How much longer will Republicans keep Texas ?

Discussion in 'Politics' started by .........., Jun 12, 2010.

  1. http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/7050170.html



    Texas GOP gets tougher on immigration
    Some say platform adopted at convention could deter Latino voters


    DALLAS — Texas Republicans adopted another get-tough policy on immigration and bilingual education on Saturday that some say will make it hard for the party to attract Hispanic voters at a time when the Texas population is turning increasingly Latino.

    The platform encourages state lawmakers to create a Class A misdemeanor criminal offense “for an illegal alien to intentionally or knowingly be within the State of Texas,” and to “oppose amnesty in any form leading to citizenship for illegal immigrants.”

    Texas Republicans also want to limit citizenship by birth to those born to a U.S. citizen “with no exceptions.” The platform calls for the end of day-labor work centers and emphasizes border security, encouraging “all means … (to) immediately prevent illegal aliens.”

    The party's education platform calls for the end of federally sponsored pre-kindergarten, and opposes any mandatory pre-kindergarten or kindergarten. “We believe that parents are best suited to train their children in their early development,” it says.

    Bilingual education should end after the third year, according to the platform, and non-U.S. citizens should not be eligible for state or federal college financial assistance.

    Opponents challenged party members with differing views to make their voices heard.

    “Your party platform is your brand. It represents your values and beliefs and what distinguishes you from Democrats,” said state Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer, D-San Antonio, chairman of the 44-member Mexican American Legislative Caucus.

    “Republicans who don't agree should speak out and take a stand for the sake of humanity,” he said. “What they need are guts, or ganas, and not artful spin that's a cheap form of ignoring the single biggest problem affecting the Republican Party.”

    Hispanics will make up 78 percent of Texas' population growth over the next 30 years, compared with only 4 percent for whites, according to demographic projections. Minority children already make up 66 percent of the state's 4.8 million public school enrollment — and Hispanics could surpass whites in the state's overall population by 2015, estimates show.

    Not one of the state's 181 legislators is a Hispanic Republican.

    “The figures are irrefutable. I am extremely concerned,” longtime Republican advertising executive and political consultant Lionel Sosa said of his party's future.
    Need to reach out

    GOP primary voters booted out the only statewide Republican Hispanic elected official this spring when they rejected Railroad Commissioner Victor Carrillo.

    The party must do a better job of drawing Hispanics or what is now “a serious problem,” Sosa said, could turn fatal.

    Within a dozen years, Latinos could be electing Democrats “because Democrats have the right message and Republicans have the wrong message,” Sosa said. “I don't think it will happen. If it happens, then Texas will turn into a Democratic state and once Texas turns Democratic … We'll never elect a Republican president again.”

    “But I'm not gloom and doom about that. I believe that survival drives the culture. Things will change when more Republican candidates get it,” he said. “They won't have to make a false choice between security and humanity.”

    It's imperative for Republicans to reach out to Hispanic voters, said GOP campaign consultant and pollster Whit Ayres, president of the American Association of political consultants.

    “If Republicans don't do better among Hispanic voters, we are not going to be talking about how we get Florida back in a presidential election,” said Ayres, of Alexandria, Va. “We're going to be talking about how we keep from losing Texas.”

    Houston GOP delegate Stuart Mayper said he's concerned about the party's relationship with Latino voters.

    “We must reach out to these people. If we don't, it's a big mistake,” he said.

    But the party shouldn't water down its principles.

    “Learn English in this country. I don't like going into Wal-Mart and seeing Spanish,” Mayper said.

    He wants to see troops on the border.

    “Close the border. I am not against any Mexicans or anything. Let's slow down the tide. I'm not saying send anybody back,” Mayper said.
    Work visas suggested

    Dolores Fieden, another Houston GOP delegate, is a Hispanic who emphasized the importance of legal migration.

    Seeing her party attract more Hispanics “would be nice,” she said. “But if doesn't happen, it's not because it's not open to them. It's open to whomever.”

    The immigration problem can be solved by issuing enough work visas to fill jobs that U.S. citizens don't want, said Sosa, who has worked for seven GOP presidential campaigns, starting with Ronald Reagan's in 1980.

    “When that happens so much of this emotional rhetoric will subside, and we will be able to carry on a more civil conversation,” Sosa said.

    The party's state leaders, including Gov. Rick Perry and Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, “get it” when it comes to issues important in the Latino community, he said.

    “These are the candidates that are doing the right thing,” Sosa said. “What the extremists in the party are doing doesn't reflect on the candidates.”
    ‘Disconnect' with Latinos

    Though he doesn't agree with the GOP platform on certain issues, Sosa said voters generally gravitate toward candidates because of their personalities and positions on issues, not because of party platforms.

    “It's not about the party. It's about what the individual candidate does or says,” Sosa said.

    MALC leader Martinez Fischer believes the GOP's “disconnect” with Latinos is beyond problematic.

    “It's a plague. Republicans have been afflicted with this illness since the 1860s,” he said. “The only difference is their target. Back then it was the Irish and Catholics, today it's Latinos who are largely Catholic — I see a pattern here.”
     
  2. Actually the pattern here is states are taking on enforcement of laws that the Feds refuse to enforce or outright oppose. Good for Arizona and Texas. There will be more to join their ranks.
     
  3. Hispanics vote 2-1 for democrats. They voted 2-1 against McCain, who was a pro amnesty, "reach out" candidate. They vote 2-1 against hardline anti immigration candidates. Short of completely jettisoning their principles, republicans are not going to get more than 1/3 of this bloc. Their best tactic is to appeal to the anti-illegal immigration voters, who far outnumber hispanics. As a side benefit, if they can cut down illegal immigration, they take away one of the democrats most powerful secret weapons, fraudulent voting by non-citizens.
     





  4. Hispanics will make up 78 percent of Texas' population growth over the next 30 years, compared with only 4 percent for whites, according to demographic projections. Minority children already make up 66 percent of the state's 4.8 million public school enrollment — and Hispanics could surpass whites in the state's overall population by 2015, estimates show.



    Not one of the state's 181 legislators is a Hispanic Republican.


    Within a dozen years, Latinos could be electing Democrats “because Democrats have the right message and Republicans have the wrong message,” Sosa said. “I don't think it will happen. If it happens, then Texas will turn into a Democratic state and once Texas turns Democratic … We'll never elect a Republican president again.”






    “If Republicans don't do better among Hispanic voters, we are not going to be talking about how we get Florida back in a presidential election,” said Ayres, of Alexandria, Va. “We're going to be talking about how we keep from losing Texas.”
     
  5. Obama won Houston and Dallas.With 66 % of kids in Texas schools minorities and Hispanics surpassing whites by 2015 it wont be long before Democrats take the State
     
  6. Hmmm. Sounds like Texas will be highly motivated to take Arizona-like measure and begin deporting illegals.

    I can't say I disagree with this position because I can't get my mind around the absurdity of the "pro illegal immigration" position of many lefists.

    That being said, some liberalization of social policy in TX sure would be overdue, and much better for everyone.

     
  7. =====================
    Good points RC-Well.
    Also many Hispanics[ legal] may speak Spanish @ home,
    may use a Bilingual Bible...

    However they still want English as official language of USA,
    English taught as official language ; the Hispanics know Bilingual Bibles are fine, but English is more important to teach in school.

    The fact so many in the media hate AZ & AZ law,confirms AZ wisdom...
    :cool:
     
  8. jem

    jem

    I see the liberals are projecting out trends 30 years.
    I predict hardworking mexicans will not enjoy the spend and tax liberals.

    So that in 30 years... hard working mexicans will be a core component of the republican party.

    If we prevent illegal immigration. Eventually the hispanics in the U.S. will become conservative tax paying voters.

    The democrats are the party of the give away ponzi scheme.
     
  9. You're confused by the hate propagandist of the rights talking heads. There is no "pro illegal immigration" policy by the democratic party.
    The smart democrats and republicans position is a common sense one not a position of pro illegal immigration. There are people in the US who have lived here since being a child and don't remember being in Mexico. It doesn't make sense to send these people to Mexico. There is no argument in stopping the new flow of illegals and sending back the ones who haven't been here very long. The problems start when we break up families, send children to a country they don't know. The other problem is there are estimates from 12 to 25 million people here illegally from Mexico. The fact is we are not going to deport millions of people a year, it just isn't going to happen. The results would be refugee camps along the border and all the crime, starvation, disease and filth that goes along with refugee camps. America does not do that.
    So where we are at is how to take care of the problem logically, something the tea baggers have a real problem with.
    It isn't an unsolvable problem but it will not be solved as long as the right takes an immovable uncompromising stance.
    It is time for the republicans to shed the tea baggers and work with the democrats for a top down common sense Mexico immigration policy.
     
  10. Poll: Perry, White Tied In Governor's Race


    By Ryan Korsgard
    POSTED: Wednesday, June 23, 2010
    UPDATED: 9:04 am CDT June 23, 2010


    HOUSTON -- A new poll shows Gov. Rick Perry and the man who wants the job, former Houston Mayor Bill White, are tied, KPRC Local 2 reported Tuesday.



    Public Policy Polling shows the two are in a 43-43 tie. Pollsters said White, the Democratic candidate, has improved his numbers by winning independents.


    White said he has gained momentum by meeting people across the state and gaining name recognition along the way.


    "I think, frankly, our own numbers are a little bit behind that," White said. "There's a lot of people who don't know who I am. I've always done great in polls where people knew something about both of us."
    Perry, who is the Republican incumbent, is in China.


    "We tend not to look too much into polling information," Perry campaign Press Secretary Alejandro Garcia said. " A perfect example would be the Rasmussen poll. It was ahead. Now this one is tied. The only one that matters to us is on Election Day."
    The margin of error for the poll is plus or minus 4.4 percent.
     
    #10     Jun 28, 2010