No Somos Republican

Republicans can’t even hear themselves talking anymore. They can’t even hear, or realize it, when they say something totally offensive to Hispanics in their own party.

Witness Lauro Garza, the former Hispanic activist Republican from Katy, Texas, who has recently resigned from the Republican Party over remarks of Republican presidential hopeful Herman Cain in Las Vegas this past week.

From the Austin American-Statesman:

“We saw this yesterday, in the glare of broad daylight, when a leading presidential candidate, Herman Cain, not once, but twice, advocated for the murder of innocent people and that was met with cheers! … The fact the GOP allows and applauds such outrageous thoughts is beyond reprehensible.”

Now to my knowledge, there is no plank on the Republican Platform advocating electrified fences on the border. I could be wrong, because there are lots of outrageous things written in that platform document, but I think I would have remembered it when I last read it.

The GOP has no official position on electrified fences. However, from the audience reaction to Cain’s plan, wild whoops and frantic applause, it probably should be there. And I think this is what got Mr. Garza’s cabra (goat). He suddenly realized that he was surrounded by a bloc of people who would like nothing better than to see his cold dead hands charbroiled and wrapped frozen around some electrified barbed wire.

But the message that Republicans are sending out, vote for us, vote for us, seems to be falling on deaf Hispanic ears since the GOPers have collectively embarked on this journey of unreasonable and murderous racial hatred.

Hispanics have no reason to vote for a single Republican and conservative Hispanics are now coming to this realization. Now all we have to do is find some way to get the rest of these targeted people to realize that if they don’t vote these maniacs will continue to stay in power.

Disenfranchising Minority Voters, Texas Style

Not surprising me in the least, Texas’ recently-passed Voter ID Law, the one that requires voters present one of only 5 forms of photo ID in order to be able to vote in the state, threatens to disenfranchise 600,000 voters.

This is according to data submitted to the federal government by the state attorney general as requested when the feds decline to issue a “pre-clearance” of the law as required by provisions of the Voting Rights Act.

That request contained a requirement that the attorney general present the federal government with a head count of people who are registered to vote but do not hold drivers’ licenses

And it comes as no surprise that many of the 24 counties where a significant number of registered voters do not carry drivers’ licenses are small rural counties with significant Hispanic populations.

Topping the list is Presidio County which has as many as 25.9%, or 1,313 registered voters with no record of having a drivers’ license.

Republicans, true to form, don’t think the law will disenfranchise voters at all. Patricia Harless R-Spring, and one of the sponsors of the Voter ID law put it this way:

“‘I don't think this, in any way, is going to disenfranchise anyone," she said.”

“Harless said most of the people not found in DPS files would be able to vote. Maybe their licenses and voter ID cards are different because one has a maiden name and the other has a married name.”

“She also said many of those people in border counties could have only passports for travel to Mexico. Or they are 65 years old or older, and exempt from the voter ID requirements.”

And oh, yeah, on that last point about people 65 and older being exempt from the law: liar, liar pants on fire. While it is true that the bill once contained language that exempted those over 65, that was stripped out of the bill before final passage.

Texas Republicans, lying to Texans since 1998.

Redistricting Case: Defense Goes for Suspension of Belief

I find it amazing that today, on the day of the first Republican Presidential debate to include the Texas governor, attorneys defending Texas’ redistricting plan are saying that because of new diversity trends in Texas, people of the Hispanic persuasion are less likely to vote for an Hispanic, a race vote they call it, and contend that there are some Hispanics that will vote for Republicans, and, they say to my shocked surprise, there are some white people who will vote for Democrats.

No, really, he said that.

Now while it is true that, nationally, Hispanics have voted for Republicans a third of the time, you have to look at what kind of Hispanic you are looking at. Cubans are also Hispanic, and Floridian Cubans tend to vote for neoconservatives because of their anti-Castro sentiments.

That and they still haven’t gotten over Jack Kennedy’s handling of the landing at the Bay of Pigs.

What is true is that Hispanics do like to vote for Hispanics, and African-Americans do like to vote for African-Americans. Ask Chris Bell if you don’t believe that.

This argument demands a suspension of belief. Hispanics in Texas would be absolutely crazy to vote for a Republican candidate these days, especially with all the rhetoric about immigrants, Sanctuary Cities, and solving the issue of illegal immigrants in Texas.

No, it is completely obvious what Republicans who drew the new congressional district boundaries had in mind. They wanted to take the increase in population, fueled by an increase in the Hispanic demographic, and turn it into a bigger Republican majority in congress by effectively negating the Hispanic vote in 3 out of the 4 new congressional districts. All you have to do is read the newspapers. When Hispanics vote, they vote heavily Democratic – when they turn out – which they didn’t do in 2010. And now, because of that in 3 out of 4 congressional districts, Hispanics are being disenfranchised.

This cannot stand, but I am not holding my breath that the 5^th Circuit Court of Appeals will rule correctly. I am waiting for the Department of Justice to weigh in on whether the redistricting plan violates the Voting Rights Act. It does, they will, and another Republican project in the 82^nd Legislature will crash into a hillside.

Will Sanctuary City Bill Mobilize Hispanics Next Year?

Probably the single most divisive issue in the Republican Party in Texas right now is the fact that Rick Perry has made it a priority that the legislature passes a Sanctuary City bill.

Norman Adams who heads up Texans for Sensible Immigration Policy finds that he and his group must oppose the Governor’s wish for passage of this anti-Hispanic bill, and for good reason. The number one demographic increase in Texas that is responsible for Texas acquiring 4 additional seats in Congress is the Hispanic population.

If they are to stay in power, Republicans must curry favor with this population, not something that is going to happen anytime soon if as Adams says since “Hispanic voters will not support a party that wants to deport their mother and father.”

Yeah, I guess I would be a little averse to cast a vote for a Republican given that kind of result.

But it goes even further. It goes to the economy. Witness what SB 1070 did to Arizona’s economy. Arizona lost business through both active and passive boycotting.

“If you want to find out if we can actually survive deporting these people, go look at what has happened in Arizona. They are in the biggest economic collapse of history,” he said. “Apartments are empty, houses are being repossessed and strip centers are half empty. It’s terrible.”

Yeah, I had to find a way to incorporate that quote somehow.

Now the only question I have goes back to the title of this post. Hispanics are notorious for not showing up on Election Day. The phenomenom is unexplainable. But I have to ask will passage of a Sanctuary City bill in the legislature be of sufficient motivation for Hispanics to get out and vote this time?

If so, the Texas GOP may just shoot itself in the foot with this bill.

A notion I relish.