McCain Plea to Hispanics Dismays Anti-Immigration Republicans

[AlphaCentauri]

Source: Bloomber

April 15 (Bloomberg) -- Arizona Senator John McCain cites his standing with his state's Hispanics as proof that he is a different kind of Republican, distinct from the illegal- immigration foes who dominate the party. He vows to campaign in the barrios, gunning for the 70 percent Latino support he won in his last senatorial election.

That's precisely what worries anti-immigration Republicans, who say the party's base will stay at home if it detects the kind of mariachi politics that President George W. Bush practiced to win more than 40 percent of Latino voters in 2004.

If McCain ``panders for the Hispanic vote, politically, he'll kill himself and he'll kill us,'' said Arizona state Representative Russell Pearce, a Republican who is leading a effort to revoke business licenses of employers who knowingly employ illegal immigrants. ``There are more votes in my approach than his.''

McCain, 71, plans to test that theory. He may be the one Republican in a position to do so. After a divisive immigration debate in 2006, Republican candidates in that year's mid-term elections only received 30 percent of the Hispanic vote, down more than 10 points from 2004, according to exit polls.


Read more: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aQ5w5boI7YXs&refer=home

[Lasher]

1. Well that'll reopen some old wounds.

Too bad it won't run over and over all day long for 2 weeks in every news outlet in the nation. It has to be a Democratic gaffe for them to do that.

[Carrieyazel]

2. This once again can only help McCain. Contrasting him with the whack jobs is what he wants

His strategy is working well so far.

[calimary]

9. Yeah, but if their base stays home, that'll be all we need.

"Mariachi politics"!!! OMG. Yikes!

[Hugabear]

3. repugs hate hispanics

They're not concerned with illegal immigration. They're concerned about illegal immigration from MEXICO and other countries south of the border. All you have to do is look around at some of the anti-Hispanic sentiment sweeping the country, being perpetuated by right-wing hate radio - stuff like "English only".

[Traction311]

7. Most, but not all

In fact, I work with a right-winger who hates all immigrants. Just the other day, he went on a tirade when he had to talk to a Russian-immigrant customer, saying how he has to listen to his "dumb accent" and how "they all tip like shit" when they go out to eat.

[annabanana]

4. This poor old guy is going to get SO confused trying to please

all the groups he has to please... All his hopes rest on the media's ability to smooth everything over for him.

[Cresent City Kid]

5. Republican split

It used to seem that the Republicans were unified on every issue, to the point that they all used the same pat answers to questions. Like fiscal irresponsibilty, this is another crack in the foundation. You can't make nationalistic fervor, and minimum wage subversion congeal into a unified party message. Since you can't win an election solely on the premise that helping the rich and big business is good for everyone, they appealed the the patriotic and the religious to pad the numbers. This hodge podge of interests is starting to crumble under its own contradictions.

[damntexdem]

6. The anti-immigration racists have no friends among the top 3 prez candidates -- well boo hoo!

And the great thing is that this will hurt McCain the worst.

[alstephenson]

8. Maybe he can go hang out in the barrios with...

Sheriff Joe. Sheriff Joe can round up the immigrants and on the way to the detention center McSame can convince them to vote Republican. Russell Pearce is a racist POS.

[classysassy]

12. Sheriff Joe

what a piece of shit.

[UTUSN]

10. K&R #4 for Hispanics should NEVER hit 40% support of Rethugs AGAIN!1 Shoudda been EVER!1 n/t

[Thepricebreaker]

11. LOL like we dont have a split right now? Omg...

Talk about the kettle and the pot.. we should be running at him on other issues.

[treestar]

13. It goes along with real conservatism

Of the fiscal kind, the kind that says there should be no minimum wage also should say there should be no restrictions on who to employ. Therefore it is a major contradiction when repukes start suddenly being in favor of government supervision and regulation of the economy on this one issue.

Hispanic people are generally Catholic, too, so they might give McBush the vote on the abortion issue. I have family members in my Catholic family who know full well they are voting against their interests in voting repuke, but do it solely on this one issue.