tags: , Press Releases

RNC's Latino Outreach "Strategy" Backfires

Share This:

In Attempting to Pick Fights with Democrats, They’re Only Drawing More Attention to their Anti-Immigrant Record

In a hollow effort to distract Latino voters from their Party’s poor record on immigration reform in recent years, the Republican National Committee picked fights with Democrats this week over “chimichangas” and perceived insults.  First targeting Jim Messina and now going after Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, the RNC’s approach is backfiring, because it’s only serving to highlight the reasons why a growing number of Latino voters are turning away from the GOP.

Said Frank Sharry, Executive Director at America’s Voice, “It is beyond ironic that the RNC is calling out Democrats like Harry Reid for being ‘insensitive’ to Latinos.  While Reid stood up for the DREAM Act, it was Republicans that stopped the bill dead in its path, destroying the hopes and dreams of millions of Latino youth.  Now, that’s what I call ‘insensitive.’  Fights like the ones the RNC tried to pick this week will actually backfire, because they only serve to highlight Republicans’ dismal record on immigration reform and other priority issues.  Latino voters haven’t forgotten about that awful Saturday in December when Republican senators turned their backs on the hopes and dreams of millions of talented immigrant youth and voted against DREAM.” 

Polling released last month by Latino Decisions for ABC News and Univision shows one reason why Republicans are doing so poorly among Latino voters.  Among other relevant findings, the poll found that nationwide, 85% of Latino voters support the DREAM Act.  Fifty-four percent of Latino voters “say opposition to the DREAM Act would make them less likely to support a candidate,” while 68% say that a candidate’s support for passing the DREAM Act would make them more likely to support him or her.

According to Frank Sharry, “The RNC needs to realize that Latinos know the score on immigration.  Rather than engaging in petty partisan politics, Republicans should take a good hard look in the mirror and start changing the way they approach immigration reform.”

America’s Voice — Harnessing the power of American voices and American values to win common sense immigration reform.

www.americasvoiceonline.org

###