What can Sen. McCain do to garner more of the Hispanic vote? Republicans and conservatives cringe at the idea of identity politics, but the passivity toward targeting Hispanic Americans has worked against political conservatism, because some ideas need to be tailored for a specific audience.
"Hispanics," or the more political term "Latinos," is the broad name for the motley conglomeration of Spanish-speaking peoples who come from all walks between South America and the Caribbean. Despite the "diversity" of the backgrounds that are as disparate as Mexican country music and tropical hip-hop, Hispanics do have a lot in common: They're essentially conservative.
From the native-born to the newly arriving immigrant, family, religion, community and especially the economy are enormously important for those groups of Spanish speakers and others whose names end in a vowel or "ez." So, why are Republicans only getting the minority share of the Latin vote, and even more important, how can John McCain change that?
In Arizona, McCain carries the majority of the Hispanic votes, so it can be done. But, in Democrat fiefdom states California and New York, where Hispanics are invited to take advantage of a laundry list of entitlement programs, the donkey party dresses up like a burro and takes Latinos along for a subsidized ride.
McCain is a man who believes in outreach, and his face is known on Spanish-speaking stations like Univision, but if the senator from Arizona is going to make an impression on Hispanics, he'll have to do more than methodically explain the advantages of a pro-small business economy or the benefits of choosing a school. McCain will have to make an emotional appeal by purposely targeting Hispanic values.
In an ad targeting his opponent, McCain insists he supported a temporary work visas and a path to citizenship while Sen. Obama and his Democrat allies worked to thwart immigration reform. Even though McCain made the commercials in Spanish, loyalty is a core Hispanic value that transcends language. McCain hopes a chunk of bilingual populism will translate to votes stuffed into the ballot box.
The McCain emphasis on patriotism is perfect for a group that considers patria a high virtue. Hispanic-Americans appreciate their hyphens, and Mexican, Dominican and Cuban-Americans will always hold their homeland in esteem, even if they have no desire to return to their country of origin. Like patriotism itself, it's the idea of country that is more important than the reality.
The Obama couch analysis of America as a flawed reality not living up to a utopist fantasy is unappealing to most Hispanics. For them, the value of the nation is beyond questioning, even if the governments that are in power disappoint. Cuban-Americans have a problem with Castro communism, not with the concept of Cuba itself. Categorically, every Mexican-American will tell you how corrupt the Mexican government is, but no one would ever consider burning the Mexican flag in protest.
The cover of People magazine with McCain at the head of his family also resonates across cultural barriers. With a birth rate higher than the mainstream American norm, most Hispanic-Americans are offended by abortion and consider children to be a blessing rather than a burden. Both McCain and vice-presidential nominee Gov. Sarah Palin re-enforce that core belief.
McCain as a strong family man is an admirable image, and this brings up the most significant difference between Hispanic and non-Hispanic outreach to the Latin American community – patriarchy
For both better and worse, Hispanics have historically responded to strong male figures. The patriarch, that image the left wing in this country would love to banish, has always been a unifying figure to politically motivate an impassioned populace. John McCain will have to reach out to Hispanics with the paternal stature his age and experience afford him.
McCain pushes free trade, and most Latin-American countries are crossing their fingers for a Republican in the White House, even if they will not openly say so.
To win in November, John McCain will have to treat Hispanics like an extended member of a greater family, something that is nearly impossible for the academic Barack Obama to do. McCain spent his skimpy conservative credibility to acquire some Hispanic clout when he promoted comprehensive immigration reform, or as it translate to Spanish, amnestÃa. It is time for the senator from Arizona to cash in.