Romney Ignores GOP Experts In Pursuit Of Latino Vote

Friday, August 31, 2012 Bush Latino Vote Advisors Weigh In On Romney Campaign This summer, Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney courted, and sometimes stumbled in his pursuit of, Latino voters. Romney's Spanish-language ads took a battering in the critical month before the Republican National Convention. Hyper-literal translation left one key TV spot that aimed to raise questions about the economic health of ordinary Americans asking "Van bien?" The phrase amounted to a sort of Spanish-for-cyborgs way of saying what most Spanish-speakers would express as, "¿Las cosas están bien?" Then, in mid-August, while describing himself as a fan of tropical fruits on a Miami radio station, Romney mistakenly used a Cuban slang word for vagina. The very same day, the former Massachusetts governor visited a well-known Miami fresh juice stand with Tea Party Republican Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), and drew a cheering crowd. But before the day's end, reporters discovered a problem: In the late 1990s, Reinaldo Bermudez, the owner of El Palacio De Los Jugos, or The Juice Palace, plead guilty to conspiracy to distribute cocaine and spent time in prison, according to public records. Collectively the incidents were just what a candidate in Romney's position -- 30 to 40 points behind President Obama with Latino voters in most polls -- doesn't need. With less than 70 days left before the November election, the situation has some political observers wondering why Romney hasn't tapped the Latino political operative team principally responsible for the record-setting share of the Latino vote that former President George W. Bush secured in 2000 and 2004. Voter ID Laws Face More Legal Wrangling Drug Cartels Operating In The U.S. Follow The Trail Of Mexican Immigrants Into American Heartland Cameron Diaz Style Evolution: Actress Looks Flawless As She Turns 40 (PHOTOS) Juarez Murders: Mexican Government Unveils Memorial For Slain Women BLOG POSTS Alvina Vasquez: How many Secretaries of State does it Take to Screw in a Light Bulb Raul A. Reyes: Ted Cruz Will Not Bridge Gap Between Latinos and the GOP If you believe the hype, Ted Cruz is the future of the GOP. Republicans think he has the potential to attract Hispanics to their party. Cruz's supporters say he is going to shake things up in Congress. But Cruz actually had little Latino support in a race marked by low turnout. Ryan Campell: DREAMers to the RNC Busses organized by DREAMers were driven through Alabama and Florida, as they made their way to Tampa for the Republican National Convention, undeniable proof that Republicans have been deaf to the pleas of a sympathetic, politically influential group. Laura Paull: The Fabric of Friendship: Pursuit of Justice Weaves Bonds Between Two Cultures They were just two 20th century American families: one Jewish, the other Mexican. They lived in different states; knew nothing of one another's history, culture, class, religion or values. Then their lives collided.

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