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June 2, 2008

Exclusive: Why is the Minority Vote So Elusive for Republicans?

Pam Meister

Last week, I received an interesting query from a reader as to why conservatives (Republicans) are not doing more to embrace the burgeoning Hispanic voting bloc:

The numbers are amazing. They surpass blacks in numbers and,in everycategory, mimic the stereotypical Republican: church-goers, entrepreneurs, fiercelypatriotic (check the numbers i.e. Vietnam and the past two Gulf Wars; more Medals of Honors, proportionately than any other group) and upward mobility, plus abortion.

Hispanics are well positioned in California., Texas, New Jersey, Illinois, Florida and New York to deliver electoral votes to the candidate who best makes an overture. And only the Democrats seem to know this.

The Democrats take Hispanics for granted and the Republicans are too dumb to build an Hispanic base.

It's certainly a valid observation. Republicans seem to do poorly with minority groups in general. And it's not because their philosophy shouldn't appeal to most Americans. The most important tenet of conservatism is, I believe, that government should play a limited role in our lives. America's history is literally bursting with success stories of individuals who, through self-reliance and little intrusion from red-tape loving bureaucrats, were able to live their own version of the American dream. For example, Abraham Lincoln's poverty and lack of government-sponsored schooling didn't stop him from educating himself and, eventually, from becoming president Thomas Edison didn't need government grants to fuel his many prolific experiments that ultimately changed the way Americans lived. And despite being born into slavery and poverty, Dr. George Washington Carver proved that drive and determination are what make a man a success, not government handouts and grievance pandering.

As my reader pointed out, Hispanic voters often embrace many of the same values as conservatives do (and that Republicans say they do), such as patriotism, strong family values, pro-life, and so on. So why have Republicans slipped so badly with this group between now and the 2004 election, where the Hispanic vote is believed to have been important to George Bush's reelection?

The immigration debate may be a large part of the problem. Many illegal aliens come from poverty stricken south-of-the-border countries like Mexico. Their geographic proximity makes it easier for them to slip into the country than for illegal aliens from overseas, and their economic plight makes the risk worth taking. The border issue has gained a sense of urgency with Americans within the past few years, prompting citizens to trounce not once, but twice, an effort by the government to grant amnesty to illegal aliens who met "certain requirements."

This should be good news because a secure border, coupled with a strong sense of national sovereignty, benefits everyone - including aliens looking to enter the country legally. It's been pointed out countless times that America is a country of immigrants. Yet it's fair to ask that those who wish to come here do so legally, and it's fair to those who do follow the rules to crack down on the line jumpers.

It's also fair to ask that once here, immigrants try to assimilate into the culture. This is not asking them to chuck their heritage out the back door. Many Americans enjoy the cultural contributions made by various immigrant groups over the years, which have woven their way into the fabric of American life. The first - and most important - step is to learn English, for those who don't face being marginalized from mainstream society and worse, are less likely to be economically successful. Historically, other immigrant groups were not pandered to regarding their language. Doing so now is damaging to both the immigrant group and to America as a whole, as multiculturalism is creating the "Balkanized States" as opposed to the "United States."

Yet open borders activists have been largely successful in making the issue about "racism" rather than the effect a porous border and illegal aliens have on national security and the economy. It's a lot easier to get people riled up about discrimination based on skin color or ethnicity and promising handouts than telling them to buckle down and become a part of the system.

Family Security Matters contributing editor Gabriel Garnica offered similar sentiments when I queried him. "Conservative and Republican candidates have not been able to appeal to most Hispanic voters because most Latinos in general have bought the liberal lie that conservatives only care about rich, white native-born Americans and hate outsiders," he said. "They have foolishly allowed Democrats to get away with lumping illegal and legal immigration together as simply ‘immigration,' thereby seeing any anti-illegal immigration efforts as simply anti-immigration policy."

Liberals have also appropriated the civil rights mantle, even though conservatives did more than their share to secure equal rights for all, as Diane Alden points out:

As a matter of fact, the record shows that since 1933 Republicans had a more positive record on civil rights than the Democrats.

In the 26 major civil rights votes after 1933, a majority of Democrats opposed civil rights legislation in over 80 percent of the votes. By contrast, the Republican majority favored civil rights in over 96 percent of the votes.

She also reminds us that John F. Kennedy didn't begin his political career as a staunch civil rights activist, but "evolved into a true believer in the civil rights movement when it became such an overwhelming historical and moral imperative that he had no choice."

Yet "conventional wisdom" has it that as a group overall, conservatives and Republicans are racist elitists who only care about themselves and their wealthy friends. (It's interesting that wealthy liberal politicians...and there are plenty of them...don't get stigmatized the way wealthy conservatives do.)

What does the average American want? Despite differences in skin color, sex and religion, I believe most Americans want similar things: job stability, a happy home life, a high standard of living, opportunities for our children and so on. Dividing people into categories, otherwise known as grievance groups, doesn't do America any favors. Promising various handouts to different grievance groups may get them to vote for you, butit ends up hurting them by making them too dependent on government (throwing personal responsibility to the wind). It also weakens us as a nation. If we are busy concentrating on our differences, what is there to pull us together? As I mentioned, most Americans want the same things, and so it's a shame when we allow superlatives to get in the way.

According to John Hawkins, "conservatives believe that we should live in a color blind society where every individual is judged on the content of his character and the merits of his actions." I expect this to be greeted hoots of derisive laughter, but I agree with Hawkins. You'll find racists and bigots everywhere, but conservative philosophy is in keeping with this idea: the best and the brightest with the energy and drive to make their dreams come true will usually come out on top as long as government doesn't choke us with endless regulations and red tape. Hawkins again: "[G]overnment, by its very nature, tends to be inefficient, incompetent, wasteful, and power hungry. That's why [conservatives] believe that the government that governs least, governs best."

What about national security? Republicans have allowed the question of national security, both with the border issues and Islamic Jihad, to be put on the back burner. Americans must be made to realize that we are still at risk; that even though we have not been attacked in the nearly seven years since 9/11, the threat has not gone away and it will not go away. National security must be given a higher priority than it has received in the last several years.

But not only have Republicans been ineffective at getting their message across, their actions of late belie that creed. The recent farm bill vote is a prime example of Republicans feeding at the trough with their big government colleagues. If they can't deliver to their historic base, why should minorities take the plunge? At least the Democrats offer entitlement programs to go with a bloated tax bill.

It's often been said that America is a center-right nation, and if Republicans would return to their roots they'd likely be more successful with voters, even minorities. Star Parker, former welfare mother and founder and president of the Coalition on Urban Renewal and Education (CURE), has noted that Republicans should "offer low- and middle-income working Americans a real conservative alternative to ‘Hillbama'" because "tens of millions of low-income Americans open themselves up to the simplemindedness of the left because they hear nothing else. They are lost because they are born and raised, often with one parent, in communities that are lost in a country that is increasingly becoming lost."

Again, Gabriel Garnica concurs."Younger Hispanics have been fed a steady diet of victimization, cultural defiance and socio-economic resentment.The Left has been much more adept at selling their views to Hispanics, and I am sorry to say that I doubt the ability of conservatives to make much headway among this increasingly significant and formidable part of the American scene.

Conservative Hispanics like me are few and far between, and will remain so."

Basically, Republicans not only need to start talking the talk, but once again walking the walk. They need to show minorities AND everyone else that opportunity, not handouts, are not only the American way but the key to success. Were I running for office, I would emphasize that we are all Americans, regardless of color, creed or where our ancestors came from. If Republicans could get that message across, they wouldn't have to worry about losing elections.

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