GOP Hispanic Strategists Stunned, Outraged By Sotomayor Attacks

[babylonsister]

Sam Stein
GOP Hispanic Strategists Stunned, Outraged By Sotomayor Attacks

First Posted: 05-29-09 05:23 PM | Updated: 05-29-09 05:33 PM


Top-ranking Republican strategists who specialize in Hispanic outreach say they are outraged, disturbed and concerned by the type of reception Barack Obama's pick for the Supreme Court has received from conservative activists.

In the days since the nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court, several prominent conservative voices have leveled unusually blunt attacks at her resume. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and radio host Rush Limbaugh both insisted that the court of appeals judge was a racist for saying that her Hispanic background allowed her to come to better judicial decisions. Former Congressman Tom Tancredo, on Friday, called Sotomayor a member of the "Latino KKK."

The rhetoric has been enough to make Republican strategists in heavily Latino states cringe -- concerned that such slights could cement Democrats advantages among a growing and increasingly influential political constituency.

"Of course this disturbs me," said Lionel Sosa, one of the more influential Hispanic media advisers in the GOP. "I'm not surprised at Rush Limbaugh but I'm very surprised at Speaker Gingrich because he is one of the key people who knows the importance of the Latino vote to the Republican Party. He must realize how his rhetoric, if it does influence any Hispanics, how damaging it could be. This {confirmation} is something that is going to happen anyway. For a senator to have strong opposition to her, they are either not aware of the impact Latinos will have on the next election or they don't care."

more...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/05/29/gop-hispanic-strategists_n_209240.html

[marmar]

1. When you lie down with dogs, you wake up with racist fleas.....

Redux. :) :hi:

[musiclawyer]

2. I know they need to pay for outreach...

But what for..... it's almost a lost cause already

[Happyhippychick]

3. The GOP will now replace Michael Steele with a Latino to prove they are multi-cultural.

[Jim Lane]

22. No, not a Latino.... a Latina, to prove they're not sexist (n/t)

[NoPasaran]

28. Or someone who speaks only Latin, to show how in touch they are (n/t)

[krispos42]

4. It's part of being the party of knee-jerk "no"

No decision Obama makes, no law he passes, no speech he gives, no person he nominates, will ever receive anything but bullshit critisism.


Not because the critisism is in anyway valid, or deserved, or even based in anything related to an approximation of reality.

No, that's not it. As the GOP says, they make their own reality, so in THEIR reality and the reality they project onto their small, eager base all this shit is valid.

But because the endless stream of critisism is partially a revenge for the constant torrent of abuse that Bush got (and deservedly so) and partially to feed the meme that Obama is an fascist socialist and some kind of uber-liberal dictator.

They're weaving a story, a heroic story, about themselves. "We tried to stop...". They think of themselves as the Spartans at the Battle of Thermopylae. It's how they keep themselves sane.


Unfortunately, the Democrats in power still publically flinch to this fiction. It's like watching a German shepard being dominated by a Chihuahua. :-(

[rhett o rick]

10. It's part of being the party of "jerks". nm

[depakid]

18. It's also that guys like Newt- they just can't help themselves

They know it's a strategic blunder in this case- but their core emotions and "values" take over. It overloads their circuitry.

[quiet.american]

5. I'm stunned they've had their heads in the sand for so long. What will it take? nt

[gratuitous]

6. I can't for the life of me imagine why they'd be stunned

Surely these folks didn't join the GOP because of their open-handed welcome to minorities. No, it was for some other reason, and that reason was sufficient to overcome any doubts they had about joining the GOP, a party of racists, xenophobes and bigots. Now they get slapped in the face by a roundhouse haymaker they saw coming from a mile away, and they profess to be stunned?

[liberalmuse]

7. No sympathy whatsoever in this corner.

Why in the hell would anyone choose to remain a Republican under these circuumstances? Hell, even the Democratic Party is better than this. NOTHING is better than this. What is it that attracts gays and minorities to this bigot-filled party? I don't get it!

[BlooInBloo]

8. Any non-white person who's stunned by this is a fucking idiot...

Any white person too, for that matter.

[pscot]

17. There's no shortage of fucking idiots

In both parties.

[TheCowsCameHome]

9. "GOP Hispanic strategists" - WTF are they doing over there in the first place?

Ye reap what ye sow..........

[rhett o rick]

11. Isn't "GOP...strategist" an oxymoron? Or just plan moron? nm

[TheCowsCameHome]

12. Good point - No doubt "moron", just a matter of to what extent. n/t

[K8-EEE]

13. It's an oxy-moran. nt

[rhett o rick]

20. Point taken. nm

[Selatius]

26. It's like the small number of gays who vote Republican.

They are there simply because they truly believe in the Republican platform of deregulation and low taxes and few government services.

[Arugula Latte]

14. Glenn Beck called her "Hispanic chick lady"

What do they expect from these racist assholes?

[hayu_lol]

15. The GOP and many other groups cannot...

stand the thought of an intelligent and independent woman. That is their bottom line.

Neutered Gingrich is just one fine example of such people.

[DuaneBidoux]

16. I've always wondered if we're the racists why they're the ones with only white people.

Whereas we have lots of white people and every other color in the rainbow.

[DireStrike]

19. It's hilarious isn't it? They just can't resist.

Good move, Obama. This one actually accomplishes something. Or it should, provided that getting more people to vote for Democrats can bring about real change.

[Critters2]

21. Yeah. Who could've seen that coming?

:eyes:

[autorank]

23. The Republican self imolation cointinues

They should come up with legitimate criticisms of Sotomeyer or leave her alone. But this nonsense
the Republicans come up with is nothing more than an attack based on ethnicity.

I knew things were going to head this way when the meme emerged about her being a "bully" to staff.
Oh, please. Even if it's true (and we have no word other than the reich wing), so what. She's a
judge. I want our judges to be demanding in order to clear cases and give everyone a shot.

They can kiss their chances bye bye from now on. The Latino vote is critical to victory on both sides.
Respect is one key to that vote. This is aggressive disrespect.

As for Gingrich, let him do what he's doing. He's the best advertisement for never voting Republican
out there. And he's so casual about it.

[Jakes Progress]

24. It's been great watching Cornyn

He is one of the biggest yes men the republicans have, but he has to run for office here in Texas and he is watching his chances dim. He is caught between the food dish and his masters. He must risk biting their hand to keep his kibble coming. Hilarious.

[LatteLibertine]

25. Looks like

they intend to alienate moderate white voters too. I can't see any reasonable person approving of some of the recent filth that has been put out.

[The Backlash Cometh]

27. Idiotas!

Los Republicanso son racistas. Como es posible que ustedes no lo han visto antes?