|
 |
|
|
|
Este informe no está disponible en español. Associated PressGOP Calls Hispanics Key In Successby WILL LESTERJanuary 19, 2001 WASHINGTON (AP) - Republicans put Hispanic pop singer Ricky Martin at center stage for the inaugural celebration, feted Hispanics at events like the ``Amigos de Bush'' luncheon and an inaugural gala, and reminded each other that winning over that fast-growing population is crucial to political survival. The Republican National Committee brought a veteran pollster and two of the nation's top Hispanic advertisers to Washington this week to talk to members about the importance of Hispanic voters. ``North America is changing fast, extremely fast and the Republican Party needs to change fast as well,'' said pollster Lance Tarrance. A recurring theme at the RNC winter meeting was President-elect Bush's strong performance among Hispanics in the election. He got 35 percent of the Hispanic vote, according to exit polls. That's 14 points higher than what GOP nominee Bob Dole got in 1996 and 10 points higher than his father's showing in 1992. Bush lost the popular vote overall, but narrowly won the electoral vote in the incredibly close election. Republicans were encouraged this week to actively court Hispanic voters in a ``Hispanic strategy'' reminiscent of the Southern strategy that marked GOP politics in the 1960s and 1970s. ``We don't like to crash parties, but when we're invited, we bring our whole families and we stay a long, long time,'' said Lionel Sosa, a leading Hispanic advertiser from San Antonio who worked for the Bush campaign. The Hispanic strategy was pushed again Thursday when new GOP national Chairman Jim Gilmore, the governor of Virginia, directed committee members to visit with minority leaders, especially in the Hispanic and black communities. Outgoing RNC Chairman Jim Nicholson backed an intensive campaign for the Hispanic vote for the 2000 elections. The Hispanic population in this country increased by about a third in the past eight years, from about 24 million to 32 million, according to 2000 Census figures. The black population is up by 10 percent, whites by 3 percent. The number of Hispanics in the United States is expected to grow rapidly, tripling by 2050. Hispanics could make up a fourth of the U.S. population in a quarter century. A Census Bureau report suggests Hispanics could replace blacks as the nation's largest minority group by 2005. ``The Hispanics are mostly in key states, particularly in the West and Southwest that we need for that slim Electoral College majority,'' said Tarrance, who helped develop the Southern strategy for the GOP more than 30 years ago. ``If you don't pay attention to the changing demographics in the key states, particularly in the Sun Belt states, the margin of (Republican) victory can disappear within the next two presidential elections.'' Republican strategists note that Bush won a fourth of the Hispanic vote in Texas in the 1994 governor's race, and almost doubled that showing four years later. ``In the next four years, Hispanics across the country are going to discover what Hispanics in Texas discovered - when George W. Bush says he's going to do something, you can count on it,'' said Frank Guerra, another leading Hispanic advertiser from Texas who worked for Bush. The increase in Hispanics is clearly a two-edged sword for Republicans. They have proven they can increase appeal with Hispanics, who still voted 2-to-1 for Democrat Al Gore on Nov. 7. But the increasing numbers of Hispanics in some states that have been solidly Republican are turning those into swing states - like Florida, where more Democratic-leaning Central Americans offset the heavily Republican Cuban Americans, and Nevada. Arizona and Colorado could move into the swing column as their Hispanic populations increase, said Matthew Dowd, polling director for the Bush campaign. Democrats aren't prepared to roll over for Republicans on the campaign for Hispanics. ``Inviting Ricky Martin to sing at their inaugural is not enough to earn Hispanic-Americans' votes,'' said Rick Hess, a Democratic National Committee spokesman, referring to the Hispanic pop singer with a popular bilingual song about leading the crazy life. ``If Republicans think that we're taking Hispanic votes for granted,'' Hess said, ``they're 'Living La Vida Loca.'''
|
