The need and rise of the Latino/Hispanic Independent Voter in 2012

By DeeDee Garcia Blase

This will be my last entry as  “Arizona Hispanic Republicans” for the Tucson Citizen. I will now be writing under the HISPANIC POLITICO.

SOMOS REPUBLICANS.

As many of you might already know, I have stepped down as President of SOMOS REPUBLICANS – the largest Hispanic Republican group in the nation.  It became the biggest because we grew out of crisis and we were the only ones in the nation who advocated for Immigrant and Latino Rights.  SOMOS became nationally known when we rebuked Arizona Governor Jan Brewer and State Senator Russell Pearce for demonizing immigrants and Latinos. SOMOS remains in good hands as I have ensured that the organization will not be hijacked by Tea Party extremists and anti-Immigrant supporters.

It’s time for  me to divorce the Republican Party, and go an Independent and new direction.

As many of you might already know, I am an Independent registered voter now.  I will vote in the Republican primaries for the sole purpose of weeding out the worst Republicans.  As an Independent voter who will vote in Republican primaries….I get to vote for the most immigrant friendly GOPers as feasibly possible.  Before you laugh at that, realize what effect we could have as a bunch of Latino Independents and how we could actually bring about some upsets for restrictionists and isolationists in both parties.

THE NATIONAL TEQUILA PARTY MOVEMENT.

I am ready to unleash my passions within the National Tequila Party Movement.  That’s where the real power is at because I get to work with the broader political spectrum and people across the nation during a time in which Latino Republican voter strength continues to dwindle.  Little do people know how the Tequila Party (where most members and leaders are of Mexican descent) will turn into a type of an American Party because we are the compassionate ones who remember that immigrants made this nation great.  We are the ones who still believe that the United States is that Shining City on a Hill and we still believe we are a beacon to the whole world.  The Tequila Party will prove that Latinos are just as patriotic as any other ethnic class because we know we have shed our blood, too, in American wars.  It is not the fault of Hispanics for leaving the GOP.  Latino Republicans are dwindling because of Republican extremists like Tom Tancredo, J.D. Hayworth, Russell Pearce, Jan Brewer, Pete Wilson, Joe Arpaio, Marco Rubio (Latino Republican who is anti-immigrant), Lamar Smith, Steve King, Herman Cain, Mitt Romney, Sharron Angle, Virgil Peck, and so one.

THE POWER IS WITH THE PEOPLE.

I have known it all along:  The key to 2012 is to motivate Latinos to vote.  In fact, I believe 2012 will be the year of the Hispanics when we vote in droves because we are fed up.   They should not feel disgruntled about the status quote, but instead be glad with the rising population numbers in our class as we look ahead and take matters into our own hands.  We have the power to change the course of this country.  We want to revive the American Revolution and we are not afraid of immigrants because we know immigrants made this country a great one. We are in control of our destinies to a point.  We should continue to change what is in our power to change, and that means we need to vote more assertively.  If Latinos don’t vote, it is our own fault for the situation that we are in.  If only Latinos could play the political game the way we play soccer and how passionate and strategic we are about futbol.

WHY INDEPENDENT?

Being an Independent voter puts us in a “free agent” type of status.  Both parties have to work harder to woo us and this is a good position for us to be in, particularly when the Party we might have ‘believed in’ took advantage of our votes.  As more of us become registered Independent voters, both parties will tread carefully on issues that are near and dear to our hearts like the broken immigration system and our wanting to fix it.  It doesn’t stop at immigration, we look ahead at securing our interests via redistricting issues, and ensuring fairness to that regard.

More importantly, an Independent voter recognizes how the far right and the far left are truly ruining this country.  There needs to be more Independent voters to moderate policy discussion so that we can bring this nation back on the right course.  The right course is being able to work across the aisle.  Federal lawmakers need to take care of American business.  We need to be united on the tough issues and not be for government shut downs and etc.

MALCOM X.

We ought to learn a small lesson from Malcolm X  specifically regarding his views during Civil Rights era for African-Americans to become Independent Voters.  But, substitute Civil Rights era with the Immigrant / Latino Rights era in today’s climate.

Little did I know how accurate X was on pushing for the Independent voter to influence POLICY ISSUES.  Latinos should should learn from this specifically as it relates to the immigration issue and fixing what we all know is broken.

In order for Latinos to push for IMMIGRATION FIXES, we must get more involved. As more of us register as Independents. This will force R’s and D’s in a position to work harder for our votes and they will not be able to predict our voting behavior. This is good for them not to predict and take advantage of us. Both sides must work on fixing the broken immigration voters.

Rep Lamar Smith is attacking one of the most successful Mexican-American columnists that has ever existed — Ruben Navarrette. You can read the full article here.   What is up Lamar’s sleeve?  E-verify is.  He claims it is voluntary but every single Senate office I visited last month in Washington D.C.  told me that Lamar wants to introduce a national e-verification program in August.  He’s setting out the pillows because Lamar Smith thinks e-verify will happen without protest.

The State of Florida rejected their state version of e-verify and no thanks to Lamar Smith, we are going to lose the State of Florida in 2012 because in essence he is not listening to the business community.  The business community does not want to embrace more government bureaucracy via e-verify without a reasonable immigration solution. Businesses depend on competitive labor, and Lamar wants to increase the wage rate.

Why is Lamar Smith attacking Ruben but ignoring the backbone of our economic engine?  Did he forget small businesses and farmers are the backbone of our country?

More importantly, the DREAM Act activists have already declared that they will not trade e-verify programs in exchange for passage of the DREAM Act.  You can read their response here. They already know Lamar Smith wants them to forget about their mother and father for a cheap trade.  Lamar Smith is NOT in support of maintaining the family unit and he wants to give Latinos the scraps in exchange for harsh enforcement policies by dangling the DREAM Act carrot in front of our DREAMers noses.  Pretty revolting if you ask me.

It looks like we are headed back to the days of Sensenbrenner where massive protests were sparked with enforcement only policies.  When massive protests are sparked again WE ARE GOING TO BLAME LAMAR SMITH.

(Above)  Photo taken in 2006 during the Sensenbrenner enforcement policy days.

Ever mindful of extremism, we received forwarded photos that raised concerns to our leadership.  However, following the trail of toxic breadcrumbs sent our way exposed a narrative that mocks human life, offends the spirit of democracy, and brings shame upon our party yet again.  The Republican Party, like America itself, is diverse; of course there are competing visions of how we should represent ourselves and of what our legislative agenda should be.  However, the growing extremism that intimidates rational, moderate members has gone too far.

The first situation we were made aware of in Kansas that caused great alarm to us was when Virgil Peck advocated the shooting of illegal immigrants.  He’s since apologized.  Following this, we’ve received, via email, a disturbing array of pictures of angry Kansas residents with buttons stylized with “RINOs” in crosshairs attending legislative session.    Included was the name of local right-wing extremist Larry Halloran, whose Facebook page proved to illustrate a log-term and deliberate campaign of calls for violence and actions designed to intimidate “targets.”  Halloran’s page described, among other things, a call to “hunt” targeted legislators in “open season.”  He further qualifies this by dehumanizing his group’s “targets” and referring to their lives with terms used by game hunters for wild animals.

Just the same, and even though we believe in the freedom of speech so long as it does not advocate violence in our civil society, we would also be disturbed if atheist extremists wore buttons stylized with a “cross” in crosshairs.

Mindful that our Republic safeguards both our freedoms of speech and of peaceful assembly, we can not sit by idly as radicals use bullying and strong-arm techniques to threaten our democratic process.  Somos Republicans has been pushing for Kansas Republicans to embrace the KANSAS COMPACT as well as immigration and conservative issues throughout the nation.  Representative Louis Ruiz has taken a leadership role in guiding Kansas towards a healthy discussion on immigration.  Our focus continues to be on public policy issues, but we will continue to monitor this campaign of hate and intimidation.

We stand with moderate Republicans who continue to be targeted by this vicious and out of control campaign of calls to violence.  We urge them to remain strong and unwavering in principle while keeping aware of the volatile situation catalyzed by Virgil Peck and bolstered by Larry Halloran.  The extremist behavior brought to our attention is typical of anti-immigrant and Nativist extremism and we will be bringing it to the attention of Homeland Security for further investigation as potential domestic terrorism.

The below photos are very concerning to me because people are putting “RINOs” in crosshairs and wearing buttons that appears to advocate violence. We were alarmed when Rep. Virgil Peck advocated the shooting of “illegals” like hogs from a helicopter, and now we are seeing a new disturbing development unfold.

I am a Latina who is a long life registered Republican.  I have been called a “RINO” here in Arizona (which means Republican In Name Only) due to my immigration stance, even though  I am for securing the borders as well as a reasonable legal immigration solution. Does this mean that these people want to “hunt” me?  What if you saw someone wearing a button that had a symbol of a Christian cross in crosshairs?  How would Christians perceive that?  I believe the picture of the “RINO” in crosshairs is advocating threats.  I don’t like it, nor do I think this is appropriate.

As the founder of SOMOS REPUBLICANS, a national group based in Arizona, I have become extremely sensitive to anti-immigrant sentiment that has become mixed with violence.  We have had an increase in hate crimes as a result of Senator Russell Pearce’s SB 1070 bill, and we have had Mexican-Americans murdered over SB 1070 or by vigilantes who are part of a Minuteman group.  In fact, Shawna Forde ordered the killing of a precious 9 year old Mexican-American little girl who begged for her life in fetal position.

The photos below were taken TODAY during session at the Topeka, Kansas, capitol.  What was their mission today?  To revive HB 2372, an anti-immigrant law.   Their group which was led by a a “RINO Hunter,” Larry Halloran, sought out freshmen legislators and their district legislators to get them to bring HB 2372 from the Judiciary Committee to the House floor.  That has been the mission of these “Tea Party” whacko types — to strong-arm the freshmen into supporting anti-immigrant legislation by wearing big bright orange buttons with “RINOs” in their crosshairs.

It gets worse!  If you go to Larry Halloran’s facebook page, you will see comments on his photos like the below:

“RINO Hunters in Manhattan… a good RINO hunt deserves a well-rounded HuHot meal.”

Larry Halloran, chairman of the Wichita-South Central Kansas 912 Group (Tea Party Whacko Group),brags about the article that was written about his group here.

I want you to take a look at the below photos of those who are wearing the “RINO” buttons, and I want you to decide what you think of the message being conveyed.  You would think that after our Congresswoman was shot in the head by a disturbed young man that reasonable people would tone down violent rhetoric.  No wonder Rep. Virgil Peck said what he said.  It appears hunting animals is at it’s height of the season.

The below photo was taken today at the Kansas Capitol when the RINO hunters were targeting freshmen legislators asking them to bring about the anti-immigrant bill they want to see on the floor.

The below photo was taken on March 18, 2011, when the anti-immigrant bill HB 2372 was going to be heard in front of the House Judiciary Committee.    There were about 15 people there wearing the RINO buttons.  You can see the album here.

We will keep you posted with regard to our concerns.

The Arizona Republican Party is going to have to do better than Gabriela Saucedo Mercer in order to replace Congressman Raul Grijalva.  If you want to win Latino hearts and mind, it starts with educating yourselves by understanding Hispanic Culture and Demographics.   For starters, let’s find out what the the Pew Hispanic Center has to say about Latino Demography and what the data suggests with regard to our behavior.  It is absolutely imperative for the Republican Party to know that only 12% of Hispanics say local police should take an active role in identifying undocumented immigrants.  Over 80% of the Hispanic population is against SB 1070 type of laws.

If you hunt and look really hard  for Latino Republican tokens who know what you want to hear…then you will find a very small percent of Hispanics that will turn into “yes-men” for you.  (Pssst. But let me clue you in on something:  If those Hispanic Republicans know you are in support of SB 1070 type of laws, then of course they will tell you what you want to hear), but, this does not change the overall pulse of how Latinos really feel.

Approximately 44% of Hispanics voted for George W. Bush in 2004.   As of 2008, we have dwindled down to 31% who voted for McCain, and I believe much of that had to do with Obama sinking millions and millions into Hispanic media coupled with the increasing anti-immigrant sentiment that began with Sensenbrenner’s Bill – H.R. 4437.

Now, let’s look at the data and the pace that state legislators like Virgil Peck (advocated shooting ‘illegals like pigs’), and Russell Pearce (sponsor of SB 1070) are putting us on.  Do you really believe at this pace the Republican Party will win the Presidential elections of 2012? Not if Latinos can help it.  The new RNC leadership must denounce the likes of Virgil Peck to prove to the increasing number of Hispanic voters that all Republicans are not a bunch of bigots who want to empty a clip on “illegals”.

SOMOS REPUBLICANS are working in the overall best interest of the Republican Party, but we don’t do it by being “yes men”. We put people before party, and we do it by practicing good ol’ politics like Ronald Reagan used to practice.   Back then, politicians worked with each other across the aisle for what was in the best interest of the United States.  These days too many people will call you a “RINO” which means “Republican In Name Only” if you are not a far right winger;  Or, they will call you a “DINO” which means “Democrat In Name Only”.  The far leftists and right wingers are ruining our country.  We want reason and decency instead of being attacked for not being extreme enough for the party hacks.

We are hell bent on restoring our soul to the Party of Abe Lincoln.  If you want Latino Republican “tokens”, then they are going to tell you what you want to hear, but if you are smart, you will pay attention to the Pew Research data below. Those Latino Republican tokens want the immediate satisfaction of your acceptance, however, what you should be watching for is what the entire Hispanic population is saying with regard to enforcement-only policies.

If you want to dwindle Hispanic Republican support down to 12%, then embrace politicians like Russell Pearce, Tom Tancredo, J.D. Hayworth, Virgil Peck, Steve King and all the other extremists.  If you want to see MORE Hispanic Republican voters, then you must not embrace SB 1070 type of laws.  It’s that simple.

• Eight-in-ten Hispanics say local police should not be involved in identifying undocumented or illegal immigrants.
  According to the Pew Hispanic Center’s 2008 National Survey of Latinos, 81% of Hispanics said enforcement of immigration laws should be left mainly to the federal authorities while just 12% said local police should take an active role. Among the general public, opinion is split — in 2007, half (49%) of non-Hispanics said enforcement should be left mainly to federal authorities, while 45% said local police should take an active role.
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I want to share a column by Ruben Navarrette with regard to the congressional hearings into the Muslim American community.  You can read the entire story here, Ruben wrote:

I agree that the hearings are a bad idea, even a dangerous one. King would have been better off scrutinizing all sorts of groups and not just one. And yet, the more I think about it, the more I appreciate King’s passion for the cause of ferreting out radicals. So I’ve got an important assignment for him.  Read more.

In reading Navarrette’s column, my interest peaked when he wrote he had an assignment for King.  I wanted to know what assignment he had, and he made some good points.

I meant to write my feelings on the hearings earlier, because I was emotional when Keith Ellison testified to the tune that Muslim Americans are patriotic, too.  I suppose I was somewhat emotional because some extremists have also accused Latinos of not being patriotic, so I can empathize with Keith to this regard and understand why he was sincere.

I am in support of the “terror hearings”, just as Keith Ellison is.  However, I am not in support of hearings that are aimed at one specific ethnic group.  We should conduct “terror hearings” that will point to all of the other ones that exist, too.  As I watched the terror hearings last week, I honed in on Congressman Keith Ellison’s testimony.  He made a good point with regard to the FBI/Law Enforcement, where he said:

This brings me to my third point. What should we be doing to address violent extremism and keep America safe?

The best defense against extremist ideologies is social inclusion and civic engagement. FBI Agent Ralph Boelter, head of the Minneapolis FBI, illustrates my point. He led a large scale probe into counterterrorism involving local Somali-Americans heading overseas to fight with a terrorist organization. He is now coming to D.C. to become the Agency’s deputy assistant director in charge of counterterrorism.

Boelter’s strategy: To fight extremism, the Agency needs to establish sincere relationships with the community. “We had to be able to show people they could trust me, trust us,” Boelter said of the local community.

FBI Agent Boelter “showed a side to the FBI that people don’t see,” said Minneapolis Police Chief Tim Dolan. “They needed that. They needed a little more to make their case. And it paid off because of the connections he made. People came forward. He became somebody that they were willing to go to.”

You see, I know Keith is speaking the truth here.  A former business partner of mine who happens to be Muslim American told me that if the government ever needed his help in translating to combat Islamic terrorism, he would be more than happy to do so to help protect our nation.  He told me intelligence departments should create a strong relationship with Muslim Americans to counter the real bad guys.

Rep. Peter King’s strategy is damning to the image of our country we have to other parts of the world. The billion$ we give in aid toward earthquake/tsunami responses, and other forms of crisis situations…gives a message to the whole world that we (United States) bring light to their darkness. However, the hypocrisy of the Peter King hearings serve to snuff out some of the light we give, and unbeknownst to him, he is cracking that door to the Dark Ages.

Muslims come here to flee corrupt government, and when they experience freedom in America, they testify of their American experience to their families across the globe. It’s the greatest testament there is, and in fact, this is how “the American gospel” is spread like religion. When Muslim Americans, Chinese Americans, Persian Americans come here, they tell their families how much better our government is.  Then  their relatives who live in China, the Mid-East, Iran and so forth  put pressure on their own governments to be “more like America”.  Other government leaders don’t want to feel the pressure from their own citizens to become more like America, because they want to continue to dictate, and they don’t want their citizens — “the people” to influence the direction of their countries.

When we isolate and target a group such as King did this past Thursday with Muslim Americans, it gives middle eastern leaders a reason to tell their people that “America hates Muslims”.  This is why I don’t believe in King’s strategy because it is the wrong way.  It’s divisive to what was intended for our Union.

How can the whole world view us as a beacon of light, when we have become isolationists with regard to policies within our own continent?  Who are we to tell others that they should spread democracy throughout the world when we shut the door to those who seek it fleeing their corrupt government?

As such, when we become anti-immigrant, it gives other leaders like Putin and Kim Jong Il, a footing to tell Moscow and North Korea why the so called “American beacon to the immigrants” has failed as they point to our hypocrisy.  Without America, and our testimony….the world has no hope.

Peter King should have carried out a full blown hearing that targets all terrorist and extremist groups regardless of RACE, RELIGION and COLOR.

This is only one “King” problem in America.  We have another “King” problem, and his name is Rep. Steve King.

Isolationists like Rep. Steve King should come to the realization that America is not at a healthy replacement rate with the upcoming retiring baby boomers and the burgeoning Social Security entitlements that will bankrupt our nation within 15 years if we don’t find ways  to resolve this issue.  Since the United States is in the business of “killing our own”, we have no choice but to rely on immigrants.  A pro life leader puts it eloquently on why pro growth ideas are necessary to sustain the American economy below:

Roe v. Wade’s legacy: 52 million abortions and counting

To visualize the significance of 52 million abortions…With the solvency of Social Security and Medicare under debate, consider the effect on those programs if millions more citizens participated.  That’s more Americans buying homes, cars, clothing, groceries — creating an economic stimulus unattainable by legislative fiat.

Read more.

There you have it.  Both Kings — Peter and Steve are taking us down the wrong path.  They hurt the image of the United States and the GOP, because you have one “King” who is hell bent on targeting  the Muslims without looking at other extremists (such as Minuteman Shawna Forde, who killed  innocent Mexican Americans), and you have the other “King” who has a dangerous isolationist view during a time when America should embrace growth.

So much for the works of the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.   Peter King and Steve King are taking us backward.  Americans are sick and tired of divisiveness.  Is it really that hard to solve problems that will keep the good American people cohesive regardless of race, religion and color?  We are supposed to be “United”, remember?  Not look for wedge issues that will only serve to divide our country.

More than ever, we need a President like Ronald Reagan who had the true American Spirit within him.  If only more Americans could remember his Shining City Upon a Hill speech.  I can’t imagine Reagan doing what Peter and Steve do.  What a shame.