The Hispanic and Latino Connection To The Republican Party INISIDE THIS ISSUE:
R N H A
BY 2020 LATINO’S WILL BE THE MAJOIRTY ETHNIC POPULATION IN CALIFORNIA
Latino Candidate Races Top McCain Numbers Republican‘s, immigration and the Latino‘s ―If You Don’t Go After The Latino Vote—Go Home‖ Carl Rove Losing Latino‘s in the Republican Party The California Governor Race 2010 and Latino‘s RHNA leaders visit with Mexico‘s Ambassador to the U.S.
ARE REPUBLICANS READY?
The Republican National Hispanic Assembly The Hispanic and Latino Connection To The Republican Party What does the RNHA stand for? We believe the strength of our nation lies with the individual and that each person's dignity, freedom, ability and responsibility must be honored. We believe in equal right, equal justice and equal opportunity for all, regardless of race, creed, sex, age or disability. We believe free enterprise and encouraging individual initiative have brought this nation opportunity, economic growth and prosperity. We believe government must practice fiscal responsibility and allow individuals to keep more of the money they earn. We believe the proper role of government is to provide for the people only those critical functions that cannot be performed by individuals or private organizations and that the best government is that which governs the least. We believe the most effective, responsible and responsive government is the government closest to the people. We believe Americans must retain the principles that have made us strong while developing new and innovative ideas to meet the challenges of changing times. We believe Americans value and should preserve our national strength and pride while working to extend peace, freedom, and human rights throughout the world. Finally, we believe the Republican Party is the best vehicle for translating these ideals into positive and successful principles of government.
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―If Republican’s don’t get the Latino vote, they're sunk.” perspectives of Strategist Karl Rove A post-election study by a Democratic think tank
argues the Hispanic vote accounted for Obama‘s margin of victory in Colorado, Florida, Nevada, and New Mexico: ―In Colorado, Obama‘s Hispanic support accounted for 12.4% of the electorate, while Obama only won by 7%. In Florida, Obama‘s Hispanic support accounted for 7.9% of the electorate, while Obama only won by 2%. In Nevada, Obama‘s Hispanic support accounted for 12.4% of the electorate, while Obama only won by 12%. In New Mexico, Obama‘s Hispanic support accounted for 28.3% of the electorate, while Obama only won by 15%.‖ (1) ―Republicans must regain ground among critical voting groups. Voters ages 18–29 voted Democratic by a 2-to-1 margin. A market-oriented ―green‖ agenda that’s true to our principles would help win them back. Hispanics dropped from 44 percent Republican in 2004 to 31 percent in 2008. The GOP won’t be a majority party if it cedes the young or Hispanics to Democrats. Republicans must find a way to support secure borders, a guest-worker program and comprehensive immigration reform that strengthens citizenship, grows our economy and keeps America a welcoming nation. An anti-Hispanic attitude is suicidal. As the party of Lincoln, Republicans have a moral obligation to make our case to Hispanics, blacks and AsianAmericans who share our values. Whether we see gains in 2010 depends on it.‖ - Karl Rove
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The California Republican Assembly - Yorba Ranch Unit (La Habra, Brea, Yorba Linda, Placentia) Would Like To Congratulate
Chairman Michael Steele We look forward to the leadership you will be brining to the Republican Party
Prayer, the most powerful weapon God has given the Church‌ nothing happens without it!!!
Pastor Mark Gonzales United States Hispanic Prayer Network ushispanicprayernetwork@gmail.com 214.669.1801
Moving Mountains Successful target recruiting
In tough economic times it becomes important to
spend marketing dollars that will attract the largest audience who may ‗buy‘ your product. For the Republican Party the voter is the audience. The Latino community value system is deeply seeded in family unity, earned economic opportunity, and their faith. Most analyst will Generation Y voters (18-29) agree that the voted 2 to1 for Barack Obama youth and it is predicted that 75% of generation, call them those voters will not change generation Y, their party affiliation during is lost to their lifetime. Democratic (2009 CRP Workshop descriptions) principles. The growth of the Hispanic and Latino population combined with their conservative principles make them an ideal audience to try and win over. Latino leaders have repeatedly stated that Latino values are Republican values. The problem many see today is the Republican Party leadership has not yet linked the potential success of voter registration with minority outreach. Ben Lubbon, a political consultant from Sacramento, recounts an opportunity lost during the last presidential election. ―I worked closely with Pastor Mark Gonzales of EsTiempoDeVotar, Mario Lopez of the Hispanic Leadership Fund, and Richard Rios of Latino Values. Richard Rios is also the California State Chairman of the RNHA. We presented a well thought out plan that would reach between 1.7 million to 9 million Hispanic voters but the leaders at that time did not believe it was worth the $200,000 price tag. Was it a smart decision? We will never know. What we do know is Obama did spend the money on reaching Latino’s and overwhelmingly won their vote.‖ . We can spend fortunes trying to move apparently immovable mountains such as the generation y voters or we can invest in opening doors to the highest growth segment of the American population.
Latino Candidate Races Top Senator McCain Numbers Many of the RNHA endorsed Latino Candidates placed higher than the Republican top of the ticket. RNHA would like to acknowledge their efforts to support and advance our Republican philosophy.
Lydia Gutierrez California State Senate - District 25
Manny Cosme California State Assembly - District 8
Jim Lopez United States Congress - District 20
Rosie Avila United States Congress - District 47
RNHA Leaders Visit With Mexico’s Ambassador to the U.S. RNHA recently sat with Ambassador Arturo Sarukhan of Mexico and discussed various issues that face both countries. RNHA State Chairman Richard Rios and Southern Vice Chairman Tom Garcia took notes as the Ambassador addressed several key issues. The following are key points made. ECONOMY * ―We need to find sustainable economy in the Americas and work on a tri-lateral agenda that benefits all countries‖ * ―Mexico has to grow at a rate of 3.3% to sustain itself. Our loss (immigrants leaving Mexico) is your gain of bold, entrepreneurial people.‖ * ―Mexico needs to find a way to keep those immigrants in Mexico to help Mexico do it‘s own heavy lifting… with investments and infrastructure vitalization.‖ * ―The big question is how do we build a bridge that brings our countries together. One nation (US) is a capitalist nation with innovation and the other (Mexico) is labor abundant.‖ * ―Mexico is the 2nd largest consumer of American goods. For every dollar China spends on US goods…Mexico and Canada spend $8 worth. ―
NARCATICS * ―In the matter of drug syndicates… we (Mexico) are between the largest market for consumption (US) and the worlds largest production of cocaine… in Peru, Bolivia and Columbia.‖ * ―One of the largest problems we face are guns leaving the USA and arming syndicates in Mexico.‖ * ―The two things I‘d like to see…is that the USA be more aggressive with the ATF and ICE in stopping weapons leaving the USA. Same for stopping money laundering currency.‖ * ―Second..how do we shut down sales of weapons and ammunition of 12,000 gun shops in sales to ‗straw purchases‘…where individuals buy massive quantities of weapons/ sell same to cartels in Mexico.‖ * ―I would support re-enacting the USA ban on assault weapons. We projected some 2.5 million weapons have come into Mexico from the USA. I would not challenge your Second Amendment but we need to come to some understanding.‖ * ―Mexico spent $3.9 billion dollars to fight the drug cartels. This is money we cannot use for economic development and jobs that will keep higher employment in Mexico.‖ * ―You have to understand the parallels Mexico is in. We have to deploy resources..looking to the North (toward USA) to stop cash and weapons coming into Mexico…while fighting cartels dominating the border routes. Then..simultaneously..we (Mexico) have to look to the South to stop cocaine shipments to the north. Mexico is delivering a ‗balance‘ act. Looking north…and looking south. We need the help from the USA to stop cash, weapons and precursors to labs that make Meth. We need more cooperation with ICE and Border Patrol. Efforts to stop the massive amts of money challenging democracies.‖ DUAL CITIZENSHIP * ―This is the most powerful entity a person can have‖ * ―we are not here for reconquista ― * ―Mexico has the biggest assembly of American ex-pats…projected at 1 million living in Mexico.‖ * ―There is potential synergy there.‖ * ―These are boomers. They need healthcare. Its an opportunity for ‗two way prosperity‘. Think about how convenient it would be if boomers and medical insurance could use Mexican hospitals and doctors…with reduced payments to those facilities..instead of relying on Americans only being paid by insurance to use American hospitals and doctors on US soil.‖ OTHER CHALLENGES/COMMENTS * ―Yes..immigration is still a toxic issue. It will take courage to decipher ‗minimal levels‘ that benefit both countries.‖ * ―Calderon is repairing Latin American rapport and relationships after Presidente Fox.‖ * ―In the message today..we are looking for synergy. We will soon have a seat at the UN security council. This will bring us a host of opportunity. We will be able to address transnational organized crime and its impact on emerging economies. Their influence on emerging democracies.‖ RNHA of California is working with the Mexican Embassy in Washington DC to present a dinner opportunity where others in California can ask the Ambassador questions. See an RNHA member for details.
Losing Latinos in the Republican Party By Vince Vasquez Feb 13, 2009 — For the Republican faithful, the opening weeks of 2009 may prove to be a pivotal moment in their party‘s future. Two key internal party elections are taking to task the lackluster campaign strategies used last year, which saw fewer Hispanics declaring their support for Republican candidates since the 1990‘s. If stronger Latino support is a long-term priority for GOP leaders, real solutions are needed to build a permanent political presence in a skeptical community. Already, the results have come in for the national race for GOP Chairman. Last week, senior party stalwarts elected former Maryland Lieutenant Governor Michael Steele to lead the Republican National Committee (RNC), ousting the incumbent chairman. Steele brings with him a fresh new approach to organizational development, and a unique perspective as the first African-American to lead the RNC. He‘s championed minority outreach as the former chairman of the Maryland Republican Party – which is a charge he must keep, as Latino voters have drifted away from the party ranks, particularly in the Golden State. According to a December 2008 survey from the Public Policy Institute of California, 78% of Latino voters statewide cast their ballot for Barack Obama, a figure that‘s even higher than the national Latino support he received (66%). The California GOP didn‘t have much more success in its down ticket races, losing more legislative seats in Sacramento than they gained. State Republicans also lost Bonnie Garcia, a termed-out Latina Assembly-member representing Riverside and Imperial Counties, and failed to recapture her seat, leaving the party with only one elected Latino Republican in a partisan office. This ―Caucus of One‖ is a sad state of affairs which hasn‘t occurred since 1996, which should be on the minds of California GOP delegates, as they convene for an internal party leadership election at Sacramento later this month. Whatever the outcome, it‘s clear that winning back control of the state legislature will require a renewed focus on improving Latino representation and electorate support. Two proven opportunities for institution building would seem to present themselves at this time. First, Republican donors and grassroots leaders should concentrate on reviving the Latino Republican Caucus at the state capitol, which at its peak boasted four elected members. Consider that it was not a foregone conclusion that the California Democratic Party would have a 25-member Democratic Latino Caucus – for all of the blue electoral seats in the state, there are even more heavyweight political factions aiming to wrest power for themselves. It took an independent coordinated effort in the 1990‘s led by former State Senator Richard Polanco to raise thousands of dollars in campaign contributions and deliver armies of election volunteers to muscle Hispanic candidates through highly-contested primary contests. Polanco, known as ―the godfather‖ by his political protégés, worked tirelessly and fought within his own party to grow the Democratic Latino Caucus from seven members to 24. Republican State Senator Abel Maldonado or retired Latino legislators should consider spending their political capital on broadening the bench in state government, training a viable farm team that can aspire for statewide office down the road.
WWW.STEVEPOIZNER.COM A new approach must also be on the table for connecting with voters. For all the millions of GOP dollars spent on Spanish language TV ads and bilingual mailers, it is only a brief ―dialogue‖ that Republicans have every other year. Skepticism abounds in Hispanic households, which are more accustom to seeing Republicans featured in news stories about illegal immigration, polarizing racial issues and budget cuts to public programs. The Republican Party must be a sincere active partner in the success and prosperity of Latino families, and acknowledge its shortcomings are more than simply poor messaging – it‘s a mis-prioritization of politics. A permanent presence in Latino communities may foster goodwill and higher approval for the GOP, which lacks the track record and respectability of Democrats on community-centric projects. One such effort in Orange County may serve as a future model to emulate. Based in Santa Ana, the Lincoln-Juarez Opportunity Center (LJOC) was a 501(c)(3) community organization that provided thousands of Latino residents with free assistance and referrals for important household needs, including immigration, education, health care and employment issues. Opening its doors in March 2003 with seed money from two key Republican donor groups (the Lincoln Club and New Majority) the LJOC employed bilingual volunteers six days out of the week to help thousands of ―clients‖ with everything from enrolling in ESL classes, to job searches, to connecting with pro-bono attorneys. LJOC partnered with other non-profits on community-based campaigns, and was host to numerous party VIPs, including Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and former U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. However, after four years of popular community support, the LJOC shuttered its office, a victim of short-sighted political leaders, which were unable to understand its long-term importance. Still, LJOC founder Dale Dykema is optimistic of the party‘s prospects among Latino voters. Dykema mused, ―It‘s unfortunate that politics looks for only immediate results, like corporate entities looking for quarterly earnings reports. If the GOP could take a longer range viewpoint and be willing to put dollars behind its decisions, the outcome would be positive in terms of the Latino community.‖ Dykema is right, and the Republican Party would stand to gain immensely if it encouraged more out-of-the box thinking from its donors and volunteers. Latinos are not a monolithic voting bloc, and are open to supporting strong candidates and positive legislation if given the chance. With nowhere to go but up, GOP leaders must ask themselves how their electoral efforts tomorrow will be different than yesterday. Vince Vasquez is a registered Republican and a resident of California. * Reprint of commentary on La Prensa - San Diego.
Republicans, immigration and the Latino RUBEN NAVARRETTE Jr. Published: Monday, February 9, 2009 at 3:00 a.m. Last Modified: Friday, February 6, 2009 at 6:22 p.m.
There has been a misunderstanding. According to the chatter, many Republicans seem to think they lost the Hispanic vote because their party took a stand against illegal immigration That's pretty much what radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh said during a recent interview with fellow talker Sean Hannity. I like listening to Limbaugh, but what gibberish. That theory makes the GOP sound almost noble, as if it's paying a price for its convictions. Yet it is Republican lawmakers who tend to weaken employer sanctions - perhaps the most effective immigration enforcement measure in existence. It also has a ring of resignation, suggesting that the only way for the GOP to make nice with America's largest minority is to reverse itself and embrace an open border. Wrong again. According to the Pew Hispanic Center, most Latinos support reasonable enforcement measures and don't begrudge the United States the right to protect its borders. Worse, the theory implies that if the GOP could relive the last several years, it wouldn't do anything differently. I hope that's not true. They say elephants never forget, but is it too much to ask for them to learn a lesson once in a while? Otherwise, with the country on the march to being one-fourth Hispanic in 30 years, Republicans may become extinct. Let me be clear. The reason for the Hispanic exodus from the GOP is not because Republicans took a stand against illegal immigration. It's the way they did it - or at least many of them did it. As always, the devil was in the details. Since the election, I've heard from hundreds of Hispanics who are still steamed at the GOP. That is no surprise. Time heals wounds, but this is recent history. (Ask the Mexicans about the Spanish. My people have been known to hold a grudge for 500 years.) Hispanics tell me they're angry that the immigration debate became so nasty, that employers escaped most of the criticism, that the tone went from anti-illegal immigrant to anti-Hispanic, that Latino culture and bilingualism were attacked, and that some Americans made the same argument that was made in previous decades against the Germans, Chinese, Irish, Italians and Jews - namely, that the real concern was about America admitting an inferior grade of immigrant.
Hispanics also resent the racism, the reluctance of many Americans to empathize with immigrants as similar to their ancestors, the assumption that anyone who looks Hispanic must have only recently arrived in this country, and the fact that opportunistic politicians proposed half-baked solutions for closing the border and getting rid of illegal immigrants. Just look at Republicans in Congress who have put their weight behind efforts to declare English the national language, deny citizenship to U.S.-born children of illegal immigrants, and empower local police to enforce federal immigration law. All of these things are opposed by most Latinos. Where the GOP went wrong was in letting the loudest and shrillest voices carry the party banner - and to what end? To scare up a few votes from skittish Americans convinced that taco trucks cruising neighborhoods or the option to "press 2 for Spanish" meant the ruin of civilization. Instead of trying to convince themselves that they didn't do anything wrong in driving away Hispanics, Republicans should be thinking about how to make things right with this huge bloc of voters. And no, that doesn't mean caving in and giving up on core principles. All the right wing needs to do is to stay away from the vitriol, the racism and the centuries-old tendency to define newcomers as deficient, defective or dangerous. That caricature troubles the National Hispanic Media Coalition, which recently asked the Federal Communications Commission to investigate hate speech in the media. The group defines hate speech as "dehumanizing metaphors," "divisive language," "false statements," and "flawed argumentation." It is urging the FCC to make good on what Barack Obama told the Congressional Hispanic Caucus in September about his desire to "stop the hateful rhetoric filling our airwaves." I can't go along with censorship or infringing on the First Amendment. The answer to hate speech is more speech, not less. Still, I applaud the NHMC for raising the issue. The immigration debate is infected with too much hate and fear. What it needs are injections of honesty, nuance and common sense. A little civility wouldn't hurt either. The Republican Party should clean up its act and do its part to help get us there. Ruben Navarrette Jr. is a columnist for the San Diego Union-Tribune. E-mail him at ruben.navarrette@uniontrib.com.
CALIFORNIA EXECUTIVE TEAM STATE CHAPTERS:
Richard Rios, Chairman Richard Loa, Vice Chairman Paul Ruiz, Treasurer Steve Vargas, Parliamentarian Wendell Coval, Northern Vice Chair Jim Lopez, Central Vice Chair Tom Garcia, Southern Vice Chair John Quintanilla, National Committeeman Lydia Gutierrez, National Committeewoman MEDIA RELATIONS Luis Alvarado, Director of Communications The RNHA is a statewide network of conservative Hispanic and Latino members who believe in the Republican Party philosophy and platform.
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