Editorial Slams Republicans: GOP Hurting Itself With Latinos

An editorial in the Tampa Tribune today proclaims the GOP is kicking itself in the foot on the Latino vote. I agree and I want to give a big thanks out to Republicans for speaking very loud and clear on what they think of the Hispanic Constituency. Everyone should know.

The latest disrespect for Hispanics comes via Republican Presidential candidates with their announcements to skip the Univision Presidential Forum.

From the editorial:

The Democrats seem to have no problem making time in their schedules for Latino voters. Univisión’s Sept. 9 Democratic debate is on.

Talk about a missed opportunity for Republicans.

… 

Latinos made it clear in the 2006 mid-term election that they were not particularly happy with the choices in either party and that they would be discerning voters in future elections. Last fall, Democrats won the Florida Hispanic vote for the first time in 30 years – a message that Latino voters cannot be taken for granted anywhere.

…

A cold shoulder is hard to shrug off. If candidates refuse to show up at major Latino forums, they shouldn’t expect Latinos to show up for them on Election Day.

Really, talk about shrugging off the largest growing constituency in Florida, while on the other hand bending over backward to please the anti-Hispanic far right-wing. Hispanics are going to take notice of this and it just cannot be good for Republicans in Florida. Republicans lost the Hispanic vote in 2006 for the first time in 30 years and with the looks of the way things are going right now, it’s going to get worse for them in 2008. But if that’s what they want to do, then I’m very happy for them. They’re going to be the party of the very few in Florida very soon.

Meanwhile, an update on what the Democrats are doing:

All eight Democratic candidates are slated to show up Sept. 9 [at the Univision Forum], and party leaders plan to highlight the contrast. The New Democratic Network, a nationwide political group, is planning news conferences and inviting Hispanic leaders, including Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey, former Cabinet member Henry Cisneros and U.S. Rep. Luís Gutiérrez of Illinois.

It is quite the contrast. While the Republican Presidential Candidates refuse to come, not only are the Democratic Presidential Candidates coming, but also Democratic Hispanic leaders from all across the country will be flocking into Miami. There is a clear difference here between a Republican Party that is becoming more and more open only to the Xenophobic and a Democratic Party that is open to everyone. Great, we should all give a big thanks in advance for the Republicans practically giving us Florida.

Check out some of my past diaries on the Florida Hispanic Vote:

Florida Hispanics Abandoning GOP

The Cuban Vote: Going Democratic in 2008

Influx of Puerto Rican Voters Provides Opportunity for Democrats

I think the question is when will we reach the climax of support from the Hispanic community, 2008, 2010, 2020? And secondly when will Republicans stop writing them off?

This is something that is going to be worth paying very close attention to, as the Hispanic community continues to expand in Florida and as their political dynamics change, particularly in the Cuban-American community in this regard. When Republican just write Hispanics off, the dynamics favor Democrats even more so. I think it’s going to be the Hispanic community that propels Democrats to election victories in Florida and when they do maybe Republicans won’t be laughing at them anymore.

Polk County: Influx of Puerto Rican Voters Provides Opportunity for Democrats

In what has been known to be a very red area in Florida in the past, there is some great news from The Ledger this week:

 Are you fluent in both English and Spanish? Then Polk County Supervisor of Elections Lori Edwards has a job for you – for maybe two or three days a year.

The Polk elections office is making an all-out effort to locate bilingual poll workers because of the increased Hispanic population in the county and the increase in the number of Hispanic voters.

The U.S. Census Bureau has estimated that there are 81,646 Hispanics in Polk, 14.5 percent of the total county population. Polk has gone from the 27th-largest Hispanic voting population among the 67 counties in Florida to the 11th-largest.

An influx of Puerto Ricans, who are U.S. citizens and have the right to vote, is contributing to the increase in Spanish-speaking voters, Edwards said.

That last little bit there is the gem. Many Puerto Ricans, all of whom are US citizens, have been moving into central Florida by the thousands in the past few years. This could have a huge impact on elections for many years to come in the area and I’m glad to see that Lori Edwards is playing it very smart here by reaching out to them and trying to give them a fair opportunity to vote.

Just the fact though that bilingual workers are now needed even in Polk County should give confidence to Democrats in the 12th and surrounding districts that what were once solid Republican areas could be ripe territory for pickups in the future. If Democrats make a strong effort and actively campaign for the Hispanic vote, then we will make continual gains and be able to engage in strong competitive campaigns in the area for years to come. What’s at stake here just in Polk County are five state house seats and 2 state senate states.

Remember in 2006, Hispanics favored Democrats at the top of the ballot for the first time in 30 years and this is including the Cuban vote (See: Florida Hispanics Abandoning GOP) and just last Spring in a special election, Democrat Darren Soto, a Puerto Rican, picked up the central Florida seat for State House District 49, previously held by a Republican. Democrats are already making waves in the central Florida area and we have the opportunity to make more waves in the years to come. Let’s start with 2008.

Our first goal must be to find candidates for many of the legislative districts in the area. These include:

HD-63: No Democrats, Republican Incumbent (Seth McKeel)

HD-64 (Open): No Democrats, Three Republican Candidates (English, Stargel, Walker)

HD-65 (Open): No Democrats, One Republican Candidate (John Wood)

HD-66: No Democrats, Republican Incumbent (Baxter Troutman)

HD-79 (Open): No Democrats, One Republican Candidate (Mike Horner)

SD-15: No Democrats, Republican Incumbent (Paula Dockery)

SD-17: No Democrats, Republican Incumbent (J.D. Alexander)

Yes, unfortunately the Democratic roster is completely blank right now in all of these districts. If we’re not competing it is going to be very difficult to make gains, so let’s get some candidates running.

Let’s keep an eye on these districts. I’ll be profiling them later on.

Target #1: Education, Dan Gelber Says “Hope”

The Republican Legislature and Governor have given us a Billion Dollar deficit. Soon we will begin facing the cuts and one of the first and possibly one of the largest targets will be Education, which means children are going to be suffering the consequences of our actions.

CFNEWS13 highlights the Education cuts that might be coming:

Still, Tuesday, the State Board of Education began taking a cold look at what might happen if cuts go deeper than expected.

Schools would have to put off buying textbooks. Teacher bonuses would be scaled back and bus routes could be cancelled.

Plus, at the university level, enrollment would be frozen and faculty would be laid off.

Poorer books than other states, continued lower-paid teachers than other states, cut bus routes, and a reduction in the number of students in college…is that what we need in Florida’s schools right now? Is that what our children deserve???

We can do better than that and it’s time we stop the Republicans from getting away with it. The children of Florida are going to suffer because of their decisions, at a time we should actually be increasing teacher wages, lowering class sizes, and increasing access to our university system.  

Here was Democratic House Leader Dan Gelber’s response:

State House Minority Leader Dan Gelber, Miami Beach, said even the minimum cuts, like reducing office staff, could be the tipping point that throws public education into turmoil. “My hope is that they hold education harmless. I mean, I hope they do, but honestly, if you look at Florida’s per capita spending, we’re next-to-last in the nation. We obviously haven’t been holding education harmless in our good years. So i’m not sure you can expect them to hold us harmless now.”

Is that the official Democratic message on this? We just have to “hope” the other party doesn’t screw this up? It’s time to fight back much harder on this. The budget cuts today are a result of the practically constant Republican rule we have had over the last decade and they should get the credit they deserve on it.

Florida Republicans are giving Democrats a huge opening for the 2008 legislative elections. It’s time for the Democratic party to fight back on a strong investment message and a turnaround on the failures of Republicans. We need to give the voters something else on education, like actual investment rather than reduction.

Relaunch

I also wanted to mention that this site is being relaunched after a hiatus due to me being away for the past six months. If you would like to join the effort to Turn Florida Blue as a writer, please email me at magic_star40 (at) yahoo (dot) com.

Florida Hispanics Abandoning GOP

Take a look at this for another sign Florida Republicans are in for some trouble with the Hispanic vote in 2008.

According to the latest Florida International University poll of Cuban Americans in Miami-Dade, 65 percent support a dialogue with the Cuban government, up from 40 percent in 1991. In another recent survey conducted for Democrats of two heavily Cuban-American congressional districts in Miami-Dade — represented by Republicans Lincoln Díaz-Balart and his brother Mario — voters rated getting rid of Castro sixth among their concerns. Their top priority for Congress: getting out of Iraq. President Bush’s approval rating was 39 percent, only a handful of points higher than in national polls.

It sounds like to me these districts’ constituents would be better served by Democrats than the pro-Iraq war Diaz-Balart brothers. It’s time we begin testing the waters in these districts. While Republicans have relied on these districts for years simply based on anti-Cuba rhetoric, it’s not going to work anymore.

The article continues on about the loss of Hispanics in the GOP:

Hispanic voters in Miami-Dade County, regarded for years as a solidly Republican catch for statewide and national candidates stumping in Florida, are increasingly becoming free agents.

Less than half of the county’s Hispanic voters are registered Republicans, down from 59 percent less than a decade ago, The Miami Herald found. Like newer voters elsewhere in the state and the nation, more Hispanic voters are rebuffing political parties: One out of four in Miami-Dade are registered as nonpartisan. In Broward County, one in three Hispanic registered voters are unaffiliated with either party.

”It’s a trend that I’ve seen happening, and obviously it concerns me,” said Jose ”Pepe” Riesco, vice chairman of the Miami-Dade Republican Party. “It’s a problem we can’t run away from.”

Even the Republicans are admitting it, they are beginning to lose the Cuban-American vote and more largely the Hispanic vote all together. It doesn’t take much thought to figure out why. When the Republican Party’s top nominees all refuse to attend one of the largest Hispanic conferences in Florida, while all of the major Democrats show up, the Republican Party begins to look, shall we say, a little less appealing. In the past, Republicans have been able to rely on their platform solely of smearing Cuba to win the Cuban-American vote, however now young Cuban-American voters are demanding much more than that.

Those independent voters tend to be younger Cuban Americans or naturalized citizens from Central America and South America, many of whom worry more about securing healthcare than toppling Fidel Castro, according to more than two dozen interviews with voters and Hispanic leaders.

Health care, Iraq, education, jobs? Don’t expect Republicans to talk to Cubans about any real issues any time soon. Republicans have used Cuban voters for many years and have given them nothing in return. They have made Cuba a wedge issue, trying to divide voters rather than unite.

Other good news:

Amid the nationwide backlash against the GOP in 2006, Hispanics in Florida favored the Democratic candidates at the top of the ballot for the first time in 30 years, exit polls show. Hoping to build on that success, the state Democratic Party has tapped Luis Garcia, the only Cuban-American Democrat representing Miami-Dade in the Legislature, to serve as vice chairman.

When thousands of Hispanic leaders convened at conferences in Orlando and Miami this summer, the Democratic presidential candidates were there to court them. At the Orlando event, Democratic front-runner Sen. Hillary Clinton seized on remarks by potential GOP rival Fred Thompson that seemed to suggest that Cuban immigrants posed a terrorist threat. (He was actually referring to spies.)

”Democrats have resolved that we are not going to make the mistakes of 2000 and 2004, when for all practical purposes, the Hispanic vote was written off,” said Miami pollster and paid Clinton advisor Sergio Bendixen.

In 2008, we can build on our past successes from 2006, further expand our Hispanic majorities, particularly into the Cuban-American community, and finally push for changes in our state that will help all Floridians. We have an opportunity to pick up those Miami House districts, as well as seats in the Florida House and Florida Senate.

9/11 Commission Bill Passed

Playing a little catch up here now, we also want to discuss the 9/11 Commission vote. This is the bill that would enforce all of the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission. These recommendations are meant to keep our country safe in the future. But despite that, over the last several years, Republicans have refused to put the recommendations before a vote of Congress anyways. Now with Democrats in control, finally the recommendations of the bipartisan commission were put before a vote.

Not surprisingly it passed on a vote of 299 – 128, with not just 231 Democrats voting Yes, but also with the support of 68 Republicans.

Despite the Yes vote on the bill, some Republicans still voted No against the recommendations of the bipartisan commission. These Republicans voted with an extreme partisan view. Here are the Florida Republicans who voted No against securing the country:

Miller (1st), Crenshaw (4th), Stearns (6th), Mica (7th), Young (10th), Putnam (12th), Weldon (15th), Feeney (24th) 

Of note here is Dave Weldon, who seems determined to vote down almsot every bipartisan bill of the 100 Hours agenda.

 Again, here was his last election:

Dave Weldon: 56%     Bob Bowman: 44%

We need to keep on him and put up a funded challenge in 2008. His votes have been out of the mainstream and voters in the 15th District are not going to like that.

College Student Relief Act Passes

The bipartisan bill to reduce interest rates on student loans by half passed on a vote of 356 – 71. All 71 No votes were Republicans, whereas 124 Republicans joined with 232 Democrats to pass the legislation. Four of the 71 No votes were from Florida Republicans, making them champions of the extreme far-right wing of the party.

Mica (7th), Putnam (12th), Mack (14th), Feeney (24th)

Medicare Prescription Negotiation Bill Passed: Fourteen Florida Republicans Vote No

As we continue our coverage of the Florida Republicans who are voting against the 100 Hours Plan, we will now take a look at the vote on the recently passed Medicare Prescription Negotiation Act, which will allow the government to negotiate the price of prescription drugs with corporations and thus lower the prices for people.

The US House passed the bill 255 – 170, with many Republican votes included. However, once again the Florida Republicans voted against the interests of people and seniors, in particular. The Florida delegation voted 14 – 11 against helping to lower the price of prescripton drugs. They voted against the bipartisan bill and instead voted in the favor of corporations and the elite.

Crenshaw (4th), Brown-Waite (5th), Stearns (6th), Mica (7th), Keller (8th), Bilirakis (9th), Young (10th), Putnam (12th), Mack (14th), Weldon (15th), Ros-Lehtinen (18th), Diaz-Balart L. (21st), Feeney (24th), Diaz-Balart M. (25th)

Let’s take a look again at some of these representatives. Brown-Waite represents many seniors and she voted against their interests right here in this vote. She sold out to pharmaceutical companies and did not serve the desire of her constituents. Keller and Weldon again have voted against a bipartisan bill to help the middle class in America. These two Congressmen won narrow reelections in 2006 and votes like this will not impress in 2008. Bilirakis registered a vote for helping the corporate and elite in our country and against the middle class and seniors of his district.

These are the representatives of our state. I am sure many people in these districts do not know that their representatives are voting against their wishes right now. But the representatives should keep in mind that there will be elections again in 2008 and if they continue to vote in favor of corporations and the powerful and against the middle class, voters will not be happy. If they continue to vote a long the lines of the far right-wing of their party and against bipartisan bills, they are going face more tough elections.

Stem Cell Research Bill Passed: Thirteen Florida Republicans Vote No

We will continue to follow the Florida US House delegation and focus on which Republicans are voting against progress in our country and against helping the people of Florida.

Next Up Here: Stem Cell Research

On Stem Cell Research, the House vote was 253 – 174 for Stem Cell research. However, this did not stop the Florida delegation from voting 13 – 12 against Stem Cell research. Thirteen Republicans voted against Stem Cell Research, while only three sided with Democrats on an issue the majority of Americans and in many of these districts, Floridians support.

Here are the members, followed by district, who voted against progress in science, who voted against the wishes of the people.

Miller (1st), Crenshaw (4th), Stearns (6th), Mica (7th), Keller (8th), Bilirakis (9th), Putnam (12th), Buchanan (13th), Weldon (15th), Ros-Lehtinen (18th), Diaz-Balart L. (21st), Feeney (24th), Diaz-Balart M. (25th)

Particularly of note here are Ric Keller, Michael Bilirakis, Vernon Buchanan, and Dave Weldon. They all just squeaked through elections in 2006 and voters in these districts will certainly not be pleased that their Congressmen voted against progress on medical research, on an issue that many other Republicans around the country sided with the Democrats in voting Aye. But not these Republicans. Vernon Buchanan, who has just won (Stolen) a contested election, voted against moving forward on Stem Cell Research. Dave Weldon again has gone a long with the far-right wing of his party. Ric Keller has voted against the interests of the people of central Florida and he is certainly going to have a big 2008 challenge, so he might want to think about it when he votes against the wishes of his constituents again.

Here are their 2006 unimpressive results:

8th District    Keller: 53%   Stuart: 46%

9th District    Bilirakis: 56%   Busansky: 44%

13th District    Buchanan: 50%   Jennings: 50%

15th District   Weldon: 56%   Bowman: 44%

These Republicans should be thinking about their not-so-impressive elections, three of them who were incumbents, in 2006, when they vote against Stem Cell Research, a bipartisan issue that many other Republicans voted for. Luckily for them they will probably have another chance, after George Bush vetoes the bill, to vote again. They will have the choice to either side with the President against progress and the wishes of the people or they can vote Aye.

Minimum Wage Bill Passed: Six Florida Republicans Vote No

Today, the US House passed legislation to raise the minimum wage on a 315-116 vote, as 80 Republicans joined with 100% of the Democrats to pass the bill to help workers in America. In fact, 10 out of 16 Florida Republicans voted Yes, only six of them did not.

Six Florida Republicans appealed to the far-right wing of the party on this vote and made their vote against progress for American workers, against steps to end the class-divide in America. They voted in favor of special business interests, while they cut and ran from workers.

Jeff Miller (R) District 1, John Mica (R) District 7, Adam Putnam (R) District 12, Connie Mack (R) District 14, Dave Weldon (R) District 15, and Tom Feeney (R) District 24

All of these Republicans voted No on doing what Florida voters have already passed in a statewide referendum, raising the minimum wage.

Dave Weldon, who just had a not-so-impressive election victory against an underfunded opponent was one of the Republicans who voted No. Here were the results of his last election.

District 15:     Weldon 56%     Bowman 44%

The reason: Dave Weldon does not vote the way his constituents expect him to. More and more voters in district 15 are catching on and if Dave Weldon continues to cut and run from the people of his district and on progress for the country, people will not respond positively to that.

 Today the US Congress took a step to move forward again in our country and to help out workers. Many workers will now benefit with a decent standard of living. At the same time, six Republicans in Florida voted for the corporate and powerful and against workers.