Well it finally did happen, and I can’t believe the GOP was so stupid they didn’t see it coming. Latinos are leaving the Republican party by the truck-load. A new Washington Post Poll shows support for Bush and the Republicans slipping dramatically.
I’m shocked that it happened so fast, but I’m not shocked that it happened. Any GOP strategists should have taken a page from the California playbook. A popular initiative controversy that occurred here about 10 years ago known as proposition 187, should have tipped them off. In that initiative, all illegal immigrants were to be bared from public services including schools. The protesters came out in droves. I was actually in high school at the time and marched in the protest. I knew many of the Latinos in the school at the time, but I had no idea there were so many that would stand together, (just an observation, but people look truly more powerful when you see them together stand firm).
Needless to say the initiative galvanized Latino and White voters. What was truly interesting about this process was that it helped unpopular Governor Pete Wilson get reelected. This short-term victory caused a huge decline in the Republican party, as the GOP was labeled as anti-immigrant (which they are) and as the Latino population grew.
The GOP was confused, and they tried to do the same thing again in Proposition 211 (to destroy affirmative action). This time they got labeled as anti-minority, and the initiative failed. The Republican party declined so far, it took Schwarzenegger to unseat an extremely unpopular Governor.
Then, Arnold made the same mistake (probably because he was listening to Pete Wilson’s people), and even endorsed the Minute Men (those whack jobs who go to the border and shoot immigrants, wait scratch that, pretend to shoot immigrants). It was no surprise that Arnold’s poll numbers collapsed after offending Latinos.
The GOP here in California is currently on life support. They have nothing left in there bag of tricks, even the old tax-cut crap doesn’t work anymore. It is well known that the wealthy in this state pay less taxes than anywhere in the country. People are starting to wake up to the simple fact that Republicans ran this state into the ground, starting with Reagan and Prop 13, then when the people asked questions, they blamed it on illegal immigrants. When the first Democratic Gov. comes to power and couldn’t fix the broken system, they manipulated the situation to get him ousted. Is there anything slimeier?
Yes! The fact that the GOP lied again about some mythical Latino support for 187 to trick their base. This time, the lies backfired. It will take more to win support from Latinos then a token Latino in the administration.
Latinos are becoming a force in politics for better or for worse, no wonder the GOP is so scared. One of those FOX morons (Gibson) started spewing out hateful speech about how whites in this country should have more kids because otherwise the country will be nothing but Hispanics. He tried to guies the whole ordeal in the argument for population growth, which obviously was a crock.
The GOP will not change because it’s new base is fundamentally fearful of immigrants, they always have been. The GOP’s traditional base, big business, loves cheap labor, and that’s why Bush tried to get a guest worker program installed. Bush’s base of hardcore Christians has different ideas, and has proven more powerful than the business interests. I think the GOP is starting to realize the price of selling their soul (pretending to be Godly) for election.