(Ellie Lopez-Bowlan) – Many Republican Hispanics from around the country have been outraged by Sen. Harry Reid’s Aug. 10 comments. The consensus is that the senator is out of touch with the evolution of the Hispanic vote. We choose a party for the same reasons as others. The issues that affect other individuals also impact Hispanics. Personally, I don’t know why any Hispanic would vote for a person who would question his or her freedom of choice.
In his remarks, Reid said, “I don’t know why anyone of Hispanic heritage could be a Republican.” The statement was made when he was out campaigning for the Hispanic vote. He clearly does not get it. When I heard about the comment, I felt that he was insensitive. Republican Hispanics went on the record.
Marco Rubio, a Republican in a Senate race in Florida, said that the Senator’s statement was “outrageous and ridiculous.”
Alci Maldonado, chairman of the Republican National Hispanic Assembly, said that Reid’s comments were “laughable” but also stated, “First, he makes a comment saying there are no illegal aliens working in the construction business in Nevada, and now he questions how Hispanics can be Republican. Senator Reid is clearly out of touch with the Hispanic community within his own state and the nation.”
Ruben Estrada, president of the Republican National Hispanic Assembly of Orange County, said, “I am appalled and insulted with such a question from the U.S. Senate Leader Harry Reid.” He called the question, “A sign of desperation.” He also said, “Hispanic Americans are a significant major electorate and are no longer guaranteed to the Democratic Party and are not only Republicans, conservatives and, yes, Tea Party members.”
The reasons why we choose the Republican Party may vary but are rooted in the conservative values that we grew up with. Rubio stated that his parents had come to this country to make a better life for their children. He felt that the Republican Party supported “economic empowerment and upward mobility.” Maldonado feels that the Republican Party supports the freedoms of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Estrada reported that, while he was growing up in East Harlem, his parents embraced, “very conservative values.”
I changed political affiliation when I decided that I did not want a party that gave me things by raising taxes. I did not want a party that interfered with every aspect of my life. Instead, I wanted to earn things for myself and embrace my personal successes.
Hispanics make their political choices just like any American. They have the same issues, which include: a decrease in jobs, a failing education system and high drop-out rates, lack of immigration reform, limited access to health care, and the need for a stable economy.
It is arrogant of Reid to assume that because I am Hispanic, I should not be a Republican. Reid needs to broaden his horizons so that he might understand Hispanic voters. After all, 44 percent of the Hispanic vote went to Republican George W. Bush for president in 2004.
(Ellie Lopez-Bowlan is a Republican Hispanic and past President of Mount Rose Republican Women. This column originally appeared in the Reno Gazette-Journa.)
The Republicans are so funny, when the economy is good you say let’s all celebrate “Cinco de Mayo, my brothers” but when the economy is down “it’s all your fault, you damn immigrant”. When most Americans (with Latin America roots) go to the polls this November we will remember that the GOP has gone on a nationwide rant in proposing and passing several anti-immigration legislation and have continue to blame the immigrant for the flat economy or worse. We will remember who stands with us and who stands against us, so trying to stop it now is somewhat funny, but go ahead, you will not change our minds. Plus the more radical of the GOP are now attacking our Constitution and our Bill of Rights, in a misguided attempt to garner some much needed votes, they really are fools, and leading the GOP towards obscurity because they are no longer a party of ideas, just of empty suits. Your hate made you do it, in November; you will reap what you have sown. I wonder what Abraham Lincoln would say today about the GOP, he unlike you was a man of ideas.
Benito, you have forgotten one very important word in the above diatribe. ILLEGAL!! yes, we are against ILLEGAL immigration, but since many (if not most) of our parents and/or grandparents came to this country LEGALLY, how could we be anti-immigration? I don’t know of anyone who is attacking LEGAL immigrants for our economy. If you are a LEGAL immigrant, you should also be against ILLEGAL immigration, shouldn’t you? Although our economic situation can be laid at the feet of both parties, you might want to look back at Jimmy Carter’s Economic Recovery Act, and the resulting shenanigans with regards to home loans to unqualified people (who could not repay those loans), and follow the efforts of ACORN and its famous attorney/community organizer to a logical conclusion, you might come to a different conclusion. And, by the way, it is the ILLEGAL immigrants who are attacking our Constitution and Bill of Rights. Perhaps you should read both those documents before you reach unfounded conclusions.
Ken: The most outrageous racial profile law was AZ SB1070, the one that failed in our US Courts that the proponents claimed was Constitutional. The current GOP wants to decide for you when they will apply the Constitution in the bent minds. Considering that all the numbers of crime are down (even ex-governor Janet Napolitano agrees).
So we have Brewer signing a bill (that she probably did not even read), lying about the crime rates in AZ, and now we find out that she is in the pockets of PRIVATE PRISONS who stand to benefit with the increase Federal jailing.
So quit lying, with your pathelic rhetoric, stand up and be men, no, no I am sorry your leaders are now just Birthers, Baggers and Blowhards and will contine to take the GOP towards obscurity because they are no longer a party of ideas, just of empty suits. Good bye, fawell….
Ken: In the last four months Jan Brewer has been caught lying, three times and counting.
The comments made on June 16, 2010, and June 27, 2010, clearly indicates that the Brewer says that immigrants are beheading people in the United States desert. She first ran away from the question and the press when confronted with the question. She finally when to FOX/ FAKE News to recant her lie.
When Brewer was confronted with the fact the two of her top Advisors (Paul Senseman, Chuck Coughlin) are lobbyist for “Private Prisons” giant CCA she first ran away from the question and the press.
In an attempt to gain sympathy, she first said her father had died in Germany fighting the Nazi in World War II (which ended 1945) but of course we find out the truth that her father was never in Germany and died in California in 1955. Do you see a trend here?
Brewer signed into law SB 1070 Bill (Did she even read it?), lied about the crime rates in AZ (even Janet Napolitano knows that all crimes rates went down), and now we find out that she is in the pockets of PRIVATE PRISONS who stand to benefit with the increase Federal jailing, and thus they will pay her back, I wonder if it has to do anything about the fact that her son was transferred to a brand new prison, he was convicted for rape and sexual assault, I guess the fruit does not fall far the tree.
“Private Prisons Lie”
youtube.com/watch?v=UMcgXxzcBeY
“AZ Crime Rates”
youtube.com/watch?v=0eb4mMk6XgQ
“Father Lie”
vodpod.com/watch/3771595-charles-krauthammer-rips-jan-brewer-for-lying-about-her-father-dying-in-ww2