The majority of Hispanics (54%) self-describe themselves as white. Hispanics can be of any color. We should be rejecting such classifications. Mexicans are far different from Columbians, Salvadorians, Brazilians, etc. And the same holds true for Asians. The GOP has a minority problem, not an Hispanic problem.
Ronald Reagan said, “A political party cannot be all things to all people. It must represent certain fundamental beliefs which must not be compromised to political expediency, or simply to swell its numbers. I do not believe I have proposed anything that is contrary to what has been considered Republican principle. It is at the same time the very basis of conservatism. It is time to reassert that principle and raise it to full view. And if there are those who cannot subscribe to these principles, then let them go their way.”
We have allowed the Democrats to define us. We are constantly on the defensive.
The Republicans need to expose the Democrats as the real racists and bigots who provide people, including newly arrived immigrants, with special rights and privileges based on race, ethnicity, and gender. For example, the definitions of Hispanic and Asian under Virginia minority business set aside laws are ludicrous. They make no sense. What do Japanese, Chinese, Indians, and Filipinos have in common except being from the same geographic region of the globe? Similarly, “Hispanics” encompass all of Latin America and the Iberian Peninsula, i.e., the former colonialists. These types of classifications are reminiscent of those under apartheid in South Africa, which had four main groups with a number of sub-groups and even “honorary whites.” Republicans should take the lead in abolishing these discriminatory programs in post-racial America and use immigration as an example of the unfairness of these laws.
There are other significant demographic changes that transcend race and ethnicity. The Republican Party should focus on those changes rather than its quixotic outreach programs. By 2030 one in every 5 residents of this country will be 65 and over—twice what it is now. The vast majority of these people will be on fixed incomes with Social Security being the sole or a major portion of their retirement income. As a result, taxes will become more and more of a concern among older voters. State and local taxes will have to fund much of the education and social welfare costs for immigrants and their children as the U.S. population continues to increase. Since the federal government only funds about 13 percent of the education costs with state and local governments funding the rest through mainly property taxes, an aging population on fixed incomes will balk at increased rates of taxation. And senior citizens vote at a higher percentage than younger voters. Even immigrants grow old and will vote their pocketbook.
And then there are younger voters who must bear the brunt of the out of control federal spending that will balloon the current debt servicing costs, which consume $200 billion annually of the federal budget. With entitlement programs increasing to more than half of the federal budget, it will leave declining amounts of money for discretionary items, including defense. In 1950, there were 16 workers for every retiree, today it is 3.3, and by 2030 it will be 2 workers for every retiree. As a result, the young will also become increasingly concerned about taxes and the costs of mass immigration that will require huge amounts of money for increased infrastructure requirements, higher energy needs, schools, hospitals, water treatment and sewage plants, etc.that will be needed for a nation approaching half a billion people and is the world’s biggest debtor nation. The Republican message of limited government and lower taxes will resonate with the young and old alike.
That may be a result of losing two elections to Obama, and congress in 2006.
Failure says something.