Editorial: A Spectacle to Remember

The Republican presidential primary is an unusual spectacle for Latinos. They don’t have much say in the selection of the next candidate for that party, as 93% of the voters who do are white or Anglo. Still, a large number of these immigrant Hispanic voters, and the people close to them, have watched with concern how the debate within that party has turned into a race to find out who will treat them worse. These voters may not be voting now but they will in November, something the presidential hopefuls should be worried about.

Donald Trump’s candidacy brought the immigration debate to the forefront when he used the same begrudging and punitive tone the House of Representatives has employed for years. His attitude shot the millionaire to the first place in the polls among the Republican base, disorienting his rivals, who initially found themselves not knowing how to react, and later consenting silently. Where a resounding rejection of Trump’s extremism should have been heard – the same way that candidate Bill Clinton distanced himself from artist and activist Sister Souljah, – there was only silence. Later on, the aspiring candidates made themselves heard when the mogul’s nonsense piled up.

Latino immigrants continue to be treated as a piñata of sorts. No one in the Republican field stepped up to defend them immediately, surely to avoid infuriating the voters who actually agree with Trump. This attitude deteriorates any possibility of support Hispanics may give these candidates.

This will be a problem down the line, when the Republican nominee finds himself having to capture 40% of the Latino vote. It is estimated that in 2016 Republicans may have to get an even higher percentage to win the election, as demographic changes show an increase in the number of potential Latino voters.

There are some who believe that the key to get the electoral votes needed to win the White House is to attract more conservative voters in swing states like Ohio. However, this is a short-term vision that seems to ignore everything that has occurred in the last 4 years, Trump included.

Trump turned the Republican primary into a spectacle. Hispanics must remember come November 2016 who stood up for them when it was called for, and who didn’t.