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McCain Scores New Support Among Hispanics

The League of United Latin American Citizens is not necessarily an audience that you would think would receive John McCain well. Its published political platform is a collection of progressive goals: affirmative action, prison reform and abolition of the death penalty, universal health care, a strong and un-privatized Social Security, and so on. The president of the organization is the founder and director of a San Antonio union. And perhaps most of all, it is an organization that, though it has long-standing ties to McCain and his Senate office because of McCain's willingness to treat immigration issues compassionately, watched its ally bail on their shared commitment to comprehensive immigration reform when his support proved too politically volatile in the Republican primary.

It is no surprise then that McCain didn't bother tailoring his speech to LULAC, delivered Tuesday afternoon at the Washington Hilton. He made vague reference to his ties to the Hispanic community as he opened ("so many friends, so many allies, so many partners") but then moved immediately into his theme for the week: the economy, and his superior ability to deal with its current weaknesses.

"The economy is slowing," admitted McCain. His diagnosis was one anyone with a rudimentary understanding of the two-party system in America could guess: raising taxes will hurt everyday Americans and will prevent businesses from hiring, fair trade is an engine of growth, etc. The majority of the speech ran along these lines. Only in closing did McCain reference the issue of immigration, saying that he tried to pass comprehensive immigration reform, but too many Americans didn't trust him to secure the border first. So now, he said, he plans on securing the border and then dealing with immigration afterwards, "practically" and "humanely."

As it turned out, that was enough. Attendees, almost all Democrats or former Democrats, suggested after the speech that they liked McCain's message and were open to voting for him. A married couple, Hector and Araceli Ayala, said that immigration was their most important issue, and that McCain said enough of the right things.

"Immigration is important to all Hispanics," said Hector. "We all have families trying to live the American dream." They had faith McCain would do the right thing. "He would enforce [the border] a little bit but not too much," said Araceli. Added Hector, "He would keep out the criminal element, people trying to bring in drugs."

Ultimately, they said, the fact that they are registered Democrats won't keep them from considering McCain. "People who are coming here to work, to provide for their families, they deserve a chance. This is a country of immigrants," said Hector. He believed McCain felt the same way.

Others agreed. A former Clinton supporter named Theresa Gallegos said that she appreciated how concrete and passionate McCain was. As for Obama, scheduled to speak later in the day, he doesn't have the experience to address Gallegos' major concerns, jobs and energy. "I always ask, 'Why do we change?' For Obama, he just says, 'Change.' It is just a word."

National polling suggests that Hispanics are choosing Obama over McCain by very wide margins. But that may be because Hispanics were deeply involved in the Democratic primary and don't know enough about McCain. Today's speech suggests that when Hispanic voters do get exposed to McCain, they take to him. Pursuing them further may be a valuable campaign strategy for McCain in the coming months. "I'm not a Republican so I haven't paid attention to him when he talks on the TV," said an older woman named Maria. "But it was a good speech. It was a good speech!"

Comments

MC-CAIN’S EXTRAORDINARY CHARACTER AND UNIQUE EXPERIENCE

Considering his:
• Sacrifice of American Wealth and Blood for the Sole Benefit of Israel
• Amnesty for Illegal Mexicans Aliens Usurping Jobs and Services
• Outsourcing of Jobs and Technology to China
• Early Release from Captivity for Military Secrets
• McCain-Feingold Legislation Suppressing Freedom of Speech
• McCain-Leiberman Control Gun Legislation
• Slander and Ridicule of Huckabee, Romney, and Ron Paul
• Roberts and Falwell, “agents of intolerance”
• Roe vs. Wade Sacrificial Killing of Children
• To “occupy Iraq for 100 years”, “bomb Iran”, and “just keep Afghanistan”.
• Veto of Bush Tax Cuts
• Keating Five Crooks
• Unsolved Recession and Inflation Problem
• Unsolved Heath Care Problem
• Unsolved Social Security Problem
• Long Scandalous, Contentious, and Non-Productive Political Career

Can such an incompetent and dishonest politician; and such a pretentious Christian and patriot, insanely dishonoring Christian culture and Constitution rule, ever be trusted to cherish, honor, and serve the American People?

With Leiberman Neo-Liberal Princess Hillary burnt at the stake by the victorious Kennedy Liberals, shall the Reagan Conservatives give this notorious Podhoretz Neo-Conservative puppet, Insane McCain, a date with presidency, or a date with the Republican firing squad?

Google: Mearsheimer Israel Lobby and US Foreign Policy; Stricherz “Why the Democrats are Blue”; Wall Street Journal “McCain-Feingold”; “Keating Five Fraud”; Human Events “Ron Paul Interview”; Who Would the World Elect; McClelland "What Happened: Inside the Bush White House and Washington's Culture of Deception”; McCain Keating Five; Abramoff Israel McCain.

Posted by: Jeugenen on 07/08/08 at 12:16 PM Respond

Perhaps with most Hispanics, Obama is home free, but when an organization like this seems warm to McCain because of his overall experience and their long term association with him, you wonder how much is simply comfort level with a known quantity. It's accepted in part as to how HRC did so well with these voters during the Primary season.

Or is it simply that this group has been "self-conditioned" to not expect so much from Government?

Posted by: Egalitare on 07/08/08 at 1:38 PM Respond

Egalitare writes: Or is it simply that this group has been "self-conditioned" to not expect so much from Government?

Anyone who has low expectations for Government will not be disappointed.

Posted by: As I See It on 07/08/08 at 2:01 PM Respond

Never trust a polititian in an election year. The president can not just pass immigration reform. It has to go thru Congress.
McCain promises to secure the border "a little, not too much". This is a promise I believe will happen. This is exactly why we have 20 million illegal immigrants from multiple countries.

Posted by: Texan123 on 07/09/08 at 7:51 AM Respond

After going into Iraq, during his re-election, Bush improved on his score among Hispanics significantly. This constituency seems,then, to have different criteria from other constituencies. It's not surprising, however, that they would look at a candidate's record instead of his or her rhetoric. And, despite the endorsement of Hillary Clinton, Obama will not be able to ride on the Clinton record and he doesn't really have one of his own in terms of what he has ALREADY done for the Hispanics. McCain does and, evidently from a Hispanic perpective, so does Bush if one considers the increase in their support for him during his re-election.

ALL the results in ALL the constituencies will change, of course, the minute the military button is pressed. And -- right now -- the Bush Administration has a wide range of possibilities:
the surge in Iraq that is sometimes seen to be working, recent Iranian missile testing, the Russian reaction to an American installation in the Czech Republic, the Mugabe problem, even the situation in Columbia. It can all be exploited militarily and, once that happens, McCain will automatically rise in the polls. Had Bush Sr sent troops into Africa a little earlier during his attempt to be re-elected, he might well have won with Clinton being seen as too inexperienced to take the reins. Bush Sr's popularity was very high during the first conflict in Iraq and waned only after that conflict ended.

Right now with relatively minor pressure, both major candidates seem to be having problems staying their courses. We can only wonder what kind of ice rink the race will turn into, if the Bush Administration opts to increase American military activity.

And Hispanics may well end up voting for the known quantity.

Posted by: Kathy Giannini on 07/09/08 at 8:06 AM Respond

McCain Scores New Support Among Hispanics - maybe so but he will lose many American votes due to his amnesty talk. He seems to forget the outcry last year about his shamnesty bill. Remember millions of Americans bringing down the phone lines in opposition?? A majority of Americans do not want legalization for people who have no respect for our land and disregard multiple laws to break into and live in this country. I think whoever wins should put Tom Tancredo in charge of immigration. THEN something may get done and the illegals can get deported. Americans are totally fed up with illegals and want to see the laws enforced. Not to mention I find it extremely racist to PANDER to one ethnicity. Are they going to make special speeches to the Polish, Italian or Irish citizens?? Due to the illegals, ALL Hispanics are now being looked at in a bad light.

Posted by: America Rocks on 07/09/08 at 2:35 PM Respond