HispanicVista Columnists

Latinos Voted and They Will Vote Again?
By Robert Miranda

The elections produced a resounding message to the world from the American people, which is that the ‘stay the course’ mantra emanating from the Bush administration can no longer be the policy that drives America’s involvement in Iraq and most domestic issues.

Indeed, the people have spoken. They have voted against the realities of the Bush dominion.

In Bush’s world, he believed it was his right to ignore international law when he invaded Iraq without cause by using the valid notion of fighting terrorism as his rallying cry. Bush attacked a nation that never threatened the United States and was once our ally in the Middle East.

Bush ignored the American constitution, again using terrorism as his reason for establishing the Patriot Act.

Without question, the people voted against Bush and his unilateral actions because his policies negatively impacted the entire world and the United States.

The people voted against an imperial presidency. They voted against a Republic following a unilateral path reminiscent of ancient Rome. The American people voted against Bush because he is spending more money each year to fight a losing war. In spending this money Bush has sacrificed health care for the poor and elderly, education for all Americans, and support for economic development of American cities.

Latinos also voted against the GOP because of the 700 mile shameful wall now being built on the border between Mexico and the United States.

Latinos came out to vote against this president’s Republican Party, because they are tired of being subliminally targeted as potential terrorists by Sensenbrenner and those who support his anti-human politics.

Recent Census reports put Wisconsin's Latino population at about 4.5 percent last year. The Latino population has grown by 25 percent between 2000 and 2005 to 242,287 residents.

In 2000, former Vice President Al Gore defeated Bush by 5,708 votes in Wisconsin, where 31,000 Latinos voted.

The National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) predicted an increase in Latino voters by up to 6% from the previous election nation wide. Judging by the percentage of Doyle?s defeat of Green, there is no question that Doyle received more Latino votes this election than in his first run for governor. Clearly, the Latino voter registration drives after the marches against Sensenbrenner’s anti-immigration campaign benefited the Democratic Party and Governor Doyle.

Two years ago, the Republicans got 44% of the Latino vote, and the Democrats barely 53% around the country. The elections last week, as reported by many Spanish-language news networks, highlight Latino backlash against the Republican Party.

According to CNN’s Spanish language news network, 26% of Latinos voted for the GOP while the Democrats got 73% of the Latino vote nationally. Clearly, this is a devastating blow to the Republican Party which in just the last few years invested heavily in the Latino community trying to attract Latino voters to their cause.

Now the GOP thinks it can mend these fences by putting Florida Sen. Mel Martinez, a prominent Hispanic who previously served in President Bush's Cabinet, as Chairman of the Republican National Committee.

Well, Latinos will not be fooled by this political move. As Sen. Barack Obama, Democrat of Illinois said to Maryland’s Black voters when he asked them to not vote along racial lines, Latinos will not walk lockstep and join in on the GOP crusade just because a Hispanic now leads them.

Latinos voted against reactionary politics. They will continue to vote against those who launch unjust and unfounded attacks against them. They will vote again in 2008, and Mel Martinez will only be able to hopelessly watch from the sidelines.

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Robert Miranda, a frequent contributing columnist to HispanicVista.com (http://www.hispanicvista.com/) is a national award winning columnist, Latino community activist and Publisher of the Milwaukee Spanish Journal. Email at: rmiranda@wi.rr.com