'Democrats May Dislike Republicans, But They Despise Republican Minorities'

“Congratulations, Gabriel Gomez. You just earned yourself a spot on top of the Democratic National Committee’s hit list,” writes Jennifer C. Braceras of the Boston Herald:

It’s not just because you’re the Republican nominee for Senate. Or because you’re a Washington outsider who threatens to prevent lifelong political hack Ed Markey from becoming “Senator for life.”

It’s not even because you’re a Boston Marathon-running, former Navy SEAL who exudes the kind of patriotism that embarrasses many liberals today.

No. The real reason Democrats regard you as public enemy No. 1 can be summed up in two words: Republican Latino.*

You’re new to politics, so I’ll be blunt. Democrats may dislike Republicans, but they despise Republican minorities.

The simple reason is, of course, electoral. Crucial to Democratic success is a trifecta of subgroups: minorities (including Latinos), young people, and women. This coalition has been described as a three-legged stool. A Republican who can even begin to crack one of the legs can potentially knock the stool over.

In 2008 and 2012 Obama won all three groups handily. But in 2000 and 2004, George Bush had significant success with Latinos — perhaps enough to ensure victory for the GOP.

As the child of Colombian immigrants and a fluent Spanish speaker, your candidacy will resonate with many Hispanic voters. And you will communicate better than Markey with those whose first language is Spanish.

You have the potential to siphon off not only Latino votes, but also the votes of young people and women who may view your campaign as a sign of GOP inclusiveness.

But your candidacy does more than just undermine the Democrats’ electoral strategy. It contradicts their ideological world-view and threatens to derail their policy objectives.