ONCE AGAIN - REPUBLICANS NEVER WIN WITH MINORITY VOTES | 2000-10-14
The Hispanic vote is a new version of an old Republican illusion. In 1952 and 1956, with Dwight D. Eisenhower at the top of the ticket, Republicans crushed the Democrats in the presidential race. As often happens, once the election was already won by a huge majority, a lot of minorities joined the winning side. Ike got over 40% of the black vote.
Even in 1952, with Ike at the head of the ticket, Republicans did not get those black votes in congressional races where it would have counted. They only got black votes in elections that were already won.
So for a half a century, Republicans lost election after election trying to get that "Negro vote" that Ike got. Liberals loved it, because the code words "appealing to the minority vote" merely mean going liberal.
Now the illusion is the Hispanic vote. In Texas, when he had the election won by a landslide, Bush picked up over 40% of the Texas Hispanic vote. Once again, he got the minority vote in an election he had already won.
When they say "the Hispanic vote," what Bush and the liberals mean is the LIBERAL Hispanic vote. When Republicans backed the Cubans in Miami over Elian Gonzalez, the media agreed that THAT appeal to the Hispanic vote was pointless. They said that Republicans already have the votes of anti-Castro Cubans. Reagan got many Hispanic votes in California.
But the Hispanic population of California has tripled since Reagan got so many of their votes in 1984. The new population is single-mindedly dedicated to the interests of the Republic of Mexico and to the liberal agenda. That's the vote that liberals and Bush mean when they say "the Hispanic vote."
Bush won't get the Hispanic vote in an election where the competition with the Democrats is fierce. But he will turn off a lot of potential voters who are concerned about the immigration issue by courting Hispanics by offering open borders.
After half a century even the dumbest Republicans don't really believe they will ever get that "Negro" vote. So now the liberals are telling them to go after the Hispanic vote.
Are Republicans that gullible?
Do you remember that Mexican Convention Bush held?