(Mint Press) – What exactly was Mitt Romney getting at when he claimed that he’d have a better shot of winning the presidency if he was Latino? He’s not exactly up for clarifying his remarks caught on hidden camera, leaving the issue up for debate and speculation.
During a $50,000-a-plate Florida campaign fundraiser in May, a hidden camera recorded Romney discussing the political campaign in a friendly format that resembled more of an intimate gathering than the typical town hall format Americans have become accustomed to. The video caught a number of casual and insulting remarks, but two are causing specific concern among the Hispanic population.
Addressing what seem to be friends, Romney indicates that Latino voters are moving away from the Republican Party, following in line with African-Americans.
“We’re having a much harder time with Hispanic voters. And, and if the Hispanic voting bloc becomes as committed to the Democrats as the African-American voting bloc has, in the past, why we’re in trouble as a party and, I think, as a nation,” Romney said.
In a separate breath, Romney mentioned the fact that his father was born in Mexico, following up with the comment that, had his father been born to Mexican parents, Romney would perhaps have an easier shot at the White House.
“My dad, as you probably know, was, was the governor of Michigan and was the head of a car company, but he was born in Mexico. And, had he been born of Mexican parents, I’d have a better shot at winning this, but he was unfortunately born of Americans living in Mexico,” said Romney, who was met with laughter from those attending the dinner. “They had lived there for a number of years. And, I mean, I say that jokingly, but it’d be helpful to be Latino.”
While open for debate, those within the African-American and Hispanic communities took offense, assuming Romney was insinuating that having a minority status would make him more sympathetic to the U.S. voter.
His comments raise an issue for the future of the Republican Party. With a growing presence of now minorities, including African-American and Hispanics, in the U.S., how much longer can the party thrive without the support of the important demographics?
Where does the Latino vote stand?
A Fox News Latino poll showed this week that Latino voters favored Obama over Romney by a margin of 2-1. An MSNBC poll showed an even more drastic disparity, with 68 percent claiming they’d vote for Obama and 26 percent favoring Romney. That’s not great news for the Republican candidate.
Speaking on MSNBC’s The Last Word, Karen Finney, former DNC communications director, addressed the future of the Republican Party, in terms of its support in the Hispanic community. She assesses that, unless the party addresses the fact that the rhetoric and policies related to Latinos changes, it’s in trouble.
“We are a majority, minority country. We are diverse racially, ethnically, religiously, deal with it. And he (Romney) doesn’t want to deal with it,” she said.
Other remarks made by Romney indicated he wasn’t going to work too hard to convince the near-50 percent of Americans who he’s sure would not agree with him, raising the question of how he’s going to win over Hispanic voters without making the effort to do so.
“There are 47 percent of the people who will vote for the president no matter what. All right, there are 47 percent who are with him, who are dependent upon government, who believe that they are victims, who believe the government has a responsibility to care for them,” he said.
In terms of America growing into more of a minority country, Finney’s right. U.S. Census data released in May revealed that, for the first time ever, non-Hispanic white babies born between July 2010 and July 2011 were the minority.
The data showed that 50.4 percent of babies born within the year were non-white. The information has led some demographers to claim that, by 2050, current minorities will become the majority, leaving non-Hispanic whites the slim minority.
So, the Republican Party might still be able to swing by this election, but when it comes to the future, it might have to switch its style.
Looking ahead
While the Republican Party may have a tough time this year convincing Latinos that Mitt is their man, it’s likely the party will look down the road to winning over the Hispanic vote, considering they’ll need it to survive.
Just when America thought the Bush reign was coming to an end, it seems there’s a new man on the scene — and he happens to be Hispanic. George P. Bush is the nephew of George W. Bush and a very politically active guy.
Right now, P. Bush’s main stage is in the Texas scene. A story published Aug. 29 in the Texas Tribune indicated the 36-year-old was in line for an appointment as the deputy finance chairman of the Texas Republican Party. For years, political pundits have been keeping an eye on him, claiming he could be a future presidential candidate for the Republican Party — one who could bridge the gap between Republicans and Latinos.
The man who L.A. Times writer Massie Ritsch refers to as “darkly handsome” is already coming to the aid of Romney following his fundraising comment blunders, working along with Republican Sen. John McCain to clear the air.
P. Bush appeared in Orlando, Fla., where he told crowds that Romney was attempting to highlight the issue of government spending when he addressed the 47 percent of Americans who pay no income tax at all.
“We have to be mindful of how wealth is created, who’s paying taxes and how we can fund entitlements,” P. Bush said.
While the Republicans may have a handsome and intelligent young Hispanic Bush in the lineup, his heritage alone likely isn’t enough to convince the Hispanic population that Republicans have their best interest at heart.
With raging debates over immigration, allegations of extreme racial profiling in states like Arizona and Alabama and law enforcement heroes like Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio, at some point, the party will have to change its tone — or risk losing out big.
As for Romney and the 2012 campaign, all he has to do is convince at least 51 percent of Americans that he’s their man — that’s all he seems to care about at this point, anyway.