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If you wondering why the Romney/Ryan campaign has gone so medieval in classic, mendacious, and racially-tinged themes aimed transparently at non-educated white voter, maybe the answer is because they’ve painted themselves into a corner with so many other elements of the electorate. That’s certainly the case with Latinos, already a disaster area for Romney but made if possible worse by the selection of Paul Ryan, or so suggest Politico’s Emily Schultheis and Alexander Burns:
What’s clear is that Romney’s lagging fortunes among Hispanics are unlikely to receive any boost from choosing a vice presidential candidate who has voted in Congress against the DREAM Act and supports overhauling entitlement programs that are extremely popular among Latino voters….
Obama’s commanding lead has not diminished and may be cemented in place. Univision anchor Jorge Ramos framed the Republican dilemma in a tweet after Ryan was announced as Romney’s ticket mate: “?How can [Paul Ryan] attract the Hispanic vote? If Republicans don’t get a third of the Latino vote they won’t get the White House back….”
{Ryan’s] a member of a Republican Congress that many Latinos view as a hostile entity. Latino Decisions found that by a 51-point margin, Latinos oppose cuts to Medicare — an even wider margin than the electorate at large, according to some polls.
He’s even managed to offend the most pro-Republican Latino voting group:
A footnote to his career that could harm him with Cuban-Americans in particular: In 2009, Ryan expressed skepticism about the U.S. trade embargo against Cuba, though he has since revised that stance.
Yeah, I bet he has. But it appears to be too little and too late when it comes to helping his ticket with Latino voters.
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Varecia on August 15, 2012 5:42 PM:
I live in an area that is 84% Hispanic and the support for Obama has been strong for some time and holding. The choice of Ryan has, if anything, strengthened their support for Obama.
Diane Rodriguez on August 15, 2012 5:53 PM:
Romney will carry the Cuban vote (pop.1.8m) as opposed to Mexican Americans who comprise 31.8m and Puerto Ricans 4.6m of the US population. The Latino electorate except for Cubans, vote overwhelmingly Democratic. Believe me, Latinos of non-Cuban origin readily recognize the difference between themselves and Cubans.
Interesting that you have to search a bit to find that Ted Cruz, tea party elect from Texas, is Cuban not Mexican American. In Florida its expected, i.e. Marco Rubio, not so much in Texas.
rrk1 on August 15, 2012 6:22 PM:
The Cuban vote is still centered in Florida. If Ryan-Romney get their support it puts Florida even more in play than it already is. And we know how they play in Florida. This could be a rerun of 2000.
CDW on August 15, 2012 7:40 PM:
I'm guessing that the only latinos romney/ryan care about are the Cubans in FL, which is a must win state for them. I have the impression that the Cubans are very conservative and would welcome Ryan, if not romney. But I don't know that as a fact. Would be glad to be enlightened.
anonymous on August 15, 2012 9:53 PM:
The Mitt/Ayn/Ryan campaign is full of crazy deception and endless lies. Total mistrust of this ticket.
Support Obama/Biden 2012!