Posted on 03/17/2002 6:00:26 AM PST by Love America or move to ......
Hispanics nationwide have a stake in the Texas governor's race. Laredo businessman and millionaire Tony Sanchez won the Democratic primary by about a 2 to 1 margin. If Sanchez unseats Republican Gov. Rick Perry in November, he will become the first Hispanic governor of Texas. Texas, following California, also would become the second state in which Hispanic voters put an end to Republican dominance.
In California, Hispanic voters were something of a sleeping giant. That all changed with the administration of Pete Wilson, the Republican governor who stupidly decided to exploit the state's xenophobes and bash immigrants. Wilson blamed immigrants - legal and illegal - for just about everything from lousy schools and health care to the failure to achieve world peace.
Faced with such abuse, the sleeping giant woke up. Voter registration drives became a favorite pastime in Hispanic neighborhoods. In 1998, Gray Davis became the first Democratic governor of California in 16 years.
He trounced his Republican opponent Dan Lungren, drawing 58 percent of the vote; Lungren got 38 percent. Davis captured just about every voter block except for white men, Republicans and Protestants. He carried Hispanics by a great margin.The Texas primary race, similarly, drew a heavy Hispanic vote in the southern part of the state. Observers said more Hispanics were moved to vote. While the major Democratic candidates both were Hispanic, Sanchez said his opponent, Dan Morales, was embarrassed to be Hispanic.
Sanchez reportedly spent about $18 million to defeat Morales. This is a record for a Texas primary, and it reflects an odd element to the general election. Sanchez is new to politics and wealthy. The family fortune is said to be $600 million. He reportedly threw as much as $13 million of his own money into his campaign kitty.
Hispanics are the fastest growing minority in the country. And as they increase, so too does their political influence. This is the most important political trend since Richard Nixon launched his successful southern strategy in which he urged conservative southern Democrats to switch to the Republican Party. It's a trend that could affect Illinois, New Jersey and some southern states where there is growing Hispanic influence.
Hmmm. So, what you're saying is when hispanics were presented with a conservative candidate that did not have the "bigot" lable all over him, they voted for him in a maasive landslide? How come they didn't vote for the dem welfare king as you say they always do?
And you don't believe that some of Morales' votes didn't come from cross-over Republicans?
I'd say write off the black vote, that's been lost for 70 years. As far as Asians, this is another constituency that will become more important in the future, so pubs need to attack that opportunity. As far as whites, I'm not sure what you mean. If you mean going after that vote by being against the others, I don't think that is a good long term strategy.
Huh funny you didn't mention Perry winning, only if he gets a majority of the Hispanic vote.
If he got 25% he would win and there goes your theory. Oh well keep up the hysterics Fitz.
Pubbies could build a base, but, IMHO, to Fitz that is sacreligious.
Again, what we are talking about is ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION in the millions, and their drain on our social services, the bills being paid by us. Where is your problem in understanding that? We have valid complaints of being fleeced of our paychecks with our government applauding it. It's not racism, it simply has to do with invasion.
Even a "leftist rag" can print a weather report.
Having lived in TX for over 20 years (15 in El Paso), and married into a huge Hispanic family (10 kids, and now 15 grandkids), I can only offer my life experience as tangible evidence.
When I started dating my bride, every one in her family was a staunch Democrat, and would NEVER vote for a Republican. A typical Hispanic family is rigidly patriarchal. However, as my brothers and sisters in law grew up, went to school, and went out in the world, they learned that today's Democrat party is decidedly NOT their father's Democrat party.
As a result of their maturation (and hopefully, my vociferous stands on less government and more freedom), none of them (including my mother-in-law!) considers themselves to be a Democrat any longer.
I understand this is but a limited experience. I only offer this as a contrast to our lily white brethren who have already written Texas off as another state of Aztlan. For too many native Texans (sorry, I'm only naturalized!), Texas is unlike any other place on earth. Those who wish to live the Texas experience and share Texas values (freedom, self-reliance, etc.) are welcomed with open arms. Those who are only imposters generally find Texas to be a hard, cold place to live.
That's my view of Texas, like it or not!
And that is at the core of the strategy: a missionary effort. It doesn't mean support illegal immigration, but change the tone and discussion of the issue.
As Tuesday's Democratic primary election results hint, that should spell trouble for Republican candidates who only a year ago might have presumed that they would coast to victory.
But now they have to contend with Tony Sanchez, the resolute and very rich oilman-banker from Laredo, who won a resounding victory over former state Attorney General Dan Morales in Tuesday's primary and will have beaucoup bucks to spend in his fall showdown with GOP Gov. Rick Perry.
Sanchez should lure scads of Hispanic voters - who vote heavily Democratic - to the polls this fall. And the millions he spends to generate a heavy turnout of supporters will have spillover benefits for all Demo-crats on the ballot.
http://www.tonysanchez.com/news/pressclips/March02/031502a.htm (from his own webpage)
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