The Wall Street Journal reported yesterday that Mitt Romney's presidential campaign is starting to worry about the damage Republicans have done with Latino voters. Romney aides are reportedly "concerned" that the GOP "is turning away the increasingly powerful constituency."
The fears are well grounded; Romney and other Republicans have been alienating Latinos -- the fastest growing voting constituency in the U.S. -- throughout the 2012 race, so it stands to reason the likely GOP nominee will take steps to shake the Etch A Sketch and undo some of the damage.
Associated Press
But if Romney thinks rhetoric like this will improve his standing, he's deeply confused.
In a pitch aimed at the nation's growing pool of Hispanic voters, Republican presidential front-runner Mitt Romney attacked President Obama today for failing to fix the nation's broken immigration system. [...]
Speaking at an oil distributorship, the former Massachusetts governor said the president "chooses to do nothing" about fixing America's immigration laws and noted that Obama had pledged to make the issue a priority during his 2008 campaign for the White House.
Let me get this straight. Barack Obama wants comprehensive immigration reform, including the DREAM Act. Latino voters want comprehensive immigration reform, including the DREAM Act. Congressional Republicans have rejected all efforts to pass comprehensive immigration reform, including the DREAM Act, and Mitt Romney agrees with his party.
So Romney's new message to Latinos is, in effect, "Vote for the candidate you disagree with, and reward the party that killed the agenda you support."
Is this some sort of delayed April Fool's joke? Does Romney seriously believe Latino voters know literally nothing about the debate over immigration policy in Washington?
Romney is an opponent of the DREAM Act; he's palling around with Pete Wilson and Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach; he endorses a "self-deportation" agenda; he's critical of bilingualism; and his casual dismissals of "amnesty" and "illegals" are a staple of his campaign rhetoric.
Romney is going to have to do better than "Obama hasn't passed laws I already oppose."
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"Congressional Republicans have rejected all efforts to pass comprehensive immigration reform, including the DREAM Act, and Mitt Romney agrees with his party."
Mittens doesn't understand because in rethugnikanland, "reality" is always the opposite of what I'm saying right now.....Oh Steve, you are just soooo "reality based"...
I ca'nt wait for the President's first Etcha Sketch political ad against Romney.The problem is,it may have to be three hours long.Maybe longer?
Perhaps Mitt believes that if he gives his lawn service(es) a raise it will trickle down to more Hispanic votes.
Romney campaigns with the Rove playbook - project your weaknesses onto your opponent and belittle his strengths. That's how John Kerry, war hero, was cast as an effete coward and how Rick Santorum's voting history became evidence of flip-flopping moderation.
Obama will be attacked as a promise breaking flip-flopper on immagration, on the individual mandate, on marriage equality, etc., etc.
Some reliable, yet not as informed as I Democrats commented the other day that the Republican candidates are SO stupid. They couldn't see any way the President could lose this fall. I commented that most people aren't informed, Republicans say what ever sounds good at the moment because they know people don't know the difference.
Pol, I agree (and I've often said in this forum) that Americans aren't the sharpest knives in the drawer, especially when it comes to politics. Even given that, however, the Republicans seem to be campaigning this year as though no Dems or independents are paying ANY attention. And that things like video and the Internet don't exist.
I don't have much confidence in American voters, but even they can't be that stupid ... can they?
Romney you should give up on eHarmony it just isn't going to help you.
But the rank and file Hispanic voter doesn't know WHY immigration reform hasn't passed. For all they know, the President promised to fix it, and he hasn't. So Romney will carry that one further and say the President didn't do his job. He's counting on the ignorance of the population.
I'm thankful I belong to the party whose constituents are thinkers and who stay informed.
Mittens can lie to teh white folks, why can't he lie to the latinos?
I expect that RMoney believes that $$$ can overcome the opposition and what little truth they have in the primaries so why won't it work in the general election.
If what is going on in Michigan is a Republican model of what our Democracy should be, the Republicans can pack their bags and leave now. Because what is going on there is not a Democracy, where people are outright denied their right to vote or have a Democratic society. The Republicans are doing nothing but setting up a situation as a Dictatorship with no rights to any one except the Republican privileged few. How can the Republicans say that this is just the Tea Party, when it is the Republican direct actions to restrict people’s rights. You look at many States how these Republicans are actively trying to remove people’s rights and for who the benefit of the Koch Brothers and their rich friends. How can the Republican Party sit there and say very little so they can continue with this dark agenda that would do everything to put people under the will of their fists. And we are seeing already how so quickly when they do not get their way they will resort to violence. How much more disgusting and dark can they get? So far it looks pretty bleak with what they want to do.
"Vote for the candidate you disagree with, and reward the party that killed the agenda you support."
I am saving this quote and will be using it MANY times in the future. This is perfect.
Willard is in deep with the author of the PAPERS, PLEASE laws..
so, maybe Latinos are more 'understanding'...
but, I don't get why they'd remotely consider voting GOP