Posted on 08/29/2012 6:04:55 AM PDT by SharpRightTurn
TAMPA, Fla. — Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R) on Tuesday said Republicans aren’t going to close the gap with Hispanic voters until they “stop acting stupid.”
Bush said many Hispanic voters share the GOP’s commitment to faith, family and small government but have been alienated from the party by exclusionary rhetoric on immigration. But that, he said, is finally changing.
“I promise you this is where the conservative cause is going, and thank God it is,” he said to cheers at a lunch sponsored by the center-right Hispanic Leadership Network.
The advantage that Democrats have with Hispanics is a principal concern of Mitt Romney’s campaign. The GOP standard-bearer badly trails President Obama among the voting bloc, and if the numbers don’t improve, it could cost him the swing states of Colorado, Florida and Nevada — and perhaps the entire election.
Republicans moved aggressively this week to close the gap, arranging a speakers’ slate at the convention heavy on Republicans of Latino descent. The outreach from the podium is being reinforced with Spanish-language ads from the Romney campaign.
Bush, whose wife is Hispanic, told The Hill that while jobs and education are the most important issues for the Latino community, more inclusive language and policies would be “an important symbol that shows sensitivity” for their concerns.
He also warned, in Spanish, that if Asians and Latinos, the fastest-growing populations in the United States, didn’t feel comfortable in the party, “we’re going to lose elections.”
“That’s not opinion — that’s math,” he said.
Romney ran hard to the right on immigration during the primary, voicing his support for Arizona’s controversial immigration law and arguing that illegal immigrants would “self-deport” if the United States “turned off the magnets” of easily accessible jobs and in-state tuition.
He’s softened his rhetoric on immigration somewhat since but mostly avoided talking about it.
Some in the party aren’t backing down. Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach (R), the author of the Arizona law and an informal adviser to the Romney campaign, pushed language into the official party platform that says laws like his should be “encouraged, not attacked” by the government. The platform advocates withholding federal funds from “sanctuary cities” and any universities that provide in-state tuition to undocumented immigrants.
A Romney campaign official downplayed the platform position and expressed confidence that they will reach their target of 38 percent support from Hispanics on Election Day.
“The platform that counts is Mitt Romney’s platform,” Romney Hispanic outreach head and former Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez told The Hill. “He’s got a son who speaks perfect Spanish. His warmth will connect with the Hispanic community. He’ll be doing a lot more events, a lot more advertising. They’ll know him a lot more. I think from here on, it’s on the way up.”
Romney launched a Spanish-language ad on Tuesday, and unlike previous commercials, it not only attacks President Obama’s economic policies but also promises to help Latinos battered by the dismal economy.
“I know how to revive the American Dream,” Romney says in English, with Spanish subtitles. “I will not let you down. I will work tirelessly to create more good-paying jobs, to reform the education system and to lower taxes.”
Romney has also agreed to participate in a forum with Univision, the country’s largest Spanish-language TV network.
Gutierrez said that Romney, who aside from a June speech at the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) has not talked much about immigration, was unlikely to address the issue in his convention speech.
“He may mention it, but he’s going to talk about the economy,” he said.
Rep. Raul Labrador (R-Idaho) said Romney’s NALEO speech was “great,” but only a start.
“I think he needs to do a lot more, and I think he will. It’s imperative. You cannot win a presidential election if you don’t get at least 35 percent of the Hispanic vote, and I think it’s important for him to get out there and go after it,” he told The Hill.
Al Cardenas, the head of the American Conservative Union and a Romney adviser, admitted the campaign’s 38 percent goal would be tough to reach, but he said Romney’s numbers with Latinos could improve. He said the candidate’s Thursday night convention speech could prove crucial to how much he narrows the gap.
“Frankly, he’s entered into this general election with a fairly empty canvas and the other side’s done a pretty good opportunity of maligning it,” Cardenas said.
“He’s got to use this convention as his opportunity to open the eyes of the Hispanic community, say, ‘I’m a caring person, I care about you and the needs of the Hispanic community, and here’s who I am.’ ”
So how does one start a third, truly conservative, Party?
For 2016 (if we survive).
that
The Republican Party fought a bloody and brutal Civil War to keep the slaveholding states from separating from the union and keeping slavery.
A Republican President issued the Emancipation Proclamation.
The Republican Party freed the slaves by passing the 13th Amendment.
The Republican Party adopted the 14th and 15th Amendments which made the former slaves citizens and gave them voting rights.
Republicans in the House and Senate voted in large majorities (over 70%) to pass the 1964 Civil Rights Act and 1965 Voting Rights Act over strong Democrat opposition.
In 2006 Republican President G.W. Bush signed a 25 year extension of the Voting Rights Act, passed by large majorities of Republicans.
In 2008 African Americans voted 95% Democrat in the general election, perpetuating a decades old pattern of voting against the Republican Party candidates.
Mr. Bush, given the history with the African American voter why will giving amnesty to people illegally in the country ensure Hispanics vote for Republicans?
“This issue does have something to do with the rule of law and protecting citizens..guess no one told JEB”
There’s also a significant economic component to it. Many of our states simply cannot afford to “host” an endless stream of immigrants, legal or not. Their budgets are being strained to the max. Jeb says it’s about “the math” but he conveniently neglects to include the unsustainable financial impact on state budgets in that equation.
“Stupid is, as stupid does.” ~ Forrest Gump
Conservatives need to stop mincing words and start calling out the Bushes for who they are - liberal elitists who care more about their fortunes than about their country. Their failure to defend America’s border is every bit as dangerous for America’s future as Obama’s dalliance with islamists.
Bigg Red says Jeb Bush should shut up and go away.
Remember all the misleading pols telling us how many people wanted this fool to run for president? Or maybe he’s in the mix for VP?
I am so sick of these politicians telling us how we need to ignore laws,pretend our borders don’t exist and basically supply welfare to Mexico in exchange for keeping our wages depressed. Oh thats right. I meant to say ignore the laws and it will all be better. Until the next time of course when they ask us to turn our heads again.
Bush just doesn’t GET it. This is NOT about IMMIGRATION.
Its about ILLEGAL INVADERS.
I hope they muzzle this idiot and his entire family for the next several months. They can only hurt us.
“But he is never pinned down to make specific proposals because he and the MSM know that his specific proposals would cause an uproar and would damage his purpose of pretending to offer “wise” councel while being too cowardly to get to the details. Both Jebbie and the MSM are content to continue with the high minded criticism while avoiding the messy details.”
Be accurate now. It’s
Stay out da bushes!
Thanks, Jeb. Thanks a lot.
Hey! What about all the people from all over the world who are trying to enter the US legally?
So, just because these hispanic folk are here illegally, that’s a reason to make them legal?
What nonsense.
“Stay Out ‘da Bushes” - Rev. Jesse Jackson
If all the other RINOs would take their fig leaves off and join together with Mr. Crist in the Democrat Party, we might have elections that discussed the issues and offered real choices.
Every time I consider voting for Mr. Rooney or other liberal weak Republicans, someone like Jeb trots out to remind me to vote my principles and not enable evil, greed or ignorance.
TWB
George and Jeb: dumb and dumber.
Right!
“W” gave the US Presidency his best whack ... and thanks to him!
NOW-if you can't advance the Conservative cause, please don't pee down the well.
Hell, why not. The Republicans just cemented conservatives out. Why not embrace more leftism? They really don’t care what conservatives and Tea Party people want any more, anyways.
Deport the Bushes.
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