Uphill Battle for Republican National Hispanic Assembly This Weekend: Will Romney Speak Spanish? Will Anyone Else Show Up?
The Republican National Hispanic Assembly is holding its biennial national convention this week to little fanfare in Washington -- without most of its Republican presidential candidates, and facing an uphill battle given the anti-immigrant, anti-Hispanic rhetoric coming from the Republican Party. In fact the one Presidential candidate who is showing up on Sunday, Mitt Romney, epitomized the Republican Party's dilemma earlier this year when he blasted the use of Spanish while pandering to conservatives, but then found himself airing Spanish language ads just days later in search of Hispanic votes in Miami.
The absence of all the other Republican Presidential candidates also highlights a growing problem for the RNHA and the Republican Party. As a group, Republican presidential candidates have avoided major conferences in recent weeks organized not just by Hispanics, but also by America's teachers, young people, and African Americans.
The RNHA also has to contend with the realities of the Republican agenda. Just last night, Democrats fought back a Republican effort in the Senate that would have blocked Social Security benefits for naturalized citizens, unless the Social Security commissioner could verify their legal status at the time they earned those benefits. The amendment would have resulted in U.S. citizens getting different treatment based on where they were born. [U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 110th Congress - 1st Session, Vote 00263, 07/19/07, S. Amdt. 2355 to S. Amdt. 2327 to H.R. 2669] No wonder the Chairman of the Dallas chapter of the RNHA admitted that "it would be 'an uphill battle to convince Hispanics to come out and vote for the GOP' in 2008" and that a recent USA TODAY/Gallup Poll showed Hispanics say they're Democrats or lean Democrat 58% to 20%. [USA Today, 6/27/07; Dallas Morning News, 7/7/07]
"The reality the RNHA will have trouble addressing this weekend is that the Republican Party doesn't just seem to not want Hispanics in the Party, they don't want them in the country either," said Democratic National Committee spokesman Luis Miranda. "No campaign strategy can cover up the damage caused by the Republican Party's divisiveness on issues like immigration and failed policies on everything from Iraq to the economy. If RNHA members want presidential candidates who will address the Hispanic community and represent every American, they're welcome to join the Democratic Party any time."
"Hispanics turning back to Democrats for 2008". A recent USA TODAY/Gallup Poll "indicates that Hispanics, by nearly 3 to 1, say they're Democrats or lean that way." According to the poll, while only "11% of Hispanics now identify themselves as Republicans, down from 19% in 2005...the proportion who call themselves Democrats has jumped to 42% from 33%." As the poll noted, when including independents who 'lean' toward a specific party, "Democrats lead Republicans among Hispanics 58% to 20%." [USA Today, 6/27/07]
Only One Republican Addressed NALEO. "The National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials invited all Republican presidential hopefuls to its annual convention at Disney World at Lake Buena Vista, Fla. Only one showed up - Rep. Duncan Hunter, of California... On Saturday, seven Democratic presidential candidates were slated to attend a forum at the NALEO conference, including Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York, Barack Obama of Illinois, Christopher Dodd of Connecticut, Joseph Biden of Delaware, former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, and Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio." [Austin American-Statesman blog, 6/29/07]
Romney Blasted Spanish and Hispanics, Then Ran Spanish Language Ads. Just days before he began airing Spanish language ads in Florida promoting his appearance at the Miami Dade Republican Lincoln Day Dinner, Romney went before a right wing audience at CPAC and told them: "You strengthen the American people by...insisting that the children who come legally to this land are taught in English." Romney also said, "There is a wide open walk across the border for those who have neither skills nor education." An op-ed in the Miami Herald from a Republican activist called it "a blatant attack on Hispanics...stereotypical, denigrating and wrong." [Mitt Romney, Remarks to CPAC Conference, 3/2/07; Miami Herald, 3/9/07]
