[driftless2]

That presumes that a sizable percentage of Hispanics, especially those of Mexican descent, even knew Romney said those words. I seriously doubt many of them did. To get a lot of Hispanic votes, the Republicans would almost have to be to the left of Obama on immigration. Even then I don't if it would work if they didn't offer the freebies the Dems do. Remember when Reagan legalized 3 million illegals in the eighties, the Pubbies received a smaller percentage of the Hispanic vote in the next election than they did in the previous.

Some people are always saying that if Republicans don't say the wrong things that supposedly offend all these winnable Hispanics, they'll start voting for Pubbies. I seriously doubt that. The simple fact is: many Hispanics like the idea of Big Government.

[RichardW]

I’m just dealing with reality. We need these folks for the jobs most Americans will not do. How many Hispanics stand on the corner waiting for a hand-out?

A lot of us need to have our houses cleaned, lawns mowed and restaurants and farms need their labor. They are willing to do these jobs. So why not “legalize” them by providing a temporary work permit so they don’t have to continuously fly under the radar? We’ve had many here for decades, illegal all the time worrying about being deported. They own homes, buy autos, and contribute to the economy. Let’s stop this nuttiness. We can’t deport them, nor should we.