama both addressed the National Council of La Raza, a Latino civil-rights organization that once couldn't get either the Democrat or Republican presidential candidate to attend its annual meeting. At a July meeting in San Diego, the group's leader predicted that the Latino vote will play a big role in this election.
"I promise you America will hear our voice loudly and clearly in state after state across this country," President Janet Murguia said. "It is time for us to stand and deliver."
Mario Rodriguez, former vice chairman of the California Republican Party and chairman of California Latinos for McCain, said the Latino vote is particularly important in California.
"If we're going to make California red, it's going to take every single one of us," he told the audience at the Doubletree.
A June poll showed Obama has opened a wide lead over McCain among Hispanic voters. The nationwide poll, conducted by the nonpartisan Washington-based Pew Hispanic Center, showed Obama leading McCain 66 percent to 23 percent among Latinos.
Obama's campaign has been pushing to shore up his support among Latino voters, who overwhelmingly supported Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., in the presidential primaries.
A Public Policy Institute report last September said about 61 percent of likely Latino voters in California are Democrats. About 20 percent of likely Latino voters in California are Republicans and the rest are decline to state or with a third party.
Clinton carried the Latino vote in California in February, receiving 67 percent to Obama's 32 percent, according to a Pew Research Center study.
Obama's campaign has been holding strategy sessions with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, which is expected to play a major role in getting out the Latino vote.
Many of the caucus members, including Rep. Joe Baca, D-Rialto, previously supported Clinton. Baca, the caucus's chairman, will be the only Inland superdelegate at the Democratic Convention. Superdelegates are not bound to a particular candidate.
Baca said Obama has promised him that he will campaign in the Inland area.
In the Inland area, the Riverside-based National Alliance for Human Rights has been organizing "Viva Obama" clubs in an effort to register and rally Latino voters for Obama.
Fighting for California
Although California has gone to Democrats in presidential elections for the past two decades, McCain has said he will not concede the state without a fight.
McCain plans a visit to California later this month and may come to the Inland area, said Hector Barajas, a California Republican Party spokesman.
Assemblywoman Bonnie Garcia, R-Cathedral City, who was one of a dozen political leaders standing at the podium with Gutierrez on Friday, said the McCain campaign is right to focus on bread-and-butter issues in its outreach to Latinos.
"It's about educating your kids, putting food on your table, being able to have the American dream, to own a house," she said.
Riverside County District Attorney Rod Pacheco said events such as the one on Friday help to energize people. But in California, the payoff is raising money to fight in the battleground states of Ohio, Pennsylvania and Florida, he said.
"I want Sen. McCain to be elected," Pacheco said. "Of course it would be nice if he won California, but that's not the goal."
“Unidos con McCain”
Why?
Shucks. Perhaps McCain can get off the amnesty express now.
off the amnesty express
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haaa.. old dog, new tricks on that one I’m a’feared
McPanderer strikes again!
Why bother? The bay area will still vote 90% democrat. Republicans might make some gains in the other, more conservative areas of the state, but not enough to offset that liberal stronghold.
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
Hey McCain, Screw California’s latinos. Your only approach with California’s latinos should be to sort out those who are here illegally and get them the hell out of here. Screw them, they bring very little to this region, other than an open hand looking for us to continue putting benefits into.
The only thing that can unseat that Liberal stronghold is a mighty big earthquake.
He’s not gonna carry CA anyhow.
Only about 60% knew who McCain was, but 97% knew who Tom Tancredo was
Poor old MacCain, working over time to insure the complete alienation of conservatives and their support inside and out of his party in exchange for a thin handful of Latino votes. He wasn’t kidding when he said he didn’t understand economics.
...which makes it easier for me to sit out voting for that office in November; if I lived in a state where he had a chinaman's chance, I'd probably hold my nose and do it.
it’s hard to take you seriously when you can’t even spell his name right.
I wonder if they showed pictures of what McCain used to look like too?
W tried this in 2000. It didn’t work.
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Almost as hard as trying to take seriously someone who doesn't know enough to capitalize the first word in a sentence?
When McaCnia becomes a serious candidate in more than just name, I'll learn how to spell his name.
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