GUEVARA: GOP needs new approach for Hispanic vote

OPINION/ANALYSIS:

It is clear that when it comes to winning Hispanic support, Democrats are ahead of the curve. According to the Pew Research Center, in the last election, 67 percent of Hispanics voted for Barack Obama and 31 percent for John McCain.

Hispanics now account for 9 percent of the electorate. As the number of voting-age Hispanics grows and becomes more aware of issues, the number of voters will grow as well, making the Hispanic vote a potent force in American elections. Republicans should be alarmed by these developments and we should be searching for new approaches and strategies to attract more Hispanics, not just to vote for conservatives but also to convert them into lifelong Republicans.

Here are some suggestions that can result in Hispanics becoming more receptive of Republicans.

1. Support for comprehensive immigration reform. Many Republicans cannot accept the fact that most illegal immigrants are here to stay. Deporting millions of people is not feasible and a party that is perceived to support such radical position will pay the price at the ballot box. Republicans should be proposing immigration reform now instead of allowing President Obama to steal this issue and claim credit in the future. If Mr. Obama is able to claim credit for immigration reform, Hispanics will see him and the Democrats as the caring ones and they will reap the benefits by gaining even more support. As much as we may dislike the idea of legalizing people who broke the law, the practical thing is to face the reality of the problem while gaining favor among Hispanics. President Reagan signed the immigration reform of 1986 and many Hispanics remember him positively for having done so.

2. Promotion of conservative principles. Conservative ideas are appealing to most Americans: limited government, individual liberty, pro-business policies, among others. These principles resonate in the Hispanic community, as well. For example, it is estimated that in 2002, there were 2.2 million Hispanic-owned businesses. The biggest hindrance to growth for a small business in America is the tax burden.

Republicans can and should exploit this demographic by proposing measures that will benefit small-business owners. If we can convince Hispanics that every additional dollar we pay in taxes is tantamount to a dollar worth of personal freedom, and that conservatives are the bulwark against such government excesses, then chances are that they will start to see us in a positive light.

3. Aggressive outreach. The problem with the Republican Party is that it fails to deliver a message directly and succinctly. The way to change the negative attitude that many Hispanics have of Republicans is by having a short message that everybody can understand delivered by Hispanics themselves.

Other than recruiting more Hispanics to drive the message home, there needs to be an effort to root out the perception that we are anti-minority and anti-poor. Karl Rove was very clever in going after voters aggressively during the campaigns of George W. Bush in 2000 and 2004. Compassionate conservatism was the phrase that won Mr. Bush the election in 2000. In 2010, we should assertively go after Hispanics and rebrand the Republican Party: El partido de la libertad (The party of liberty).

Unless we change our image among Hispanics, we will keep losing that crucial vote. Republicans have to not just say it but also to demonstrate that they are a big-tent party, open to different ideas and people of diverse ethnic backgrounds. Unless we extend a friendly hand to Hispanics and prove that we are willing to fight for issues that they care about, Republicans should not count on the Hispanic vote.

Luis R. Guevara writes for TheAmericano.com, a bilingual Web site that offers views on issues that concern American Hispanics.