Dems Plot to Pry Hispanics from McCain
Democrats are on a mission to undercut John McCain’s support with Hispanic voters, by hook or by crook.
Now that Barack Obama is the presumptive party nominee, Democrats are terrified they could lose Hispanic voters. During the primaries, those voters went for Hillary Clinton by a 2-to-1 margin. There are questions about whether Hispanics will fall in line behind Obama in November, or throw their support to McCain. It doesn’t help Democrats that McCain did incredibly well with that population in his reelection campaigns in Arizona, earning as much as 70 percent of the Hispanic vote.
So Democrats are trying to prevent those defections by portraying McCain to Hispanics as just another opportunistic, fear-mongering, nativist Republican who offers nothing more than sound bites and simple solutions. They want to paint him as missing-in-action on immigration, as someone who backed off earlier efforts to push for comprehensive reform that includes earned legalization for the documented. They might even go so far as to paint him as a clone of Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-CO, a short-lived presidential candidate who helped give the immigration debate its distinctively anti-Hispanic flavor.
Good luck. McCain has made plenty of enemies over the immigration issue, but they’re all on the Right. It’s conservatives who resent McCain for depicting them as bigots who are willing to trash the country’s immigrant tradition to scare up votes.
And, speaking of bigots, comparing McCain to Tancredo? That sheet won’t fit. The two men have tangled too many times. In fact, during one of the earlier presidential debates, Tancredo was asked what it meant to be an American and gave an answer tied to speaking English and blending into the mainstream culture. McCain responded that Tancredo’s views were “beyond my realm of thinking.”
That was a good moment for McCain, one that demonstrated his willingness to stand up to the xenophobia that has hijacked the Republican Party and pollutes the immigration debate.
McCain showed that side again when, according to former Sen. Rick Santorum, R-PA, the Arizona senator scolded Republican senators over their plans to declare English the national language of the United States. According to Santorum, McCain warned that many Hispanics would interpret the gesture as racist, and he was right.
Then there was the time that McCain took on union members angry over his support for guest workers. McCain challenged the workers to do the jobs that they claimed immigrants were taking from them. He even offered to pay them $50 per hour to pick lettuce in Yuma if they stayed for the entire season. A few guys who apparently didn’t know much either about lettuce picking or Yuma threatened to take him up on the offer before coming to their senses.
Even the charge that McCain has flip-flopped on immigration reform doesn’t hold up. Critics say that, while McCain used to push for a comprehensive approach, now all he talks about is securing the border first. But McCain hasn’t stopped talking about the need for comprehensive reform. He made that case again just a few weeks ago when he announced an outreach initiative aimed at Hispanics. And besides, the emphasis on securing the border first isn’t new for the Arizona senator; the bill that McCain proposed with Sen. Ted Kennedy, D-MA, was amended in 2007 to include enforcement “triggers” — goals that had to be met before undocumented immigrants were put on the path to permanent residency.
Democrats have their hands full trying to keep Hispanics from flocking to McCain. They have every right to plead their case to those voters — but not at the expense of distorting the truth.
Ruben Navarrette Jr.’s slanderous campaign against those who are against illegal immigration is most disturbing. And why would any Hispanic be upset with an attempt to make English the official language of the United States? That is utterly illogical. No rational thinking Hispanic should be even be slightly disturbed by legitimate efforts to stop illegal immigration. These tax payers are being hurt by this nonsense. It is taking money out of their own pockets! American Hispanics should also be upset by the increasing criminal activity of the more recent illegals—and their very high illegitimacy rates.
Politics of race are interesting and while many people are willing to openly accuse folks of racism over the black vs white divide no one seems to want to discuss the black vs latin issue.
Latin people in general will not vote for a black candidate. This is not a US only issue either. In all of the countries of central and south america blacks are considered to be at the bottom of the social ladder.
The tensions between black and latin people in these countries is palpable and I think alot of that carries over into the US.
I do find it interesting that a certain philosophy on the left seems incapable of understanding these realities. But then again the looney left largely seems delusional to me anyway.
Navarette’s giving early warning of a very real effort on the part of some Democrats, and he has the general gist of their position. As time goes on, the lies will get bigger. Fortunately, as he points out, there are some good answers. His warning, that the attempt to make english the official language would be interpreted as anti-hispanic, is well-taken, especially because we could then expect to see quotes from Tom Tancredo in a lot of commercials.
We need comprehensive immigration reform. We need a guest worker program. We need to get Congress out of the business of determining quotas for transient workers. For our own sake, we need to continue to provide a safety valve for those nauseating economies to the south of us, and if we are smart, we will find a way to let people come here, work a while, and then go home with some money and the clout to insist on economic reforms at home. We can do all of this without granting citizenship to people who have come here illegally. We can do this with John McCain in office. If Barack Obama is elected, the guest worker program is off the table.
Better, Ruben. Better. But still tainted with your ethnocentricity.
What’s wrong with declaring a national language? Effective communication is the key to progress.
What’s wrong with protecting our culture through assimilation? We do not want to lose our history or our heritage.
What’s wrong with protecting our borders in an effort to keep terrorists out of our country? National security and the defense of the “American” way of life and the rule of law should come before any person that enters this country illegally.
If the (illegal) immigration debate has a decidedly anti-Hispanic flavor, perhaps it’s because the vast majority of (illegal) immigrants are Latino-Americans and not because all United States citizens, legalized permanent residents, and naturalized citizens that recognize illegal immigration to be an unfair, dangerous, and insidious practice are racist.
At least we agree on one thing: the dems will be hard pressed to win the pro-amnesty latino vote against John “Secure the Border First, or Not” McCain.
You all are close on what a winning immigration policy is but not there yet.
Workers’ Rights is the best way for the GOP to tackle this issue.
McCain could pummle Obama by showing how meat packing jobs that used to be in Obama’s home town and used to pay 35k (plus union health benes) and up per year are now 7$ or 5.15$ per hour jobs in Iowa.
Tom is also correct, racism is a world wide, human wide disorder. Lat Am is no exception and since they are taught that ‘only white anglos’ are racists, they are usally very comfortable expressing thier racism.
For fun one day, tell a latino that they are not white and watch the sparks fly.
Condo Comando
My father came to this country legally. Mr. Navarrette posseses the typical arrogance of a liberal advocate. He THINKS he speaks for all who are of latin descent. Not requiring a child to master the English language sentences that child to a life of failure in a country that speaks English. That some “hispanics” may find that racist does not make it so. Requiring immigrants to lawfully enter the country is very much in keeping with the immigrant tradition of the United States. Why do illegal Mexican immigrants deserve entry over legal immigrants that follow the law and must wait their turn? Does this article not clearly demonstrate that racism emmbedded in the Democrat Party? I am proud to be an American, no more no less.
Tom also exposes the hypocrisy of the Leftist MULTICULTURAL ideology – which, in fact, is MONOcultural.
Tom is absolutely correct when he writes, “In all of the countries of central and south america blacks are considered to be at the bottom of the social ladder.”
Wishing – or blathering endlessly in school classes to the contrary – will not make reality otherwise.
An anecdote regarding the English only kerfuffle:
My ancestry is primarily from Puerto Rico on one side, and Ireland on the other. While I was growing up, my Puerto Rican mother insisted that her children only be taught English, since she did want us held back by not being able to speak English correctly. She thought learning Spanish would interfere with our ability to learn English.
Her fears were unwarranted, of course, since young children can easily learn multiple languages at the same time. But her attitude was reflective of the mindset of earlier immigrants (her family arrived in America in 1946 when she was four ); that of a desire to be considered true Americans. And for her, speaking English fluently, (which she herself learned to do), was a sign of being American.
I personally don’t see how declaring a national language is racist. If I were to retire in France, I would make every effort to improve on my HS French. Are the French racist for wanting everything in French (well maybe they are a bad example)
“…They are usally very comfortable expressing thier racism. For fun one day, tell a latino that they are not white and watch the sparks fly.”
There is truth to that, especially in the older generations. Many are openly bigoted in regards to skin pigmentation, and would be insulted at the suggestion that they were not “white”.
But I believe it is a dying attitude; at least among mixed race families. My siblings and cousins, and their spouses of all races and many ethnicities, think the pigmentation distinctions are something to laugh at. I’ve never heard anyone in my extended family who is under 50 years of age, utter a bigoted remark, unless it was meant as satire.
My wife is a parole offficer. She would tell you that blacks and Hispanics that she has dealt with hate each other.Not just the criminals but all the families that she has dealt with .She is hispanic and her and her family have always had problems when dealing with blacks.She says there is a s much hostility towards each other as blacks and whites seem to have.we have alot of mexicans friends who come over and I live in Texas and the amount of racist remarks against blacks is amazing to hear.I have never heard this type of stuff from whites .
In truth, ask any Englishmen & they will tell you that “we” do NOT speak English. Perhaps we should redefine this & say we want “American” to be our official language. What Americans have done to the English language is beyond comprehension to most from there. In fact, we have tailored the language to fit us, so what’ the big deal?
As for lettuce pickers… I am not so sure most even knew that dispute was going on. The added costs for legal immigrants, permanent residents or citizens to pick it versus illegal aliens has already been determined to be approx. 10% more. So we all grow home gardens or pay the up-charge. The costs of illegal aliens versus the savings if they leave are indisputable.
In addition, the immigration laws permit employers to bring in as many seasonal agricultural workers as they want, no limits at all, so long as they agree to pay them a fair wage & make sure they go home after the season. The growers did not want to be encumbered by such hugely burdensome technicalities like paying a fair wage or making sure they go home, so they are pushing for amnesty & more illegal aliens, new laws that eliminate the need for a fair wage stipulation, & elimination of the “see they go home” clause.
In truth, if we erected the “real” fence, even though it will cost a fortune since its a government project, the “annual” savings realized by reducing drug trade, illegal aliens, & perhaps even slowing or stopping a terrorist or two, would easily pay for the real double layered fence, with all the gadgets, bells, & whistles. If we reduced our costs to incarcerate felony criminal illegal aliens, those savings would also defray the costs to erect the fence & thereafter be savings to apply to maintenance.
The “comprehensive” approach is OK, so long as Congress does not add into it all sorts of benefit programs. And many Americans resent that aliens, especially those who came in or stayed illegally, were to get “benefits.” Hey, lets be really fair here guys, why should people pay the bills for those who are breaking our laws?
“sheet that won’t fit”??? “..xenophobia that has hijacked the Republican Party”
xenophobia – an unreasonable fear or hatred of foreigners or strangers
Mr. Navarrette, you are now comparing Congressman Tancredo to the Klu Klux Klan?? Are you so ignorant of history that you don’t know what the Klan did or are you saying that Tancredo has lynched Hispanics? Which one is it?
As usual you try and smear those that disagree with you by calling them names, such as being xenophobic. I try and teach my 8-year old better than that.
Whether you admit or not, most Republicans make the difference betweeen legal and illegal immigrants, even if you are unable to do so.
As someone married to a South American immigrant who is now obtaining her doctorate, Ruben make some good points, but also generalizes, as he tends to do so often in the UT and CNN.com. Not all hispanics are the same, though their priorities (family, abortion, morals, the military) lean Conservative/Republican. They really should go 85% for McCain, but we’ll see.
Mel Martinez is a great man. The Senator from Florida came here as a Cuban immigrant and has been successful thanks to the American way, and indeed, to America. Funny how the liberal media ignores his story so often. If he were a Democrat, and thus a charity case to show off for the racist Left, he’d be on TV nightly.
See more here on how Democrats condescendingly treat blacks, latinos and other “oppressed” folks:
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/black-mascots-make-2052375-secretary-students
Why is this tard still writting here?
“..xenophobia that has hijacked the Republican Party”
Ruben needs to read a history book and learn which party fought for civil rights and which one fought against, which one freed the slaves and which ones fought for slavery. Since when is being against ILLEGAL immigration anti hispanic?
I for one want to say thanks to Mr. Navarette for continuing to post here, even with all the hideous bile one sees in the comments to his post. Not all Republicans are obsessed with closing the border, neither are all conservatives. I for one think it is far more important to defeat Obama than alienate one seventh of the population, many of whom are very good conservatives
Well, if Hispanics are so bigoted toward blacks, might not Hunter or Tancredo gotten at least 40% of the vote?
All kidding aside its not Duncan Hunter or Tom Tancredo that scare me as an American of Mexican descent. They have “barrio cred” by basis of their respective early professional experiences as shingle lawyer and elementary school teacher in communities with significant hispanic populations. Tancredo is even known to attend citizenship oaths and congratulate the new citizens, all kinds. Its the southern/southeastern Republicans a la Jeff Sessions who probably would sweep me and the members of Los Tigres del Norte into the same boxcar, so to speak.
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“Tancredo was asked what it meant to be an American and gave an answer tied to speaking English and blending into the mainstream culture. McCain responded that Tancredo’s views were “beyond my realm of thinking.””
How so? So now it will be a race to see which candidate can pander to the Hispanic race more by diluting citizenship requirements, ignoring massive criminal behavior that extends far beyond border jumping(like ultra violent and very prevalent gangs of illegals), and tossing our the all important concept that English, and ONLY English is the official language of America. I almost break my phone every day when I hear that cannned ignorant hispanic voice telling me to press #2 if I am too stupid or lazy to understand English. I think the biggest racists are the scum like La Raza (the race) who want to overturn any law that their race doesn’t approve of.
urbanleftbehind,
if you are a legit citizen of the US, why would you have an Auschwitz fantasy? If there were 10 million American illegals in Mexico, I wouldn’t have the nerve to defend them and Mexico would most definitely evict them all. But in that scenario, no contemptible race hustlers would be babbling racism. it seems that every other country around here can defend their borders and language except the US.
WJ hit it. The problem isn’t ethnic or racial, it’s legal. That is because the legal process for immigration is totally wacked.
Congress needs to re-vist the issue, only there isn’t enough graft and bribery involved to whet their interest.
ALL immigration laws are bigoted. They are written by bigots for bigots. Look it up. Start with “yellow peril”. One of the byproducts of the passage of the 14th Amendment was the extincyion of several immigration laws written by Congress to keep “Hungarians, Jews, Irish and other lower forms of life” out.
Write immigration laws using economics as a foundation instead of race, religion, color or creed and this issue can be put to bed for a generation or three.
American is grossly underpopulated. We have room and resources for a population 4 or 5 times what we have now. It would be a huge boost for the economy.
“It’s conservatives who resent McCain for depicting them as bigots who are willing to trash the country’s immigrant tradition to scare up votes.”
So, McCain’s political tools are now to be turned against him. What’s that old saw? Something about living by the sword?
But what’s even funnier, is that this is the story of this presidential primary campaign. The tools of the demagogues are being used against the demagogues. Hillary uses charges of sexism against the Obamessiah, while The One uses charges of racism against the Smartest Woman in the World.
Non-Party Democrat McCain will now be targeted with the bigotry charge that he used against Conservatives. Ah, and it will not be the Conservatives using the Club of Bigotry, it’ll be the Liberals.
My prediction, it won’t work against McCain. Blacks and Hispanics are ethnics groups in fierce competition. Competition for jobs, competition for status, competition for neighborhoods; the Black Nationalist Obama has as much chance of getting the Hispanic vote, as Bull Connor had of getting the Black vote, in spite of the fact they were both Democrats.
McCain is against anyone trying to tie “the english language” with being “american” as tacredo argued…Geeeesh! its so easy to understand. hispanics don’t have a problem with “english” the have issue with it being presented as a requirement to be “american”. Im hispanic and an ex-democrat and like what I see and hear from Mccain so far!!!!
Both parties are missing a terrific opportunity to pander,exploit cheap labor, and solve the energy crisis! Mcnumbskull, or Obamanation should propose green visas and open the borders to any Mexican who wants to provide transportation by pulling rickshaws or pedicabs(I prefer the former,they are more 3rd world and more culturally diverse),also easier to make by hand from recovered scrap metal. What A way to solve the immigration,fuel and global warming problems! Mexicans are cheap,docile, and desperate,they’ll be happy to pull Mr Mrs Sixpack all over the country, for pennies per hour. I foresee a web of rickshaw stations where after say 30 miles, a fresh peon can be harnessed .I gotta tell ALGORE about this!What a boon for the nation! the Republicans get cheap labor, the Democrats,more candidates for the welfare rolls,the public schools, more kids to make ignorant,all while the environment stays free of polluting oil drilling, or those dangerous nukes! Maybe we could dominate in another new Olympic Sport: Rickshaw pulling!