Very, very deep hole

[lazarus]

"On the issue of the Hispanic voter, we have to do a lot more. We Republicans have to recruit and elect Hispanics to office," McCain told CNN's State of Union. "And I don't mean just because they're Hispanics, but they represent a big part of the growing population in America. And we have a lot of work to do there. And I am of the belief that unless we reverse the trend of Hispanic voter registration, we have a very, very deep hole that we've got to come out of."

While he was one of only a handful of Republicans willing to tackle immigration reform in 2007, McCain faced a massive deficit with Hispanic voters in the 2008 election. His aides have said that, were he not the home state senator, he would have lost Arizona to Barack Obama, in large part because Hispanics had left the Republican Party in droves.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/08/02/mccain-without-hispanic-v_n_249488.html

I can't see the current republican party reaching out to Hispanics.

[Woody]

Their votes are needed .... so they will be reached out to. Lots of promises made and then like Obama .... once you get into office ... you break the promises.

[bonnie]

Their votes are needed .... so they will be reached out to. Lots of promises made and then like Obama .... once you get into office ... you break the promises.

Can someone explain to me why any ethnic group needs to be specifically reached out to. If they are legal they are americans.

What is good for my family as to jobs,education,religious freedoms should not be that different than Hispanics.

It is interesting to me that my hispanic neighbors feel discriminated against if someone keeps referring to them as Hispanics,almost a species apart from americans.

I am scotch and swede. I cannot remember a single time that anyone felt the need to reach out to those like myself because of a specific ethnic background.

American pretty well takes care of it

[phkrause]

Good point Bonnie.

pk

[bonnie]

Good point Bonnie.

pk

It is getting downright tiresome. Why do I have to treat my neighbors as hispanics? Or as hispanic americans or african americans.

All americans that are willing to work and expend the effort don't seem to want anything more than I want for my family.

Don't expect all obstacles removed or a continued hand out. Why are they supposed to be different.

My hispanic neighbor works his backside off. You will rarely find him either not working at his job or always making his home a little neater or better.

4 beautiful little girls,nice home,his own business. His english is not great but he can make you understand quick enough he is an american.

[phkrause]

I believe Bonnie that Bill Cosby has also made these same points, in many interviews in the past.

pk

[bonnie]

I believe Bonnie that Bill Cosby has also made these same points, in many interviews in the past.

pk

Drives me nuts. I have two hispanic DIL's. If I treated then as hispanics first,whatever that would be, and americans family second,I don't think that would go over so well

[lazarus]

Can someone explain to me why any ethnic group needs to be specifically reached out to. If they are legal they are americans.

What is good for my family as to jobs,education,religious freedoms should not be that different than Hispanics.

It is interesting to me that my hispanic neighbors feel discriminated against if someone keeps referring to them as Hispanics,almost a species apart from americans.

Like I said........I can't see the current republican party reaching out to Hispanics. If the GOP don't believe the President of the United State is American (and he was born here) then how will they ever reach out to Americans who were born outside the country. LOL.

[bonnie]

Originally Posted By: bonnie

Can someone explain to me why any ethnic group needs to be specifically reached out to. If they are legal they are americans.

What is good for my family as to jobs,education,religious freedoms should not be that different than Hispanics.

It is interesting to me that my hispanic neighbors feel discriminated against if someone keeps referring to them as Hispanics,almost a species apart from americans.

Like I said........I can't see the current republican party reaching out to Hispanics.

Why should the reaching out to a specific group,"as hispanics" be any different than americans? They want a opportunity to work,raise their families in peace,be able to feed and clothe them,practise their religion. Sounds like most americans I know.

Do I go to my neighbors house and make a point of reaching out to him as a hispanic?(still not sure of what that would be)

Our do I treat him as I do "just plain american neighbors". Respectful,courteous,ready to help if needed.

I think I would be inclined to be respectful while keeping a distance if I am required to treat them as special over and above "just americans"

Sounds a little like discrimination if they are to be treated as a special group that has to be courted for their vote.

For me I would be apt not to vote for the one that needed to smooze my race to get my vote.

[Dr. Shane]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/08/02/mccain-without-hispanic-v_n_249488.html

I can't see the current republican party reaching out to Hispanics.

First, The Huffington Post is an ultra liberal website. It is as far left as Limbaugh is right. So any article published there has to be treated with as much suspicion as a piece written by Limbaugh, Hannity or Beck.

George W. Bush won over 40% of the Hispanic vote when he ran for President so the Hispanic vote certainly is up for grabs. The influential conservatives have turned off a lot of Hispanics with their anti-immigration talk. Congressional Republicans killed Bush's immigration reform and instead decided to build a wall on the border. If Republicans want the Hispanic vote they need to actually support the kinds of reforms that Bush wanted.

[bonnie]

Originally Posted By: lazarus

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/08/02/mccain-without-hispanic-v_n_249488.html

I can't see the current republican party reaching out to Hispanics.

First, The Huffington Post is an ultra liberal website. It is as far left as Limbaugh is right. So any article published there has to be treated with as much suspicion as a piece written by Limbaugh, Hannity or Beck.

George W. Bush won over 40% of the Hispanic vote when he ran for President so the Hispanic vote certainly is up for grabs. The influential conservatives have turned off a lot of Hispanics with their anti-immigration talk. Congressional Republicans killed Bush's immigration reform and instead decided to build a wall on the border. If Republicans want the Hispanic vote they need to actually support the kinds of reforms that Bush wanted.

Time will tell. Many dems are losing ground rapidly for the 2010 election. Republicans are either about even or they are ahead

[lazarus]

The words I posted were the words of a John Mccain, A GOPer I think. Dismissing the source does not fly here.

[Dr. Shane]

I don't dismiss ideological sources - I put them in proper context. Most often ideological sources have quotes right. They have good sources for their information. Limbaugh and Beck are not out there with bogas information either. The issue is selective reporting. These sources don't show the whole picture. The Huffington Post peice, for example, didn't even give the percentage of Hispanics that voted for McCain. They didn't mention anything about Mel Martinez and his impact in Florida. They didn't discuss the different voting patterns between Hispanics that have immigrated here and those that have been born here.

The Hispanic vote is very dynamic. It is not like the black votes. Blacks will vote for Democrats come hell or high water. Democrat candidates can count on the black vote without any worry. The Hispanic vote changes from one election to the next. They are not locked into any given party. I don't see either party right now doing anything to shore up Hispanic support. Many here in Texas were expecting the wall construction to come to a halt when Obama took office but it is still being built. No immigration reform is even being talked about by the Obama Administration.

[lazarus]

But what about the substance of what Mccain said?

[Dr. Shane]

I think a commented on that. The Republicans didn't do anything. They didn't follow Bush's lead and it has cost them with the Hispanic community. Obama and the Democrats are not doing anything for the Hispanics either so it does give Republicans a chance to try to make inroads. They need to go back to Bush's ideas as those ideas are what made the inroads with the Hispanics to begin with.

[Richard Holbrook]

If the GOP don't believe the President of the United State is American (and he was born here) then how will they ever reach out to Americans who were born outside the country. LOL.

I have taken my statement to the idiot birthers thread since it has been pointed out to me.

[Dr. Shane]

We have a thread about this already. >>> Birthers <<< Let’s try not to get off the topic of Hispanics and the GOP.

[Richard Holbrook]

OK