HispanicTrending

November 29, 2010

By Matt Lewis

Pencil it in: The next GOP vice presidential nominee will be Hispanic.

That’s my prediction, at least.

There are primarily two reasons for this. First, of course, is math: Hispanics represent a growing percentage of the voting population, and there is reason to believe they are “winnable” for Republicans.

As Texas Rep. Lamar Smith recently wrote in The Washington Post,

Exit polls reported by CNN . . . reveal that a historically robust 38 percent of Hispanic voters cast ballots for House Republican candidates in 2010 — more than in 2006 (30 percent) and 2008 (29 percent). In fact, since 1984, Republican House candidates have only won a higher percentage of the Hispanic vote in one election: 2004. This level of Hispanic support for Republican candidates came despite widespread pre-election claims by advocates for illegal immigration that the Arizona law and a pro-rule-of-law stand would undercut Hispanic support for Republicans.

Though the efficacy of this is highly debatable, Republicans will most likely assume that nominating a Hispanic Republican might help increase that 38 percent — not so much because Hispanics want to elect a fellow Hispanic but because of the symbolic commitment such a selection might show.

But while vice presidential picks are (despite what politicians say) always political, playing cheap identity politics doesn’t work, either.

Which brings me to my second reason: Republicans are now in the enviable position of having a new generation of qualified Hispanic leaders to choose from. The two most obvious picks would be Florida Sen.-elect Marco Rubio and New Mexico Gov.-elect Susana Martinez.

As Eire notes,

There are serious reasons for those 17 different countries south of the border [retaining] their separate identities and autonomy. I don’t know a single “Hispanic” who thinks of himself or herself as anything other than someone from a specific country: Peru, Guatemala, Argentina, Colombia, etc.

This very fact might open the door for Martinez, the daughter of Mexican-American parents (who would also be poised to become the first female vice president).

Of course, the obvious caveat, is that neither Rubio nor Martinez has even begun his/her term. It could be that they both implode — though I seriously doubt that will happen.

This sort of strategic thinking, of course, is typically not advertised.

But you can bet the top advisers of whoever wins the GOP nomination in 2012 will take these factors into consideration. Either way, my very premature prediction is that Rubio and Martinez are already on the short list for vice presidential picks in 2012.

Source: Politics Daily

November 30, 2010

By Ann Warren

In Nevada and around the country the Tea party has had a startling effect. Today Latino leaders have decided to float their own Tea party style movement. We think it might just have a better name – The Tequila Party.

The two groups cannot be compared. The reason these Latinos have not joined the grass roots party of the Tea Party is because they are an independent movement for the Democrats – they are trying to pressure the Democrats to deliver on Latino’s priorities.

One has to wonder if it will go the way of the Coffee Party. One also has to wonder why everyone is trying to mimic the Tea Party! No original ideas? Even more interesting, the Tequila Party precepts are amazingly similar to that of the Tea Party.

The Tea Party is a populist political movement. Anyone can be a member without having to join locally or nationally, but many do. It’s characterized as a conservative, libertarian-leaning movement. They believe in lowering government spending (over 15 trillion in debt), lowering taxes for everyone equally, and bringing back the orginalist interpretations of the U.S. constitution.

The Tequila Party claims that they are going to end their ‘blind support’ for democrats.

Robert De Posada, the former GOP operative, said this: “The Tequila Party is a great concept to basically say, ‘You know what? This blind support for you is coming to an end. If you are perceived as someone who will never vote for a Republican, then you’re screwed.”

The Tequila Party has no leader as of yet. No Latino leader has publically backed the group.

Source: The Post Chronicle

November 25, 2010

By Ruben Navarrette

Many Latinos have become disgruntled with both political parties, and I can see why. One ignores us while the other seems intent on driving us away. The last straw was when Democrats flunked immigration reform, then tried to fool Latinos into thinking Republicans were to blame — an easy trick to pull off given how often the GOP flirts with nativism.

Now I hear from people in their 20s who, in their disillusionment, are pining for something that had its heyday before they were born: the Raza Unida Party.

Founded on Jan. 17, 1970, in Crystal City, Texas, Raza Unida held a binational nominating convention in 1972 in El Paso, Texas, and Juarez, Mexico. At one point, it was operating in 17 states and the District of Colombia. Its goal: To elect Latinos to office.

I wondered what the veteranos who lived through that history make of this renaissance for radicals. So I went to the source: Raza Unida co-founder Jose Angel Gutierrez, a 66-year-old attorney and university professor who lives in Dallas. During the ’70s Chicano movement, Gutierrez was mentioned as one of the “big four” of Latino leaders — along with Cesar Chavez, Rodolfo “Corky” Gonzales and Reies Tijerina.

Gutierrez and I are now friends, but our relationship got off to a rocky start. The first time we locked horns was on a public affairs television show in Dallas about 10 years ago. I made a snarky comment about how, while his generation of Latinos had the benefit of experience, they also carried baggage since “all the experiences are bad.”

Gutierrez glared at me. And then, on air, he put me in check for my rudeness. Still, what makes us kindred spirits is that we both know what it’s like to make fellow Latinos uncomfortable by saying what they don’t want to hear.

I asked Gutierrez what he thought about a new generation of Latinos romanticizing the third party he helped to build. He said it all made sense given the original principle behind Raza Unida.

“The legacy of the Raza Unida Party is the concept of independent thought and that we can speak for ourselves,” he said. “No ventriloquist needed.”

When I asked Gutierrez about gains by Hispanic Republicans in the midterm elections, he agreed that the GOP was making a play for Latino voters. He mentioned how 34-year-old George P. Bush — son of former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and his Mexican-born wife, Columba — is heading up Hispanic Republicans of Texas, a political action committee whose goal is to elect more Hispanic Republicans in Texas.

These days, Gutierrez’s hobbies include tweaking nativists with provocative comments about how Anglos are losing sleep over the browning of the United States.

“They think this is a white country,” he said. “And when someone says the opposite, then that’s the demon.”
Speaking of fear, one wonders what Gutierrez finds frightening. Answer: The tea party movement.

“It’s kind of scary,” he said. “They hate everyone.”

Back in the day, those at the bottom knew what they were angry about — and at whom to direct that anger.

Today, it’s more like a shotgun effect, anger for anger’s sake. This might get you some attention. It might even get you elected to a few offices. But, in the end, it won’t get you very far. Neither will apathy. That’s the danger for Latinos, given the shoddy treatment they receive from both parties.

“Republicans don’t have to pay attention to us because we don’t give them anything,” Gutierrez said. “And Democrats don’t pay attention to us because we have no other options.”

Well, we don’t have many options anymore. But once upon a time, thanks to people like Jose Angel Gutierrez, we did.

Source: vcstar.com