12/06/2016

TheG.O.P.sLatinoCrucibleTheNewYorkTimes

http://nyti.ms/1OiwJx9

SundayReview

EDI TORI AL

TheG.O.P.sLatinoCrucible
ByTHEEDITORIALBOARD

JUNE11,2016

Republicanleaderslaidoutablueprintfortherevivaloftheirpartyafterthedefeat
ofMittRomneyinthe2012presidentialrace.IfHispanicsthinkwedonotwant
themhere,theywillclosetheirearstoourpolicies,thesocalledautopsyreport
warned,notingthatMr.Romneyhadreceived27percentoftheLatinovote,down
fromGeorgeW.Bushs44percentin2004.QuotingDickArmey,theformerHouse
RepublicanleaderfromTexas,thereportcautioned,Youcantcallsomeoneugly
andexpectthemtogotothepromwithyou.
Yetnow,Republicansaredoingjustthat.DonaldTrumphasemergedasthe
partysstandardbearerwhilescapegoatingLatinosandotherminoritiestostokethe
fearsandresentmentofworkingclasswhitevoters.Mr.Trumpinsistshewillwin
Latinovotes,yethebeganhiscampaignbypromisingtobuildawallalongthe
borderwithMexicotoblockoutthepeopleMexicoissendingtotheUnitedStates,
claiming:Theyrebringingcrime.Theyrerapists.Herecentlycreatedanother
waveofconsternationbyaccusinganAmericanbornfederaljudgeofbeingbiased
becauseofhisMexicanancestry.
TheTrumpcandidacyhasputotherRepublicancandidatesinabind.Theycan
tietheirlottohisimmigrantbashingcampaignandhopethatvotersuppression
tacticswillbluntthegrowingsegmentsoftheelectorategalvanizedbytheprospect
ofdefeatinghim.Ortheycandisavowhim,recognizingthatfurtheralienating
nonwhitevoterswilldoseveredamagetothepartyinthelongrun.
Besidesbeingselfdefeating,vilifyinggroupsofpeopleismorallyabhorrent.

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TheG.O.P.sLatinoCrucibleTheNewYorkTimes

RepublicansaresignalingtomillionsofcitizensandaspiringAmericans:Yourenot
welcomeherethisisnotyourhome.
ThishostilityhasinvigoratedadecadeslongeffortbyLatinosandothergroups
toincreasepoliticalparticipation.Morethan27millionLatinoswillbeeligibleto
voteinNovember,a60percentincreasefromadecadeago.Civicgroupsand
Spanishlanguagemediaaremakingahugepushtoregistervotersandget
permanentresidentstobecomecitizensinswingstates,hopingtounlockthepower
ofavotingblocthathashistoricallyhadlowturnout.
IfIwereaRepublicanPartyleaderatthestatelevel,Idbelookingathowthis
couldaffectmenow,butalsoatthelonggame,saidMindyRomero,thedirectorof
theCaliforniaCivicEngagementProjectattheUniversityofCalifornia,Davis.
CaliforniaspoliticalevolutionoffersalessonforRepublicans.In1994,Pete
Wilson,thenthegovernor,championedaballotinitiativetobarunauthorized
immigrantsfrompublicservicesasheranforreelectioninatightrace.Hewon,and
theinitiative,knownasProposition187,passed.Butthehighlydivisivecampaign
overthemeasure,whichwasthrownoutbythecourts,setoffasurgeofpolitical
participationbyLatinosthathaskepttheDemocraticPartydominantinthestate
eversince.
RepublicanleadersinotherstateswatchedCaliforniawithalarm.Whilesome
havetriedtomakethepartymoreinclusive,theprevailingtactichasbeento
underhandedlydiscourageminorityvoters.TexasandArizonaareamongthestates
whereRepublicanledlegislatureshavepassedvoteridentificationlawsand
otherwisetightenedvotingrulesunderthespeciousguiseofpreventingfraud.
Whitesnowmakeup70percentoftheelectorate,downfrom85percentin
1980.Demographersprojectthatby2060,whiteswillmakeup46percentofthe
votingpool,whiletheLatinoblocwillhavegrownfromthecurrent13percentto27
percent.Giventhosetrends,itsastoundingthattheRepublicanPartyhastakena
harderlineonimmigration.
Itsaselfdefeatingstrategyinthelongterm,saidRepresentativeJoaqun
Castro,aDemocratfromTexas.Butthefocusforalotofpoliticianshereistheshort

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TheG.O.P.sLatinoCrucibleTheNewYorkTimes

term.Alotofthemdontthinktheyllbeinpoliticsin20years.
ThatseemstobethecalculationofSenatorJohnMcCain,theArizona
Republican.Mr.McCain,whofacesastrongDemocraticopponentinNovember,has
grudginglyoptedtobackMr.Trump.MostRepublicansincompetitiveracesappear
inclinedtodothesame.ArareexceptionisSenatorMarkKirkofIllinois,who
announcedlastweekthathecouldnotingoodconsciencesupportMr.Trump
regardlessofthepoliticalimpactonmycandidacyortheRepublicanParty.
MaybethingswillchangeaftertheNovemberelection,saidRepresentative
RubenGallego,aDemocratfromArizona.Thewaytopushbackonallthisisto
haveanabsolutevictoryattheballotboxandforcetheRepublicanPartytohavea
conversationaboutwhatitneedstodoinordertosurvive,hesaid.Ofcourse,thatis
thesameconversationtheyhad,andthenignored,in2012.
FollowTheNewYorkTimesOpinionsectiononFacebookandTwitter(@NYTopinion),
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AversionofthiseditorialappearsinprintonJune12,2016,onpageSR8oftheNewYorkeditionwiththe
headline:TheG.O.P.sLatinoCrucible.

2016TheNewYorkTimesCompany

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