As soon as Romney heard the news about President Obama's executive order he threw a conniption fit. He was caught totally off guard by the breaking news. As I stated in another blog, a politically astute move. Romney's first statement chastised the President for having granted relief via an executive order and hinted that a new incoming President could in fact revoke the executive order. He then said he agreed with Marco Rubio in that a long term relief was needed and that this action by the President would somehow make reaching a long term solution more difficult. I would argue that it makes it much easier given the fact that the issue is now clearly on the table and that any President would now have to take the issue head on.
Romney later appeared on "Face The Nation" and absolutely refused to address whether or not a "President Romney" would strike down the executive order that gives relief to undocumented youngsters who were brought here at a young age by their parents. Romney avoided the question like the plague. Par for the course for Romney.
Romney and his advisors have been scrambling trying to figure out what they're going to do to attract the Latino vote now that President Obama pulled the rabbit out of the hat.
Well, the response came today in a reply from Romney addressing whether or not he and his team were vetting Marco Rubio for the VP spot. Romney has been highly evasive regarding his vetting process or any potential candidates for the vice president spot on his ticket. Yet today he immediately confirmed that Rubio was in fact being deeply vetted as a potential vice presidential candidate.
This is Romney's way of testing the waters with the party and his base. He wanted to get a reaction to see if Rubio is in fact palatable. After all, he is a Latino, and that might not sit well with some of the conservative white base. We will see in the next few days what type of blow back Romney receives from his litmus test.
Meanwhile he'll also get a good read on the Latino reaction. What Romney has to understand is that unfortunately for him Cuban Americans don't always rate as common Latinos for the rest of the Latino community. Don't get me wrong, I embrace my Cuban brothers and sisters as members of the Latino community and many of them Immigrants like many of us. However, Immigrants from other countries don't always embrace them as warmly as I do. This primarily due to the immigration policy maintained by the United States regarding Cuban refugees. The U.S. has maintained a wet feet, dry feet policy with the Cubans. Immediately upon touching U.S. soil, Cubans are taken in and examined and processed on a fast track for residency and citizenship, yet Mexicans, Salvadorans, Guatemalans etc. don't have such luck and find themselves working by day and living in the shadows by night.
Can this move bring Romney the much needed Latino vote? He needs to stay above 30 percent of the Latino vote to win this election. The last Latino vote poll taken gave President Obama 73 percent of the vote and 26 percent to Romney. This poll was taken prior to President Obama's bold executive order. It's my understanding President Obama has gained a considerable amount of those Latinos who were polling in favor of Romney since his executive order.
It's amazing how a sector of the community that has largely been ignored and devalued, now plays a major role in the presidential elections. Everyone is pandering to the Latino vote. Well, let's be clear, everyone with the exception of Arizona's politicians, they are oblivious to the turning tide and the Latino tsunami that will eventually drown out any chances of political survival for these primarily white, privileged candidates, that have spent their legislative sessions creating laws targeting Latinos.
Carlos E. Galindo is a radio talk show host & political analyst conducting radio shows in both English and Spanish on four radio stations in Arizona. Mr. Galindo is a weekly contributor to KPFK 98.7 FM Los Angeles and has appeared on CNN, Univision and Telemundo as a political analyst. Mr. Galindo is also an Op-Ed columnist on Prensa Hispana Arizona. Carlos Galindo is a founding member and President of the Immigrant Advocacy Foundation, Inc.
http://www.carlosgalindo.com