Republicans Announces National Pro-Immigration Reform Advocacy Campaign

Republican groups are gearing up efforts to advocate for immigration reform rolling out a national media campaign. Today, the Hispanic Leadership Network (HLN) announced a six-figure national ad buy in English and Spanish featuring HLN Co-Chair former Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez. The ad is part of a new campaign “Be Part of the Solution,” geared to encourage passage of bipartisan immigration reform.” Watch the ad below.

In the ad, Secretary Gutierrez states, “America’s the only place where a little boy who couldn’t speak English can grow up to be a CEO and U.S. secretary of Commerce… Washington must pass immigration reform that grows the economy and respects the rule of law.”

Gutierrez was born in Cuba. When he was six, he and his family fled to Mexico from Communist Cuba. When he was 22 he joined the Kellogg company in Mexico and worked himself up the ranks. In January 1999, Gutierrez was elected to the Kellogg’s Board of Directors and by April of 1999, he was appointed president and CEO. Carlos Gutierrez took the helm at Kellogg becoming the company’s youngest CEO in nearly 100- year history. He also became the only Latino CEO of a Fortune 500 company. In 2004, Fortune Magazine dubbed Gutierrez as “The Man Who Fixed Kellogg” turning around the company’s finances. He went on to become Secretary of Commerce under the Bush Administration.

Read the full press release form HLN after the jump.

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CPAC 2012: Live from Radio Row

Power Play is live from the 2012 Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington D.C.

Talking to activist and conservative leaders from across the country, Alicia and I are excited about all the great interviews we did on CPAC’s Radio Row. Among some of our fascinating guests:

ACU Chairman Al Cardenas – Our newest LUCHADOR, Chairman Cardenas talks about his journey from a kid from Cuba to leader of the conservative movement.

Congresswoman Mary Bono Mack (R-CA) – The Congresswoman talks about women in politics, the role of women in the conservative movement and the changing demographics of California.

David Bossie, President, Citizens United – Gives us the behind the scenes story of the famous case, Citizens United v. FEC, which opened the door for Super PACs in 2012 and changed American politics forever.

Grover Norquist, President, Americans for Tax Reform – talks taxes, CPAC, the direction of the conservative movement, 2012 politics and update on the current Capitol Hill debate.

Javier Manjarres, Editor, Shark-Tank.net - Last years Blogger of the Year, El Sharko himself, gives us his take on the presidential race, Florida politics and his own winner and losers.

Laura Ramirez Drain, President, Hispanic Vote – The newest Super PAC, Hispanic Vote, kicks off operations at CPAC. Laura tells us more about the direction of the organization and goals it this super political season.

Sam Rosado, Contributor, Misfit Politics – The New Jersey native and blogger gives us his take on CPAC.

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RNC Announces New Director of Hispanic Outreach

I’m proud to announce I have joined the Republican National Committee as their Director of Hispanic Outreach.

In a conference call earlier today, RNC Chairman Reince Priebus mapped out the GOP’s expanded Latino inclusion efforts which will include a strong community engagement focus, working directly with local Latino leaders to spread the Republican message,  and an effective GOTV effort to connect with Hispanic voters.  Special focus will be placed on key battleground states like Florida, New Mexico, Colorado, North Carolina and Nevada with large Hispanic populations. The program includes a strong bilingual communications push and a social media presence. The Chairman explained that in my new capacity, I’ll be working closely with RNC staff on the ground to ensure they are successfully involving the Latino community at all levels of the Party.

Read the press release below and some news articles. (For ESPAÑOL). If you missed the conference call announcing the enhanced Latino strategy,  listen to the the full audio here and read the highlights here.

RNC Hispanic Outreach to Capitalize on Obama’s Failed Leadership

WASHINGTON – Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Reince Priebus has announced the next phase of the RNC’s national Latino engagement effort:

“The expanded multifaceted approach to connect with the Hispanic community will include both digital outreach, traditional voter identification, and get out the vote efforts,” said RNC Chairman Priebus. “Aimed at connecting with the fastest growing demographic, the RNC will place staff on the ground across the country to coordinate the GOP’s Hispanic effort as part of a program to make sure Barack Obama is a one-term president. Latinos play an integral role in our communities and the Republican Party believes it is essential to involve Latinos at every level of our Party’s efforts in 2012.”

To organize the national effort and oversee state-level staff working with local Latino communities, the RNC has named Bettina Inclán as the Director of Hispanic Outreach. Bettina is the former Executive Director of the Republican National Hispanic Assembly and has served on numerous campaigns at the national, state and local level. Most recently, Bettina worked on statewide campaigns in both California and Florida. She was part of the team that elected Rick Scott Governor of Florida, who secured over 50 percent of the Hispanic vote in his successful run in 2010.

To kick-off the effort, the RNC has launched a Twitter account @RNCLatinos and a Tumblr blog at RNCLatinos.tumblr.com. The social media sites will include the latest bilingual content, research and videos from the RNC and provide an opportunity for the community to share their thoughts. The Twitter account and Tumblr blog will join the existing bilingual website for Latinos.

“With the unemployment rate for the Latino community at eleven percent, over two points higher than the national average, Latinos across the country are frustrated with Obama’s failed economic policies. Their dissatisfaction with the president creates an opening for the Republican Party’s message of economic security and conservative values to resonate with Latinos,” said RNC Co-Chairman Sharon Day.

A mobile text campaign has also been launched asking Latino voters to text “ÚNETE” (Unite) to 91919 (Data & Msg rates may apply) and join the RNC’s mobile army.

As the 2012 election cycle continues, the RNC will unfold additional pieces of its Hispanic outreach program.

Some news clips from around the country:

Miami Herald: RNC announces new Hispanic outreach director, Bettina Inclan

…“This election is going to be about the economy, about jobs,” she said. As for the candidates, she said, “they’ll be engaging directly with the Latino community. I’m positive they’ll be excited.”

Republicans praised the choice. So did Democrat Florida Democrat Kyra Jennings, who said on Twitter: “Congrats to @BettinaInclan – and us Dems should take note! RT @MarcACaputo Bettina Inclan named as RNC’s director of Latino outreach.”

The Hill: GOP Makes Play For Hispanic Support

Orlando Sentinel: RNC announces more Hispanic outreach

Roll Call: RNC Names Hispanic Outreach Director

AP: Republicans to expand Latino outreach

Univision: Republicans unveil Latino outreach plans

Fox News Latino: The Race for the Latino Vote Kicks Into High Gear in Florida

Washington Post:  The Fix

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POLL: Latinos Undecided and Unenthusiastic about 2012 Elections

A new poll by Latino Decisions shows that about half of Latino voters are still undecided on who to vote for President and are not excited about the upcoming 2012 election. The data is bad news for President Obama who needs a super majority of Latino support, about 75%, to secure a second term in the White House.

The new poll examined a variety of topics including likely voter turnout and important policy issue facing Latinos, economy and jobs still remain at the top of that list. Latino Decisions poll also asked about the role of religion in Latino political attitudes, the impact of Marco Rubio on a presidential ticket and the efforts of both political parties in engaging Hispanic voters.

While the ever changing Republican primary has generated a lot of media attention, it has done little to excite the average Hispanic voter about the Presidential election. Only 44% of Latino voters said they are very enthusiastic about participating in next year’s U.S. presidential election, compared with 47% in October and 50% in August.

When examining Latino attitudes towards the GOP and the Republican Party it is clear that there is much work to be done. About 20% of Latino respondents said they are certain or are considering voting for a Republican candidate. Half of Latinos feel the Republican Party  is doing a poor job in connecting with Hispanics. This can be turned into an opportunities for Republican candidates to connect and motivate Hispanic voters who aren’t currently engaged in the political debate. A recent Univision poll found that a majority of Latino voters still were not familiar with the Republican presidential field.

A rare topic that was examined by the Latino Decisions poll was religion and politics from the perspective of Latino voters. It found that while Latinos are somewhat more religious as compared to non-Latinos, their religious beliefs are far less relevant to their political attitudes. 53% of respondents said that religion had no impact on their vote and about 55% of Latinos don’t care about a candidate’s religion. When asked about Mormonism,  less than 1/3 of Latinos know that Mormonism is a form of Christianity – a question that was clearly aimed at understanding Latino attitudes towards Republican Mitt Romney.

Read the full report and see the slide deck on the poll at Latino Decisions: “Latinos not very enthusiastic about the 2012 election“

“…The impreMedia/Latino Decisions poll began measuring the election preferences of Latino voters in February of this year. It has been measuring their enthusiasm for voting in next year’s presidential election and their potential support for President Obama and a Republican rival. In six separate polls, Latino voters’ tendency to identify with the Democrats and President Obama’s approval rating among the majority of Latinos—except for Latino Republicans—have fluctuated somewhat, but have generally remained above 60%. Nevertheless, the voting intentions and enthusiasm of Latinos, which are crucial for Barack Obama’s re-election in states such as Nevada, New Mexico, Colorado and even Arizona, which is now said to be up for grabs, are not as positive for the president as could be expected. “On the Democratic side, there’s no competition or much discussion. In 2008, as we remember, there was a lot of enthusiasm around the race, particularly between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama,” said Barreto….”

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Telemundo To Host First-Ever GOP Presidential Debate

Telemundo will host its first-ever Republican presidential debate in Nevada this December. The Spanish-language network will broadcast the debate in prime time from Las Vegas. Telemundo news anchor José Díaz-Balart will host the debate, which will focus on a variety of topics, including the economy, health, immigration and education policies.

According to a press release from Telemundo, “the network has invited the Republican Presidential candidates to establish a direct dialogue with the Hispanic community and address the issues that matter to them at a critical time in our country.”

The battle-ground state of Nevada, one of the first states to vote in the Republican primary season, has a large Latino population. (Pew Hispanic Center Nevada Profile)

Politico’s “On The Media” blog reported the news of the debate:

“…Telemundo is pitching the debate as an open dialogue between the Latino community and Republican candidates. The state’s population is about 27 percent Latino. The economy will likely be a focal topic as well, with Nevada’s unemployment rate the highest in the nation, topping 13 percent.

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Live Blogging at Hispanic Leadership Network

Attempting to live blog the Hispanic Leadership Network Conference in New Mexico via my iPhone. (Please excuse any typos.) Also, I will be tweeting at @BettinaInclan. Follow the conversation at #HLNNM and via the Hispanic Leadership Network’s official twitter account @HispanicLN

(9:15 am)
Rosario Marin, former U.S. Treasurer, kick off conference and welcomes large crowd to New Mexico. Introduces HLN’s Executive Director, Jenny Korn.

(9:30 am) Senator Norm Coleman of the American Action Network takes the stage and explains the purpose of HLN and hope for the organization:

“Hispanics are not just part of the American dream they are the American Dream.”

Coleman discussed shared principles between conservatives and Hispanics including commitment to faith, family and country. He also highlights economic principles, “We support low taxes because we believe you should decide how to spend your money not the government.”

“We must be more than just words,” says Senator Coleman, as he talks about the need to have a real longterm strategy to connect with Latinos. He continues to say we need to have more than just conferences, speeches and occasional newsletters. He promised a new strategy from the Hispanic Leadership Network to truly engage Hispanics nationwide.

(9:40ish am)
Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush address crowd via video.

(9:44 am)
Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal takes the stage. Says he is happy to be back in New Mexico as he was last here to help Susana Martinez become Governor. VIDEO: http://livestre.am/136cl

Jindal makes a great speech of the lessons he has learned from his parents. Big laughs from the crowd as the Governor tells stories of his immigrant parents adapting to living in America after immigrating to Louisiana from India. His parents told him every day “You are so lucky to be an American.”

His dad was laser focused on making sure Bobby Jindal got a good education. Jindal’s dad would say “I might not leave you an inheritance, or a great name, but I’ll make sure you have a great education.” This inspired Jindal to improve education in Louisiana and focus on how students are doing not how much money is spent per pupil. He highlights the possibilities of charter schools and the importance of school choice. Full video: http://livestre.am/136cl

Governor Bobby Jindal, Jenny Korn and Senator Norm Coleman

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Obama’s Hispanic Support Hits New Low

The Hill’s Ballot Box blog reports on President Obama’s bumpy road to re-election. Latinos maybe his biggest road block. For the first time, Hispanic support for Obama has slippedbelow 50 percent.

“President Obama’s job approval rating from Hispanics has slipped below 50 percent for the first time, according to Gallup’s latest poll, an ominous sign for the president as he heads into campaign season.

Just 48 percent of Hispanics approve of the job Obama has done, while 37 percent disapprove. This is down from a 60 percent approval rating as recently as January, an erosion that came later than his slipping numbers with Anglo voters. This trend should worry Obama: Hispanics are the largest and fastest-growing minority group in the country, and there are high numbers of Hispanic voters in swing states including New Mexico, Florida, Colorado, Nevada and even Virginia….

Read more here

The drop in support is due in large part to the dismal economy. Latinos have been disproportionately impacted by the recession and are facing a higher than average unemployment rate of 11.3 percent.

President Obama has done himself no favors with Latinos, as he has backtracked on his promise to tackle immigration reform. Now three years into his Presidency, the Obama administration starting paying attention to Latinos and has launched some new (politically motivated) initiatives to gain Hispanic support.

This week the White House hosted a Hispanic Summit in Orlando, billed as the administration’s first outside the beltway Hispanic summit. It was clearly aimed at wooing swing state voters in Florida (Seems like all the White House “non-political” events are in battleground states?). The Obama team has focused intently on the central Florida Latino vote and it’s large Puerto Rican community.

According to the Orlando Sentinel Florida’s Hispanic voters are expected to top 1.6 million in 2012, a 34 percent increase in four years.

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Another Bad Week for President Obama

Things are not getting better for President Barack Obama. New polls show continued loss in support and today’s job’s numbers show no new jobs were created in August. Unemployment remains unchanged at 9.1 %. The last time there were zero net jobs created was February 1945.

With the 2012 Presidential campaign season well on its way, and growing support for GOP candidates, the President re-election is on thin ice.  A few headlines Democrats should be worried about:

USA TODAY: Obama’s hits another low in another poll

“Voters disapprove of Obama’s performance by 52-42%, compared with 47%-46% in July, Quinnipiac reports. Among whites and men, Obama’s approval rating is in the 30s.

GALLUP: Obama Weekly Average Approval Holds at Term-Low 40%

“President Obama’s approval rating has leveled off at the low point of his presidency, averaging 40% for the third straight week. Notably, his approval rating among several groups that previously gave him strong majority support — postgraduates, Hispanics, 18- to 29-year-olds, and lower-income Americans — is now below the 50% threshold.”

HOT AIR: Poll: Perry 44, Obama 41

“For the first time this year, Texas Governor Rick Perry leads President Obama in a national Election 2012 survey…Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney currently trails the president by four percentage points, 43% to 39%. That’s a slight improvement for the Republican compared to a week ago…. A Generic Republican currently leads the president 48% to 40%.”

TIME: In His Administration’s Own Economic Outlook, Signs of Obama’s Grim Re-Election Prospects

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Which GOP Candidate Can Win the Latino Vote?

On paper, the field of GOP presidential candidates is a unique sort, especially in the context of “Latino issues.”

Of the Republicans currently declared for president, we have four candidates hailing from states with high Latino populations (over 10%), two are border-state governors, one is married to a Mexican-American, another launched a conservative Latino news site, and one candidate’s father was born in Mexico.

While these tidbits of trivia do not paint a complete picture of the GOP candidate’s efforts to court Hispanic voters, they do highlight one reality: Latinos are an integral part of American life.  According to the U.S. Census one out of every six people living in America are of Hispanic descent.

Latino turnout in 2012 is expected to reach a historic 12.2 million voters about 8.7% of the national electorate. A projected 26% increase from 2008.

Already, the 2012 election has been marked by a renewed focus on courting the growing Hispanic vote.  The first major political ads buys of the 2012 cycle talked about the dismal economy – in Spanish.

Republican groups, like Crossroads GPS and the Republican National Committee (RNC), have earmarked millions of dollars for political advertising in major media markets with dense Latino population, pushing ads in English and Spanish. The Democratic National Committee (DNC) reacted by mimicking GOP efforts with their own multi-million dollar Spanish-language media buy targeting Hispanic voters.

For President Obama to claim victory in 2012, he needs heavy turnout from his base and a repeat level of support from the Latino voters. In 2008, Obama won 67% of the Hispanic vote while Senator John McCain only captured 31%.  Since taking office Obama’s approval has plummeted among Latinos, losing as much as 30% since 2009.

This upcoming election will be about margins. Small margins. An August 2011 Gallup Poll shows that as many as 12 states are in play. While logic would dictate many of these states will turn deep Red or Blue in the next 15 months, a core group of states, many with significant Latino populations, will likely be too close to call until the final hour. Some of these swing states include:

• Florida (29 Electoral Votes) – 15% of eligible voters are Latino
• Arizona (11 Electoral Votes) – 18% of eligible voters are Latino
• Nevada (6 Electoral Votes) – 14% of eligible voters are Latino
• New Mexico (5 Electoral Votes) – 38% of eligible voters are Latino
• Colorado (9 Electoral Votes) – 13% of eligible voters are Latino

Keys to Winning Hispanic Voters:

For the GOP to connect with Hispanic they must understand three key things:

1) Latinos are not a monolithic voting bloc and like all things in campaigns, politics is local. Hispanics in Florida are different from Latinos in Nevada.

2) Don’t change your message, but be culturally relevant and consistent. The last things Latinos want is a slick pandering politician that says one thing in English and another thing in Spanish. (P.S. most Latinos are bilingual.) Candidates must offer honest solutions to the problems plaguing Hispanics, and all Americans.

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Focus on Latino Voters Kicks Off 2012 Election Season

Journalist and political analyst Juan Williams penned an OpEd for the The Hill highlighting the uniqueness of the 2012 campaign. The new presidential election cycle officially started with major ad buys by Republicans and Democrats discussing the economy –  in Spanish.

The new early focus on Latinos has much to do with some political realities.

Electoral College vote map of Larry Sabato

1) Battleground States: Latinos make up key constituencies in major “battleground states” like Nevada, Florida, New Mexico, Virginia and Colorado. The political ads aired in English and Spanish targeting major media markets in these swing states.  Latinos make up 14% of Nevada electorate, 38% of New Mexico voters and 13% of voters in Colorado. (Pew Hispanic Center)

2) Open Opportunity: Roughly 22 million Hispanics will be eligible to vote in 2012. Latino voter turnout is projected to reach a record 12 million. While these voters tend to register Democrat, they have been a swing vote, securing victories for Republicans and Democrats.

3) Voters Remorse?: Latinos aren’t happy with President Obama. While Obama carried the Hispanic vote by a 2-to-1 margin in 2008,  support for Obama among Hispanics has been steadily declining. A recent poll showed his approval among Latinos had dropped by 30 points to 52%. Many Latinos are disappointed with the President due to broken promises on immigration and the failing economy.

Due to these points, and various others, both political parties are ready to spend millions wooing Latino voters in hopes to claim victory in 2012. The fact is, according to the U.S. Census, one in about every six U.S. residents is Hispanic. The Latino electorate will only get bigger in years to come. Neither party can afford to repeat mistakes from the past.

Read the full Juan Williams article via this link The Hill: OPINION: Latin beat marks the opening shot in 2012 election campaign

“…This early battle over the Hispanic vote reveals strategic thinking about how tight the presidential contest looks to be in November 2012. Another telltale sign is that last week, in the middle of the intense debt-ceiling debate, President Obama kept his promise to speak at the annual convention of the Hispanic leadership group La Raza.

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