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GOP Has Latino Options
Townhall.com ^ | June 7, 2012 | Michael Reagan

Posted on 06/07/2012 6:54:33 AM PDT by Kaslin

No wonder Republicans can't even get 40 percent of Latino votes in a presidential election.

When Mitt Romney made his first big push to appeal to Latinos earlier this week in Texas, he hammered the "Obama economy" for being "particularly hard on Hispanic businesses and Hispanic Americans."

He pointed out the grim statistics -- an unemployment rate for Latinos of 11 percent and a poverty rate of 30 percent. And he stressed that the Obama regime's economic policies are hostile to the small businesses and entrepreneurs that traditionally provide many of the jobs in the Hispanic community.

Everything Romney said was true. But he delivered the wrong message in the wrong place. Texas is a Republican stronghold. Romney couldn't lose the Lone Star State this fall if he promised on Day One of his presidency to outlaw cattle, oil and gas.

Where Mitt should be stumping for Latino votes is in the contested states of Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico and Florida. That's where the election is going to be won or lost. That's where the Latinos he needs to persuade are concentrated.

Unfortunately for Romney, he's in serious trouble with Latinos. According to a poll last month, he trails Obama 61 to 27 percent among Latinos. It's nothing new. Latinos generally vote 2-1 Democrat.

In 2004, Republicans thought they went to heaven when President Bush got 44 percent of the Latino vote. But in 2008 it was back to the usual slaughter. Obama and Biden out-pointed McCain and Palin among Latinos by a margin of 67-31.

It's hard to blame Latinos for not liking Republicans. The GOP only pays attention to them in election years. And when it courts the Latino community, the GOP doesn't shape its message to fit their needs or appeal to their conservative family values; it delivers tired economic boilerplate about the benefits of lower taxes.

Romney needs to customize and personalize his message to Latinos voters. He also badly needs someone in his party to help him deliver it. If that sounds like a job for Super Marco Rubio, it's not. Everyone's favorite VP pick isn't the only Latino kid on the Republican block.

Have you heard of Gov. Susana Martinez of New Mexico and Gov. Brian Sandoval of Nevada? Didn't think so. Don't feel bad. Apparently no one in the GOP has either.

In 2010 Martinez and Sandoval -- young, smart, popular and Latino -- won easily in heavily Latino states. As Republicans. Both obviously figured out how to appeal to the independent and Democrat voters.

Sandoval beat Harry Reid's son in a state that's 26 percent Latino. Martinez was elected in a state that's half Latino and has three times as many Democrats as Republicans. How did she win the New Mexico governor's office?

Not by talking about the differences between Democrats and Republicans. Not about talking about taxes. She won by appealing to the values that Republicans and Latinos share: Who are we as a country? Where are we going?

Today Martinez has a 70 percent approval rating and is the unsung hero of the Republican Party. She's the first elected Latina governor in the history of the United States, and the GOP can't seem to find her even though she is right there in plain view.

Romney shouldn't necessarily pick Martinez as his VP, as some have suggested. But he should pick her brain. And when Mitt goes courting Latino votes in tough toss-up states like Colorado or Florida, the GOP should make sure Martinez or Sandoval is attached to his hip.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; Politics/Elections; US: Nevada; US: New Mexico
KEYWORDS: briansandoval; susanamartinez
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1 posted on 06/07/2012 6:54:35 AM PDT by Kaslin
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To: Kaslin

Deep down, Republican Blue Bloods have contempt for Latinos. They are Catholic, dirty, ignorant, scum, dontcha know. The Romney and the ePub problem stems from Northeastern WASP prejudices. Romney assimilated into that world, indeed, already his father had assimilated partly into that world. Mormon Schmormon, Romney’s a Northeast Blue Blood, at least in part. He needs to bust out of that bigotry. But when you make millions and schmillions of dollars and start moving and shaking in the circles inhabited by schmillionaires, it becomes pretty hard to maintain much empathy for the peons, whether assimilated Hispanics or just plain olde midwestern cracker farmers.


2 posted on 06/07/2012 7:04:53 AM PDT by Houghton M. (t)
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To: Kaslin; All
It's hard to blame Latinos for not liking Republicans. The GOP only pays attention to them in election years. And when it courts the Latino community, the GOP doesn't shape its message to fit their needs or appeal to their conservative family values; it delivers tired economic boilerplate about the benefits of lower taxes.

THANK YOU MICHAEL REAGAN!! Finally; a Conservative who has the 'nads to tell the truth about why the GOP cannot win the Latino vote. I am not an "Open Borders" person by any stretch, but the GOP's mean-spirited, no compromise, non-compassionate hatred of anyone, or anything, that looks or sounds Latino, will keep us out of the White House from here to eternity if we don't get our crap together.
3 posted on 06/07/2012 7:05:25 AM PDT by pistolpackinpapa
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To: Kaslin

Martinez for Veepee!!!!


4 posted on 06/07/2012 7:05:42 AM PDT by Perdogg
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To: Kaslin; Liz

But gollies...

Willie Mitty was for the AMNESTY Bill...

“We cant send them all back”

“We must find a path to citizenship”


5 posted on 06/07/2012 7:16:10 AM PDT by Tennessee Nana (Why should I vote for Bishop Romney when he hates me because I am a Christian)
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To: Kaslin
It's hard to blame Latinos for not liking Republicans. The GOP only pays attention to them in election years. And when it courts the Latino community, the GOP doesn't shape its message to fit their needs or appeal to their conservative family values; it delivers tired economic boilerplate about the benefits of lower taxes.

"Tired boilerplate"? Lower taxes means more freedom, and that beats the hell out of the establishment's typical sales pitch of amnesty for illegals.

Alot less insulting, as well.

6 posted on 06/07/2012 7:31:01 AM PDT by skeeter
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To: pistolpackinpapa
GOP's mean-spirited, no compromise, non-compassionate hatred of anyone, or anything, that looks or sounds Latino

I know the opinion journalists on MSNBC believe this, but seriously, do you?

7 posted on 06/07/2012 7:33:46 AM PDT by skeeter
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To: Tennessee Nana; AuntB; Clintonfatigued; Grampa Dave; Condor51
DID YOU KNOW "The Mitter" was for the AMNESTY Bill? He famously said, “We can't send them all back”....“We must find a path to citizenship.”

"The Mitter" intends to confer citizenship on every identity a Third Worlder comes up with......gosh, that sure would be a lotta votes (/snix).

MULTIPLE IDENTITIES There's loads of parasitic ID brokers getting rich selling fake ID's to "impoverished" border violators for several thousand dollars each. Juan Madrigal--the Wash/state rapist--had some 30 identities. Another illegal used multiple identities to bilk UI of several million dollars.

Let's see----two illegals---that equals some 40-50 votes (/snix).

============================================

LET'S APPLAUD FLORIDA'S EFFORT TO SAVE DEMOCRACY FROM MARAUDING BANDS OF THIRD WORLDERS AND THE OBAMA DOJ. Obama, and other vote-crazed US politicians, will do anything to get illegal votes.....even sacrifice the US Constitution. If Florida does not act, the US will have compromised its sacrosanct system of democracy.

BACKSTORY Florida discovered huge hordes of illegals on voters rolls when it called up names from the voter rolls for jury duty. Illegals said they could not serve on juries---b/c they were not citizens.

8 posted on 06/07/2012 7:34:24 AM PDT by Liz
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To: Kaslin

I am sick to f’ing death of ‘’Latino’’ this and ‘’Latino’’ that! To begin with Latin is a language, not a race and even if it were one is either a ‘’Latino’’ or an American, one can’t be both. I thought it was liberals who played this ‘’race/gender//bs and put people into boxes, not conservatives.


9 posted on 06/07/2012 8:03:18 AM PDT by jmacusa (Political correctness is cultural Marxism. I'm not a Marxist.)
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To: Kaslin
Susana is not going anywhere, at least not this year. She's already committed to spending her four years as Governor. And popular as she is, she can not get repeal of driver's licenses for illegals through the Dem controlled state senate. She keeps trying, though.

State Busts Driver’s License Fraud Ring (NM - Richardson legacy)

10 posted on 06/07/2012 8:13:14 AM PDT by CedarDave (Voted for Newt today in New Mexico -- too bad he's thrown in with Mittens)
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To: LegendHasIt; Rogle; leapfrog0202; Santa Fe_Conservative; DesertDreamer; OneWingedShark; ...

NM list PING!

I may not PING for all New Mexico articles. To see New Mexico articles by topic click here: New Mexico Topics

To see NM articles by keyword, click here:New Mexico Keywords

To see the NM Message Page, click here: New Mexico Messages

(The NM list is available on my FR homepage for anyone to use. Let me know if you wish to be added or removed from the list.)

11 posted on 06/07/2012 8:28:49 AM PDT by CedarDave (Voted for Newt today in New Mexico -- too bad he's thrown in with Mittens)
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To: Houghton M.

Catholics vote democrat, we need to figure out some way to fix that yet not give up our pro-life, pro-traditional positions to make them happy.


12 posted on 06/07/2012 8:32:20 AM PDT by ansel12 (Massachusetts Governors, where the GOP now goes for it's Presidential candidates.)
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To: Kaslin
For fun, watch these two short videos and you will see why we want to keep her here.

Susana Requalifies for Concealed Carry

"Convicted"

13 posted on 06/07/2012 8:37:44 AM PDT by CedarDave (Voted for Newt today in New Mexico -- too bad he's thrown in with Mittens)
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To: pistolpackinpapa
It's hard to blame Latinos 'Conservatives'* for not liking Republicans. The GOP only pays attention to them in election years. And when it courts the 'Conservative' community, the GOP doesn't shape its message to fit their needs or appeal to their family values; it delivers tired economic boilerplate about the benefits of lower taxes.

Fixed.

* -- Conservative is in quotes because they do not actually want to conserve things, but change them: reduction in government size, taking responsibility for spending, returning to just family [and legal] values.

14 posted on 06/07/2012 10:23:20 AM PDT by OneWingedShark (Q: Why am I here? A: To do Justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with my God.)
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To: Kaslin

I guess I need to start thinking and voting like Latinos and other openly racist minorities:

I’ll only vote for white European males who are sensitive to the white European male agenda.


15 posted on 06/07/2012 10:26:23 AM PDT by EyeGuy (Armed, judgmental, fiscally responsible heterosexual.)
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To: EyeGuy
I’ll only vote for white European males who are sensitive to the white European male agenda.

Damn, I guess that means I cannot count on your vote. I'm a "white" American male and support the agenda of "Truth, Justice, and the [Formerly] American Way... of shooting tyrants."

16 posted on 06/07/2012 10:31:06 AM PDT by OneWingedShark (Q: Why am I here? A: To do Justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with my God.)
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To: OneWingedShark

Well, that is THEIR problem, and my point, isn’t it?

Minorities are too busy hyphenating themselves to think of themselves as Americans.

Melting pot, what melting pot?


17 posted on 06/07/2012 10:34:16 AM PDT by EyeGuy (Armed, judgmental, fiscally responsible heterosexual.)
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To: EyeGuy
Melting pot, what melting pot?

Oh, the pot's melting alright; it's what's inside that's not.

18 posted on 06/07/2012 10:49:51 AM PDT by OneWingedShark (Q: Why am I here? A: To do Justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with my God.)
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To: Kaslin
Run ads on local spanish radio and TV where Obama is tossing "white" Hispanic Zimmerman under the bus. Zimmerman is Hispanic

And, run ads using Obama's own voice reading where he abused Hispanic working ladies in college;

Obama Made Mexican Maids Cry in College


19 posted on 06/07/2012 10:56:56 AM PDT by FreeAtlanta (Liberty and Justice for ALL)
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To: skeeter

HELL YES, I DO.


20 posted on 06/07/2012 11:47:10 AM PDT by pistolpackinpapa
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