Was there something certain hispanics didn't like about John Kerry?

[Sumner 1868]

I think it was probably Bush's vague promises of immigration reform earlier that year.

[Sumner 1868]

I remember around the time of the first immigration debacle in 2006 people were loudly debating the issue on the school bus and one hispanic kid said to another "Bush is on our side on this" and he said "Go Bush then!" I don't think Republicans were really so monolithic on immigration until the Tea Party came along which is probably why hispanics have tilted towards the Democrats.

I think the right simply let it go because the president had an R, kind of like how long much of the left has let go civil liberties under Obama just because he's a Democrat.

[Sumner 1868]

I remember around the time of the first immigration debacle in 2006 people were loudly debating the issue on the school bus and one hispanic kid said to another "Bush is on our side on this" and he said "Go Bush then!" I don't think Republicans were really so monolithic on immigration until the Tea Party came along which is probably why hispanics have tilted towards the Democrats.

I think the right simply let it go because the president had an R, kind of like how long much of the left has let go civil liberties under Obama just because he's a Democrat.

Good point, that combined with the economy. I could be wrong but I don't think that there was as much anti-immigrant sentiment in the GOP in the 90s, back then it seems like they were more just focused on crime and budgetary issues.

Western Republicans sure campaigned on immigration during 1994-1998. Unsure about the GOP as a whole.