Photo: Emmanuel Dunand/Gettyimages.com
We seem to have a GOP nominee. Now the real question is what, if anything, can Romney do to turn the tide and win some Hispanic votes come November?
While the GOP can and will be able to court Latinos on many fiscal and social issues, still looming is immigration reform. The question of what to do with over eight million of our primarily Hispanic undocumented brethren will be the heart issue that many Latinos will take into consideration at the polling place.
The GOP has a well deserved image problem when it comes to immigration, having taken a hardline stance to cater to their base over the years.
In the interest of fairness, we thought it best to go right to the source and see what the candidate had to say at MittRomney.com:
“Mitt Romney opposes amnesty because he believes that it acts as a magnet encouraging illegal immigration. The last amnesty law passed in 1986 granted legal status to 2.7 million illegal immigrants. In the decades since, the illegal immigrant population has quadrupled. Mitt believes that an amnesty should not be permitted to happen again. Illegal immigrants who apply for legal status should not be given any advantage over those who are following the law and waiting their turn. Mitt absolutely opposes any policy that would allow illegal immigrants to ‘cut in line.’”
Coincidentally, the 1986 bill was passed by GOP patron saint Ronald Reagan, yet his concept of “amnesty” is the only nuance of the Great Communicator’s actions not heralded by the party today. And the problem remains: what are you going to do with those who are already here if not create some system in which they can stay and eventually become citizens?
Romney’s answer is one of “self deportation.” The concept of deportation by attrition has been modeled by states such as Arizona and Alabama, the goal being to create an environment so toxic for the undocumented that they’re forced to leave. Romney’s stance will continue to paint the GOP into a corner on immigration and hurt their appeal with Latino voters. Deportation by attrition has only been harmful to the states and communities who have promoted it, dividing families and negatively impacting economies, not to mention alienating Latino voters.
For the GOP the very concept of amnesty is an affront to their sense of law and order, and to say that there are no Latinos who don’t also hold their view would be incorrect. But the reality is now what do we do?
In order to gain some Latino votes, the GOP will suddenly “care” about moving on immigration by introducing their version of the Dream Act that will not give citizenship to anyone other than soldiers (did we really have to argue about that no-brainer?). Rubio is introducing a Dream Act for students that allows them to stay, but doesn’t offer a pathway to citizenship.
Republicans will argue that Democrats won’t support their “Dream Act Lite” because anything less than a pathway to citizenship wouldn’t create a massive influx of new dedicated Democratic voters. Again, the elephant is moving too slow.
The rational for waiting until Obama’s second term is the simple reality that we know we can do better.
So tell us Mitt, what else you got for us?
Jose Cruz is the editor of OurTiempo.com, worked in the Clinton White House and on three presidential campaigns. He is the founder of ImmigrationPAC, a pro-comprehensive immigration reform Federal Political Action Committee, and is an active political commentator.
About Being Latino Contributors
NO
No chance in hell
one word, NO
There are pink dolphins in the Amazon and Latino Republicans in America. Of course he can… and he will.
Mormon chimachangas.
This PuertoRique~o Thinks He Should drop in to a Hole Back To Hell!!! OBAMA 1000%!!!
If he gets Marco Rubio has vice president you’re telling me no Latino will vote for him? If he gets him as his vice president Obama will have no choice but to switch Biden for Hillary if he wants to win.
Eh, NO. Most Latinos are hard working people, why would we vote for a millionaire that doesn’t care about the working class and has never worked hard in his life? I will NOT vote for him.
Romney will be guilty by association when it comes to Latino voters, as will any repub. running for national office as long as the loony wings of the party keep picking people that look lie me off the streets and building fences and calling us aliens..#canigetanamen
Who cares if he wins the Latino vote? I know Latinos are growing but it’s not all about Latinos. 3/4 of most Latinos have socialistic entitlement tendencies anyway and also a reverse racist streak. They are not going to vote for a white man who is going to run on a ticket that holds many ideas that are anathema to people who all their lives have seen the United States as an oppressor nation and have expected Democrats to do things for them in form of quotas, legislation, and entitlements. The vote that Romney needs to win is the American vote – not the vote of a faction with a chip on its shoulder. But don’t worry Latinos, your man Obama will win and you’ll have four more of hope and change by any means necessary. It’s all been planned out.
HECK NO! not mines, in a million yrs!
I think we should call him “Chancleta”…cause of his flip-flops
Adopt a son/ daughter from Latin America., open a Peruvian Restaurant, lift trade embargo against Cuba, approve the Dream Act give immediate citizenship to all members of the Military who are not citizens, enroll to a Spanish Class and… Just a few ideas
I don’t care what he says, who his running mate is, he will never have my vote! Obama has my vote again!!
He doesnt care about Latinos and I sure hope we don’t fall for his propaganda
It depends if Latinos want the economy to come back or not. It’s about the economy… Obama doesn’t know how to turn it around. If the Latino vote is about getting their illegal cousins citizenship, then their candidate doesn’t deserve to win.
Dean, well said.
The economy is already getting better…! How is it not? State and local governments have to do their part to better their local economies and so, this whole mess does not wholly fall on the president. This is a logical point of view but I respect your illogical way of thinking also because in the end obama will get re-elected and the economy will get stronger by the time he leaves office… and that will only help in electing a new democratic president and I’m hoping H. Clinton.
H. Clinton 2016!
No more Clinton’s no mo Lady Mcberh.
He has my vote , I am a latino women .
And mario ur always ferociously attacking latino for bringing up issues that matter to Latinos because this is indeed a page that is doing what other ethnicities have been doing for years and that is to give a voice to their people. The afro-americans, asians, jewish people and so on do the same thing as what being latino does… so is ur deal with “is not all about you latinos” cra about??? What issues do you have against this page simply doing what other races do?
No way whether he chooses Rubio or not. He has burned his own path to the majority of true latinos by hurting the poor, struggling, and the future of our country the Dream Act. Rubio is just a puppet in the hands of the gop.
I believe Mr. Romney can do a better job with our economy. A good economy helps all of us, not just the rich. President Obama has been a huge disappointment !!