Republicans and minority voters

January 2, 3:12 PMProgressive Politics ExaminerJay McDonough

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It's hard to know how seriously to take today's article in the Hill claiming that contingents within the Republican Party are worried about appealing to minority voters.  After all, the Chip Saltsman/"Barack the Magic Negro" debate seemed to occur largely outside the Republican Party.  While some Democrats and Independents voiced some real and some faux outrage, most of the GOP was quiet., presumably thinking "no harm, no foul". 

The campaign season had yielded a number of Republican candidates making boneheaded, offensive statements.

In September, Rep. Lynn Westmoreland (R-Ga.) told The Hill he thought then-presidential candidate Ba rack Obama was "uppity," a racially tinged word. Rep. Geoff Davis (R-Ken.) apologized in April for referring to Obama as a "boy."

At rallies held for the Republican presidential ticket, media focused on attendees who called Obama a "terrorist" and emcees, most famously Cincinnati radio host Bill Cunningham, who frequently invoked Obama's middle name to rile up a crowd.

But here's the thing - I don't recall a great deal of Republican condemnation at the time.  And given the spanking John McCain took on election day (the senator got 4% of the black vote and 31% of the Hispanic vote), one can understand why Republicans may be now freaking about their long term electoral prospects.  Some have suddenly realized they can't very well go around insulting the very constituencies they need to win elections.

What's gotten considerably less press than the "Magic Negro" episode are two other tracks on the Saltsman CD, "Bank of Amigo" and, particularly, "The Star Spanglish Banner".  Ridiculously lame, and it's kinda stunning that anyone could listen to the song and ever imagine a Hispanic voter entering a voting booth and pulling the lever for a Republican candidate.  I wrote just after the election:

Largely as a result of the Republican position and tone of their debate on immigration, Hispanic voters have turned away from the Republicans.

Not a smart strategy if the plan includes election success.  Hispanics are the largest growing minority in the U.S., now at 15% of the total population.   A recent census report predicted Hispanics will represent one third of the population by 2050.

And where Hispanics are settling is compounding the problem for Republicans.  Colorado, New Mexico, Florida and Nevada had been considered swing states.  They are also home to significant Hispanic populations.  Last Tuesday, each of the four states swung solidly to Barack Obama whereas, as recently as 2004, three of the four states voted for the re-election of George W. Bush. (Link)

It may well be that some in the GOP are concerned about alienating minority voters.  But they don't seem to be particularly influential.  The question seems to be whether they can save Republicans from themselves.