The Bamster told Latinos to get out and vote against their "enemies" meaning those mean old nasty Republicans. The implication wasn't of bipartisanship or reaching across the aisle. It was a clear appeal to a community that he would promise to lay back and do nothing about illegal immigration.
Now we get the spinning of the outcome:
They Are Going to Come and Take Your Mommy Away
Like so many complex issues, the terms obfuscate so that it becomes impossible to know what is really meant. Wink-wink, nudge-nudge.
What do the President and his obedient Attorney General mean when they say "immigration reform"? They mean amnesty, open borders, ignoring of the law, lax security and future voting rights maybe even without citizenship being involved. The belief is that the illegal immigrant population is a huge reservoir of untapped Democratic voters. Make them voters with the wave of a legislative wand and you will perpetuate your tenure in office.
But, how did voters from the Hispanic community respond last week?
Nationally, Hispanics represent about 12% of the population total. Last week they represented about 8% of voters. That means they voted less than the white population. That is not a surprise when viewed in either historic context or in parallel with other demographic factors such as education level, economic level, or geographic region. They are part of a low voting participation slice of America.
Blacks represent about 14% nationally. They represented about 10% of last week's electorate. Again, not surprising in context with other factors, but a drastic reduction compared to the enthusiasm in the African-American community of the 2008 election. Blacks last week voted 90% for Democrats and only 10% for Republicans. That tracks historically as well. If Blacks vote they vote for Dems.
Hispanics, however, were not in lock-step. They went 66% Dem and 32% Republican. That means that ethnic politics don't play as strongly in the Latino community. It also means that the issue of illegal immigration is not that effective as a wedge for them.
Conservative Latinos got elected last week, including two western state governors and a couple of Texas congressmen who unseated well established Democrats.
What is the lesson here for 2012? A successful presidential candidate had better learn to hablar some Espanol. And, he had better be able to enunciate a clear message on dealing with immigration in particular and Latino issues in general.
2 comments:
Don't forget Sen. Marco Rubio[R-FL]. Son of immigrants, a true rags to riches story of success. Most of the Hispanic community wants to succeed. Just have to wean the farm workers, or whats left of them after the Dems cut off the water to California's San Joaquin Valley for a fish, from the union and think for themselves. Tea Party and Republicans have go to keep pitching how this country is a land of opportunity.
I'm a son of two legal, naturalized citizens, and married to the immigrant, naturalized Dutch girl-next-door - so I see immigration a little differently from those Americans who have lost their own immigrant roots generations ago.
Like it or not, the US exists solely because of (well-controlled, legal) immigration, and needs it to continue.
It may even need some sort of 'amnesty' program for long-term, productive illegals, who fulfill ALL of these restrictive criteria:
Have continuously resided in the US for at least 12 years AND:
· can read, speak, and understand English (if under age 55).
· have filed/paid US federal income taxes on their income throughout those dozen years.
· have never received public assistance throughout that time.
· have never been convicted of violating any criminal law or certain traffic violations (e.g - driving without a license or insurance; failing a sobriety test; reckless driving; unsafe or improper equipment)
BTW - even members of Indian and Eskimo tribes are the offspring of immigrants (our first ones, from Siberia) !
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