Shadow GOP Spending Big on Outreach to Latinos

By Dr. Gabriela D. Lemus, NewsTaco

Flying largely under the radar, Republican strategists have been quietly seeking ways to woo Latino voters to their side targeting first the 2014 mid-term elections and building for the larger presidential race in 2016.

Consider this case for Latino support from Fox News earlier this year:

Utilizing Chris Christie’s latest gubernatorial campaign as a test for reaching Hispanics, they were able to increase support for Governor Christie to 51% among Hispanic voters, a 19 point increase from his performance in 2009. In contrast, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney won just 27% of the Hispanic vote nationally, the lowest showing for a GOP presidential candidate in a two-person race since the 1970s

After their success in New Jersey, in 2013, they began an eight state strategy where the RNC  deployed 16 paid staffers in eight states – including Florida, California, Pennsylvania and New York — and are building coalitions with other organizations to make inroads with Hispanics.

Republican Party elders know that they must be more inclusive or risk losing Latino voters for decades to come.  The Koch brothers have begun pumping millions of dollars into a new initiative entitled the Libre Initiative – it means “free”.  Libre’s organizers already have 3,000 Texas volunteers, with similar efforts taking place in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Nevada, New Mexico and Virginia.

To no one’s surprise, their message is one of limited government and economic freedom sandwiched between lessons on how to build a family-run business and prayer breakfasts with Hispanic pastors. They smartly pitch conservative ideals while collecting donations for the recent wave of minors crossing the US-Mexico border.

Some call it a shadow GOP — one with a gentle emphasis on social services, candy-packed Easter baskets and assimilation. Meanwhile, Conservatives have a different message – hostility to immigrants and minorities. “Send them back to where they came from.”

In September, Governor Christie will travel to Mexico on a “trade” mission to meet with President Enrique Peña Nieto and corporate titans – the same folks who brought us NAFTA.  Apparently, he plans to also spend time with every day Mexicans.  This should be interesting.  As he reaches out to Mexico’s moneyed elite, let’s hope Latinos here in the US watch closely. Is this a wolf in sheep’s clothing? The jury is out.

H/T: Pew

This article was originally published in Blue Nation Review.

Dr. Gabriela D. Lemus is the Executive Director & President ofProgressive Congress. She tweets @progcongress