phase II: seeking support among hispanics

Reaching out to the hispanic vote is something the GOP learned to do while Bush was Governor of my state. But unfortunately for the GOP, they didn't learn the meaning of "follow-through". Bush hasn't delivered on any of the promises he made to the Mexican community in Texas, particularly his promise to work with Mexican president Vincente Fox.
Texas's hispanic community is ripe for the picking (and I might assume the same goes for hispanics across the country). Like every other voting bloc, they want someone who will listen to them and understand their concerns. But beyond that, they are seeking someone who will follow through with concrete programs that solve these issues. In other words, like you and me, they don't need lip service; they need action.
Perhaps the biggest concern among southwestern hispanics is immigration policy. Mexicans and other central Americans risk their lives every day trying to enter the U.S., and some pay the ultimate price. They have to work with coyotes (human smugglers), dodge bullets on the border (these bullets come from the INS, border-area property owners, and local militias that operate under a "range law" mentality), risk drowning and dehydration, and defy all odds in order to have a better life. Over 175,000 illegals have already been apprehended and turned away this year (scroll to bottom). And that's not all. Once they cross the border, they have to hide from the INS, meanwhile seeking out fake documents or continuing to live here illegally as fugitives.



During the 2000 race, Shrub promised that he'd work with Fox to set up a fast-track immigration program. In fact, as Texas Governor, Bush did a pretty good job of building bridges to Mexico (this is probably the ONLY good thing he did down here, and I give credit where credit is due). But since he took national office, he's squandered all political goodwill that existed between our two nations. Granted, much of this happened after 9/11, when a main concern was locking down our borders. However, Fox's non-support of the Iraq war has also made him persona non grata within the Bush administration. In these conditions, there is very little hope that fast-track will become a priority. Meanwhile, Mexicans continue to die on a daily basis. I believe that any candidate who intends to woo hispanic voters needs to have a solid understanding of this problem, and also needs to come out in support of fast-track citizenship.
These are things that we need to understand. I strongly suggest that you read all the articles I've linked. Get to know these people and their concerns. Imagine walking a mile in their shoes. And then let's get out there and work with them to formulate real solutions to these problems.

*registration required for DMN link, or use nospam@mybox.net w/password dean2004

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Gay Saudi Arabia

Five Things Dean Supporters Can Do Right Now to Fight Terrorism