At CNN, Ruben Navarrette dismisses the notion that tapping Marco Rubio for the VP nomination would give Republicans an edge with Hispanic voters. Navarrette writes that the preferred status given to Cuban immigrants is a sore spot with the Mexican-American community, and that rift could become an election issue if Rubio’s the VP pick:
When it comes to immigrating to the United States, Cubans get preferred status. Thanks to the Cuban Adjustment Act, which was enacted in 1966 — or four years after Rubio’s grandfather came to the United States — Cuban refugees who flee the Island and reach the U.S. shoreline have a clear path to legal residency and eventual citizenship.
Mexican immigrants aren’t so fortunate. So when Cuban-Americans do what Rubio has done since arriving in the Senate 16 months ago and take a hard line against illegal immigration, Mexicans and Mexican-Americans have been known to cringe. After all, that’s easy for them to say. …
What good does it do the ticket for Rubio to be popular with whites and Cuban-Americans? Republicans are likely to get the majority of those votes anyway. His value is all wrapped up in how well he plays with Mexicans and Mexican-Americans. And right now, the answer is “not well.”
Navarrette’s point on the Cuban-American vote is important. While Obama swept the Hispanic vote in 2008, John McCain still won with the conservative Cuban-American community. The Romney campaign’s big electoral argument for choosing Rubio as VP would be that he could deliver Florida, and in that scenario, winning the Cuban-American vote by a landslide is redundant.
Rubio is a strong candidate and there are plenty of other reasons for Romney to consider him. He’s charismatic, serious, bridges the conservative grassroots and the Republican establishment, and has a compelling personal narrative. Of course, there are plenty of other potential VP choices out there with comparable qualities. As Karl Rove argued persuasively in the Wall Street Journal yesterday, choosing the best person for the job should outweigh political considerations when picking a VP. Rubio’s ability to help Republicans make inroads with the Hispanic vote shouldn’t be the chief factor in the equation.
A possibility for pursuing the Mexican vote by Republicans has been ignored. It involves the inherent hostiliity between the black and Hispanic communities. Obama is obviously going to capture about 95% of the black vote, including some conservative black voters, so that there is nothing to be gained by catering to that demographic. A well kept secret is the continuing animosity between blacks and hispanics especially within the so-called inner cities. Black gangs engage in their most extreme violence against hispanic gangs and the violence in prison populations between these groups is legendary. The recent Zimmerman flap has offered an opportunity but the conservative strategists have been too cautious and politically correct. Zimmerman is obviously Hispanic and the fact that the Black Panthers have issued a dead or alive bounty on his head should be exploited in the Hispanic community especially since the Attorney General supporter of the black panthers has embraced Al Sharpton and his race hustling encouragement of the black panthers. A campaign is needed to publicize these facts in the Hispanic community, with emphasis on the role of Obama and his minions in promoting violence against an Hispanic citizen.
I am not sure we should exploit it, but the difference extends further to religion — Blacks are Protestant (AME or Baptist generally) while Hispanics are Catholic. And while it isn't quite like Northern Ireland, and while things aren't like they were a quarter century go, that too is an issue. n nThe most racist comments I have ever heard have been said by Blacks and Hispancs about each other. That hatred is real. n nBut there isn't a singular "Hispanic" — no more than there is a singular "Asian." nPeople from each of the Central American countries have their own unique cultural identity.
Stephens, totally agree, but Rubio does us little good in this situation.
Great post! Thank you, Alana. Keep up the good work! You're informing and persuading. n nI especially appreciated your conclusion: n n"As Karl Rove argued persuasively in the Wall Street Journal yesterday, choosing the best person for the job should outweigh political considerations when picking a VP. Rubio’s ability to help Republicans make inroads with the Hispanic vote shouldn’t be the chief factor in the equation." n nThank you.