Again from Politico, this time Republican lawmakers are concerned that strident language against illegal immigrants has weakened the party's affinity with the Latino population, but those position are popular with the Republican base. So how does it keep the base happy while reaching out to the fastest growing segment of the electorate?
While Republicans say they aren’t about to embrace “amnesty” for
undocumented immigrants, the ideas being considered on Capitol Hill
amount to a recognition that the party needs to appear more friendly to
the country’s powerful voting bloc.
“You can’t win without doing well among Hispanic voters, and I don’t
think it’s any secret that the primary has not been particularly helpful
from the standpoint of the tone,” said Texas Sen. John Cornyn, who is
leading GOP efforts to take back the Senate. “I think there is a sense
on our side that we need to come forward with a responsible approach
that if we don’t define ourselves what that approach is, other people
are more than happy to take advantage of the void to try to define us.”
The short-term upside is obvious for Republicans: The Hispanic vote
in 2012 looms large in swing states like Florida, New Mexico and Nevada,
and the party has miserable approval ratings with Hispanics. The
longer-term outlook is just as critical — Hispanics are a rapidly
growing demographic group in the country and one of the youngest, and
the GOP needs to sell the next generation of American voters on its
policies.
But it also amounts to a risk: pushing measures to appeal to Latinos
could split the party’s base that is steadfast on border security and
enforcement.
