George Will: If Romney Falls Below 31% With Latino Voters, ‘He’s Going To Lose’

[steve2470]

http://www.mediaite.com/tv/george-will-if-romney-falls-below-31-with-latino-voters-hes-going-to-lose/

On This Week, the panel took a look at President Obama‘s recent policy change regarding undocumented immigrants. A change that has, somewhat predictably, elicited criticism from Republicans because the inherent nature of an executive order entails bypassing Congress. The discussion led to the larger topic of the influential Latino electorate, with George Will noting the tricky position Mitt Romney has found himself in.

Will said he supports the DREAM Act, but that he also supports the Constitution and the separation of power. Thus, he said, he believes these goals should be accomplished through the legislative route. But, George Stephanopoulos countered, “He tried and it didn’t happen.”

“Well that’s too bad,” Will said. “Our system is designed to be difficult to move, and if it doesn’t move, you try and try again — and you don’t just say, ‘Well the Constitution’s fine, I give it one try then we’ll do something else.’”

During the Republican primary race, Will said, the candidates spent their time competing for who could build the “longest, thickest, tallest, most lethally electrified” fence. And, the Hispanics noticed. Now, Will said, Romney has a big hole to dig himself out of, because if he falls below the 31 percent of Hispanic voters John McCain got, “he’s going to lose.”

*end of excerpt*

Isn't 31% being overly optimistic for Rmoney ? I have no polling data to support my hunch but it just seems that way.

[bluestateguy]

1. I think that can be accomplished

Ramney can do a few events here and there with Hispanic business leaders (never anything open to the general public, of course), but this is largely just for show, going through the motions.

[elleng]

2. Will complained that PrezO was unable to do what he'd promised

within regular process, as in, along WITH Congress, and THEN complained that PrezO is using standard administrative process, as in 'prosecutorial discretion,' to accomplish a similar end.

Heads Will wins, tails PrezO loses!

[Motown_Johnny]

3. The guy can't get to 31% with Latinos

the last poll I remember seeing was more like 15%

[grantcart]

4. The Republicans only have themselves to blame. By not agreeing to this one simple common sense

proposal they are going to define themselves as heartless monsters to the largest growing demographic in the US.

Also they are going to find that they are going to irritate a lot of Catholics who believe that punishing Catholic children who have done nothing wrong is not something they want to support.

Obama just painted you into a Republican corner Mitt, what are you going to do?

[tableturner]

6. "Obama just painted you into a corner, what are you going to do?" It's Etch A Sketch time!

Yes, what he is doing is to bring out the Etch A Sketch. He showed Friday and today that he will ignore what he said about immigration during the primaries , and hope that the voters do too. He came out with a very mealy mouthed non-definitive statement, one that did not align itself with his previously stated policies, but which at the same time allowed him to disagree with Obama. In effect, he said nothing.

He cannot allow his earlier statements on immigration to be ingrained into the minds of the electorate, especially the Hispanic electorate, because that would result in an even worse showing in his favor among Hispanic voters. Of course he cannot agree with Obama, because that would enrage his radical right wing followers. So he vaguely states that he is thinking along the lines of what Rubio advocates. What Rubio advocates does not comport with the immigration policies as stated by Romney during his primary run. Of course not......if he had on Friday and today put forth his immigration policies as they evolved during the GOP primary season, his standing among Hispanic voters would drop even lower than it already is at this point in time (the argument during the primaries was centered around how high, wide, and electrified the border fence should be, and how to rid the country of all undocumented immigrants in the most efficient way possible).

Therefore, in regard to this issue and others, he has to give vague answers that can be interpreted in many ways, which leaves him an escape hatch.

For example, with regard to contraception issues, when it is brought up, he now says something like "I have no interest in changing the laws that govern contraception. They're fine the way they are." Of course the Blount-Rubio amendment, which he supports, would outlaw many forms of contraception. But he wants that to be forgotten, or in other words, to be Etch A Sketched out, thereby turning that issue into a non-issue. I'm STILL waiting for a member of the press to call him out on his support of the Blount-Rubio amendment, asking "But Mr. Romney, your support of the Blount-Rubio amendment would outlaw many forms of contraception, so how can you say that you have no interest in changing the laws that govern contraception?"

Another example is the issue of the economy and taxes, and how he would deal with those subjects. He does not want moderate voters to remember his plan as stated in a much more definitive way during the primaries. He also does not want his radical right wing base to think that he is abandoning his aforementioned tax policies. Those policies call for even lower taxes on the wealthy, plus many other positions that would favor the wealthy, and which would harm the middle class, AND the country as a whole. So, just like you heard today on Face the Nation, he now states vague policy positions about what to do with the economy and taxes, but he will not be specific in almost any way.

And the press lets him get away with it.

I hope the President and his team do not let him get away with it, and I don't think they WILL let him get away with it. I can see the ads, first showing spokesperson Eric Fehrnstrom making his Etch A Sketch comment, then have Romney being shown on an Etch A Sketch stating a position he took during the primaries, to be followed by the Etch A Sketch being cleared, only to show him stating the exact opposite. Those will be very effective, as will ads showing all of his GOP primary opponents point blank calling him a liar!

[Initech]

5. My Latino friends are certainly not afraid to express their hatred for Rmoney.

[joeybee12]

7. Probably closer to 35-37%...below that he loses...

Just depends on how much the Repuks intimidate Latinos at the polls.

[n2doc]

8. Will had no problem with W ignoring the constitution n/t