Romney Adviser: Latinos 'Were Scared' To Vote For Romney

[technical support]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/11/carlos-gutierrez-mitt-romney-latinos_n_2113622.html



WASHINGTON -- Former Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez, an adviser to former GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney on Latino outreach, said Sunday the candidate's failure with those voters was due to hardliners in the Republican party who were "scaring the heck out of them."

"The Hispanics I know were scared of the Republican party," he said on CNN's "State of the Union" in a blunt assessment of Romney's loss. "I think it has to do with our incredibly ridiculous primary process where we force people to say outrageous things, they get nominated, and they have to come back."

Gutierrez worked under former President George W. Bush, who won around 40 percent of the Latino vote in 2004 -- over 10 points more than Romney won this year. The Latino vote was a pivotal part of the 2012 election, and it is widely acknowledged that the Republican Party could be forever damaged if it can't win over more Latinos in the future.

He said extremists in the party were fully to blame for Romney's loss, pointing to "the anti-immigration talk, the xenophobes." "It's almost as if we are living in the past," he added.

Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.), appearing in the same segment, defended the party, saying it needs to become more modern but not more moderate to win over more Latino, women and young voters.

"Whether it's Hispanics, whether it's women, whether it's young people, the Republican Party has to make it a priority to take our values, take our vision, to every corner of this country, to every demographic group," she said. "And I am confident that we can do it."

When she said the party is pro-immigration, Gutierrez interrupted with "Really?"

"In order to be modern in the twenty-first century, we cannot be extreme right," Gutierrez said.

His advice to the party was to begin to lead on immigration reform, particular new laws that allow some undocumented immigrants to become citizens.

"If we want to be the party of growth and prosperity, we have to be the party of immigration," he said. "We should be leading comprehensive immigration reform. We should be leading the Dream Act, and not the military Dream Act, students as well.

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

That, and also we Hispanics have brains and used them correctly when voting.

[Kushahontas]

That, and also we Hispanics have brains and used them correctly when voting.

[Badger]

The GOP needs to be "more modern, but not more moderate" to win.

Uh-huh.

[Lief 🗽]

Well of course. The Republicans don't think that every American should have healthcare. Hispanics (and most sensible people) find that a "scary" proposition.

[King]

Despite cranky old Bishops' attempts to make us like the Evangelicals and care most about abortion, the truth is that Catholics, especially in Latin America, are raised as children to believe that social justice is first pillar of true Christianity and anybody who rejects that is selling snake oil.  The second pillar is to trust in institutions.  Even if they stopped going to church after Sunday School, you can't shake them from that taught value system.

To the average Hispanic, the current Republican Party looks like the biggest sinner convention going.

[BaldEagle1991]

Despite cranky old Bishops' attempts to make us like the Evangelicals and care most about abortion, the truth is that Catholics, especially in Latin America, are raised as children to believe that social justice is first pillar of true Christianity and anybody who rejects that is selling snake oil.  The second pillar is to trust in institutions.  Even if they stopped going to church after Sunday School, you can't shake them from that taught value system.

To the average Hispanic, the current Republican Party looks like the biggest sinner convention going.
[/quote

Wow you took every word I was gonna say.

[ingemann]

Despite cranky old Bishops' attempts to make us like the Evangelicals and care most about abortion, the truth is that Catholics, especially in Latin America, are raised as children to believe that social justice is first pillar of true Christianity and anybody who rejects that is selling snake oil.  The second pillar is to trust in institutions.  Even if they stopped going to church after Sunday School, you can't shake them from that taught value system.

To the average Hispanic, the current Republican Party looks like the biggest sinner convention going.

I think we have most of the truth here, in general outside USA no matter if people are traditional Protestants or Catholics, religious people usual use Christianity to argue for social justice not only from the religious organsations side, but also from the state. The Religious Right with its social darwinism and prosperity theology come across not only as wrong theological, but also blasphemic in its celebration of the rich and condemnation of the poor. As such if GOP want to make inroad among Hispanics, it either need to spread Evangelicalism among the Hispanics, or turn left on economics or at the very least stop being so vocal about their hatred of poor people. Ironic if Romney had openly embraced the Mormon Church's internal social reliefs and suggested that the state helped other Churches in setting up a similar system, Hispanics would likely have been a lot more positive toward him.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

The problem here is the conflation of anti-illegal with anti-immigrant and the fact that the pro-enforcement crowd has not being effective at pushing back against the narrative established by the media and the Democrats (partly because it is never given the equal treatment in the debate, like when Reid tried to divide all the time between himself and Specter who both supported the bill in 2007 and the opponents ended up with only a 1/3rd. That has been made worse by the fact that bandwidth has been dominated by the economy for the last five years). Now we are in a position where the threshold issue that determines whether a two-party system is maintained or not is a race who see who can subvert the rule of law the quickest in exchange for political gain.

The problem with Comprehensive Immigration Reform based on the 1986 model and the reason it failed in 2007 isn't because of racists hating on hispanics, it is because a bipartisan group of people came to the conclusion based on the results historically that it doesn't work and thus shouldn't be pursued again. I think there is a bipartisan and compassionate solution to this issue that can be arrived at, but it won't be found using those previous failed policies as a model. There is nothing anti-Immigrant more or less anti-Hispanic about that. As for this guy being a "Romney advisor", he apparently wasn't all that familiar with his own damn boss in this campaign to then question whether or not the party is Pro-Immigration and relegate all of Romney's immigration positions to being "tough talk to win a primary".

I also don't believe you can achieve electoral gains by pushing bad policies that will definately fail, nor do I think that the Hispanic community is going to suddenly become a bunch of Tea Partiers because the Republicans all the sudden want to out race the Democrats in their efforts to push a bad idea through and subvert the rule of law. It sounds to me like the same people who poorly advised Romney's campaign on the issue of Hispanic outreach are now hard work providing their "proven insights" about the GOP's future as it relates to immigration policy. It makes sense though. If you think pro-enforcement is anti-Hispanic and you control the outreach efforts, it would thus become a self-fullfilling prophesy. This guy's job should have been to help develop a strategy to dispell the false narrative about the GOP and Romney's position, not embrace it and further it by providing advice based on that. But then again this is a GOP establishment, whose advisors and consultants operated based off of the "unskewed polls" bs.

[nhmagic]

Well of course. The Republicans don't think that every American should have healthcare. Hispanics (and most sensible people) find that a "scary" proposition.

No Lief, quit channeling Alan Grayson.  We do believe every American should have healthcare - if they choose to have it.  Some people can't afford it because the cost is to high and they will get higher (as they have been) once Obamacare is fully implemented.  We do not believe that the government has a right to make an individual unwillingly enter a contract with a business.  We also do not believe that it is not the government's right to pick and choose what procedures are covered, not covered or at which age its unseemly to have surgery done.  We think its wrong to charge someone for not having insurance and we certainly don't want single payer.

It's not worth the cost to our individual liberties.  I want to be left alone by them and millions of other Americans want this also.  The longer this goes on the more divided we will become eventually rupturing into revolution (which I'm not advocating).  Honestly, our country should separate half and half on amicable terms, you guys get half the states, we get the other half.  We can have the government we want, you can have yours.  Why should our unhappiness be linked to your happiness and vice-versa.  The problm is that democrats would never allow republicans to separate into their own nation - they can't let go of the powerand control.  Plus, who would fund their ever-expanding government.

[Lief 🗽]

LOL, no one chooses not to have health insurance. That's like saying people choose to be poor or homeless. Normal people want to have health insurance.

And red states get a lot more money from the federal government than they give back. So the better question is, who would fund the sh[inks]hole banana republic that a seceded Republican United States would become?

[nhmagic]

LOL, no one chooses not to have health insurance. That's like saying people choose to be poor or homeless. Normal people want to have health insurance.

And red states get a lot more money from the federal government than they give back. So the better question is, who would fund the sh[inks]hole banana republic that a seceded Republican United States would become?

Yes, people do choose not to have health insurance, whether it is rational to you or not is none of your or the government's business. 

We are almost in a banana republic now (not that you'd agree, but see Libya).  I also struggle to see how more freedom from the state leads to such a banana republic.  I'd like to see where you are getting this "red states" get more money stuff from Lief.

[bedstuy]

Well of course. The Republicans don't think that every American should have healthcare. Hispanics (and most sensible people) find that a "scary" proposition.

No Lief, quit channeling Alan Grayson.  We do believe every American should have healthcare - if they choose to have it.  Some people can't afford it because the cost is to high and they will get higher (as they have been) once Obamacare is fully implemented.  We do not believe that the government has a right to make an individual unwillingly enter a contract with a business.  We also do not believe that it is not the government's right to pick and choose what procedures are covered, not covered or at which age its unseemly to have surgery done.  We think its wrong to charge someone for not having insurance and we certainly don't want single payer.

It's not worth the cost to our individual liberties.  I want to be left alone by them and millions of other Americans want this also.  The longer this goes on the more divided we will become eventually rupturing into revolution (which I'm not advocating).  Honestly, our country should separate half and half on amicable terms, you guys get half the states, we get the other half.  We can have the government we want, you can have yours.  Why should our unhappiness be linked to your happiness and vice-versa.  The problm is that democrats would never allow republicans to separate into their own nation - they can't let go of the powerand control.  Plus, who would fund their ever-expanding government.

So, the government taxing you to pay for someone else's medicare is fine.  But, paying for your own health insurance or paying a penalty is worthy of revolution.  I don't really get that.  Whether it's a FICA tax or a health insurance premium, it's ultimately money out of your pocket to pay for other people's care.  I think most people are more concerned about how much money they're left with each month.  Whether it goes to medicare or United Health, it's money you don't see. 

[All Along The Watchtower]

Despite cranky old Bishops' attempts to make us like the Evangelicals and care most about abortion, the truth is that Catholics, especially in Latin America, are raised as children to believe that social justice is first pillar of true Christianity and anybody who rejects that is selling snake oil.  The second pillar is to trust in institutions.  Even if they stopped going to church after Sunday School, you can't shake them from that taught value system.

To the average Hispanic, the current Republican Party looks like the biggest sinner convention going.

Great post.

[Biden 2024]

This is truly pathetic. Republicans claim they aren't racist, and to the most part, I agree, the general Republican populous most likely doesn't fantasize of a Great White Society. However, this belief about how Hispanics and Blacks can't vote properly, and how only White's "understand" this nation, is still in many of their minds. Whenever their is an article about a successful Hispanic immigrant, instead of complimenting them on their business and work ethic, the comments from Republicans are patronizing, and treating these people as if they were an ant farm, with comments such as "So good they didn't need to sneak in here" or "I wish more of them actually worked and came here LEGALLY like the rest of us". These comments are disturbing, and even as a non-hispanic caucasian, offensive.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

This is truly pathetic. Republicans claim they aren't racist, and to the most part, I agree, the general Republican populous most likely doesn't fantasize of a Great White Society. However, this belief about how Hispanics and Blacks can't vote properly, and how only White's "understand" this nation, is still in many of their minds. Whenever their is an article about a successful Hispanic immigrant, instead of complimenting them on their business and work ethic, the comments from Republicans are patronizing, and treating these people as if they were an ant farm, with comments such as "So good they didn't need to sneak in here" or "I wish more of them actually worked and came here LEGALLY like the rest of us". These comments are disturbing, and even as a non-hispanic caucasian, offensive.

Are these comments posted on here? If not, how do you know they are Republicans and not extreme independents or Constitutional Party people?

[Biden 2024]

This is truly pathetic. Republicans claim they aren't racist, and to the most part, I agree, the general Republican populous most likely doesn't fantasize of a Great White Society. However, this belief about how Hispanics and Blacks can't vote properly, and how only White's "understand" this nation, is still in many of their minds. Whenever their is an article about a successful Hispanic immigrant, instead of complimenting them on their business and work ethic, the comments from Republicans are patronizing, and treating these people as if they were an ant farm, with comments such as "So good they didn't need to sneak in here" or "I wish more of them actually worked and came here LEGALLY like the rest of us". These comments are disturbing, and even as a non-hispanic caucasian, offensive.

Are these comments posted on here? If not, how do you know they are Republicans and not extreme independents or Constitutional Party people?

Ain't semantics fun, Yankee?

Replace "Republicans" with "Conservatives" and you'll get my point.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

This is truly pathetic. Republicans claim they aren't racist, and to the most part, I agree, the general Republican populous most likely doesn't fantasize of a Great White Society. However, this belief about how Hispanics and Blacks can't vote properly, and how only White's "understand" this nation, is still in many of their minds. Whenever their is an article about a successful Hispanic immigrant, instead of complimenting them on their business and work ethic, the comments from Republicans are patronizing, and treating these people as if they were an ant farm, with comments such as "So good they didn't need to sneak in here" or "I wish more of them actually worked and came here LEGALLY like the rest of us". These comments are disturbing, and even as a non-hispanic caucasian, offensive.

Are these comments posted on here? If not, how do you know they are Republicans and not extreme independents or Constitutional Party people?

Ain't semantics fun, Yankee?

Replace "Republicans" with "Conservatives" and you'll get my point.

And you don't find judging a whole party and "what is on its members minds" based on what you find in obscure comments sections of websites on the internet, to be the least bit patronizing and condescending?

[Biden 2024]

This is truly pathetic. Republicans claim they aren't racist, and to the most part, I agree, the general Republican populous most likely doesn't fantasize of a Great White Society. However, this belief about how Hispanics and Blacks can't vote properly, and how only White's "understand" this nation, is still in many of their minds. Whenever their is an article about a successful Hispanic immigrant, instead of complimenting them on their business and work ethic, the comments from Republicans are patronizing, and treating these people as if they were an ant farm, with comments such as "So good they didn't need to sneak in here" or "I wish more of them actually worked and came here LEGALLY like the rest of us". These comments are disturbing, and even as a non-hispanic caucasian, offensive.

Are these comments posted on here? If not, how do you know they are Republicans and not extreme independents or Constitutional Party people?

Ain't semantics fun, Yankee?

Replace "Republicans" with "Conservatives" and you'll get my point.

And you don't find judging a whole party and "what is on its members minds" based on what you find in obscure comments sections of websites on the internet, to be the least bit patronizing and condescending?

Not sure if what's your saying is "condescending", but I agree that what I said was irrational. I just meant that many of these "good-ole-boy" types have a prejudiced against LEGAL immigrant Hispanics, and treat them barely better than illegals.

[Zioneer]

LOL, no one chooses not to have health insurance. That's like saying people choose to be poor or homeless. Normal people want to have health insurance.

And red states get a lot more money from the federal government than they give back. So the better question is, who would fund the sh[inks]hole banana republic that a seceded Republican United States would become?

Yes, people do choose not to have health insurance, whether it is rational to you or not is none of your or the government's business. 

We are almost in a banana republic now (not that you'd agree, but see Libya).  I also struggle to see how more freedom from the state leads to such a banana republic.  I'd like to see where you are getting this "red states" get more money stuff from Lief.

Who chooses to not have health insurance? There is not one statistic you can quote to prove that people choose not to have health insurance, and you know it.

[Lief 🗽]

LOL, no one chooses not to have health insurance. That's like saying people choose to be poor or homeless. Normal people want to have health insurance.

And red states get a lot more money from the federal government than they give back. So the better question is, who would fund the sh[inks]hole banana republic that a seceded Republican United States would become?

Yes, people do choose not to have health insurance, whether it is rational to you or not is none of your or the government's business. 

We are almost in a banana republic now (not that you'd agree, but see Libya).  I also struggle to see how more freedom from the state leads to such a banana republic.  I'd like to see where you are getting this "red states" get more money stuff from Lief.

[King]

And Florida, Nevada, and Colorado are now "blue" states, too.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

This is truly pathetic. Republicans claim they aren't racist, and to the most part, I agree, the general Republican populous most likely doesn't fantasize of a Great White Society. However, this belief about how Hispanics and Blacks can't vote properly, and how only White's "understand" this nation, is still in many of their minds. Whenever their is an article about a successful Hispanic immigrant, instead of complimenting them on their business and work ethic, the comments from Republicans are patronizing, and treating these people as if they were an ant farm, with comments such as "So good they didn't need to sneak in here" or "I wish more of them actually worked and came here LEGALLY like the rest of us". These comments are disturbing, and even as a non-hispanic caucasian, offensive.

Are these comments posted on here? If not, how do you know they are Republicans and not extreme independents or Constitutional Party people?

Ain't semantics fun, Yankee?

Replace "Republicans" with "Conservatives" and you'll get my point.

And you don't find judging a whole party and "what is on its members minds" based on what you find in obscure comments sections of websites on the internet, to be the least bit patronizing and condescending?

Not sure if what's your saying is "condescending", but I agree that what I said was irrational. I just meant that many of these "good-ole-boy" types have a prejudiced against LEGAL immigrant Hispanics, and treat them barely better than illegals.

Some of them do. Even amongst the no immigration at all or less immigration overall crowd, race isn't the motivating factor for all of them. Some of them are Labor Democrats, some of them are zero growth enviornmentalists and still more are just people to wake up every morning to a nonexistance lawn, read stories of LA stealing their last remaining bits of water and realize the glory days of population boom are over by necessity of carrying capacity. I think that position goes to far, but I don't over generalize and question there motives behind it if they are legitimate concerns. If anything it means we should seek to stop illegla immigration so that we can have real limits on immigration so that we can be sure we aren't over strecthing resources with too much, too fast. Limits that can be moved up or down as needed or as practical.

[GMantis]

Well of course. The Republicans don't think that every American should have healthcare. Hispanics (and most sensible people) find that a "scary" proposition.

No Lief, quit channeling Alan Grayson.  We do believe every American should have healthcare - if they choose to have it.  Some people can't afford it because the cost is to high and they will get higher (as they have been) once Obamacare is fully implemented.  We do not believe that the government has a right to make an individual unwillingly enter a contract with a business.  We also do not believe that it is not the government's right to pick and choose what procedures are covered, not covered or at which age its unseemly to have surgery done.  We think its wrong to charge someone for not having insurance and we certainly don't want single payer.

The Republican will not get many Hispanic votes with these positions, as polls clearly show that Obamacare was a far greater factor in attracting Hispanics than immigration reform.

[nhmagic]

LOL, no one chooses not to have health insurance. That's like saying people choose to be poor or homeless. Normal people want to have health insurance.

And red states get a lot more money from the federal government than they give back. So the better question is, who would fund the sh[inks]hole banana republic that a seceded Republican United States would become?

Yes, people do choose not to have health insurance, whether it is rational to you or not is none of your or the government's business. 

We are almost in a banana republic now (not that you'd agree, but see Libya).  I also struggle to see how more freedom from the state leads to such a banana republic.  I'd like to see where you are getting this "red states" get more money stuff from Lief.

So Lief, this is from 2004 and there is no breakdown as to whether this spending is military or non-military spending.  I'd like to see something updated for 2010/12 and without military spending included.