Republicans and Hispanics

TW: From my view, the Republicans have a serious problem with Hispanics and not just for 2008. The Republicans must find a viable position on immigration and other issues important to the highly diverse Hispanic population, which is growing rapidly in importance. This year the Republicans tacked right to appease the Tom Tancredo/Pat Buchanan wing of the party. The Tancredo position of rabid aniomosity toward immigration is a long-term march toward oblivion for the Republicans. Younger more pragmatic Republicans I believe will ultimately prevail and bring the Republicans back to a more competitive stance.

From NYT:
"...Gallup polls show Mr. McCain running far behind Senator Barack Obama among Hispanic voters nationwide, only 26 percent of whom favor the Republican...Contrary to what non-Hispanic politicians often assume, immigration does not rank as high on the list of Hispanic concerns as the economy, education and health care.

Instead, surveys show that Latinos see immigration as a tool useful in identifying who is friend and who is foe. That may have complicated Mr. McCain’s task: despite his sponsorship of the immigration overhaul legislation, he is burdened by nativist elements within the Republican Party.

“The Republican brand has been tarnished as result of the immigration debate and the extreme rhetoric that came out of that debate,” said Janet Murguía, executive director of the National Council of La Raza, a Hispanic advocacy group. “We think McCain remains an advocate of a comprehensive approach, but his standing has been undermined by those within his own party and the tough immigration plank in the 2008 Republican platform...Republicans “can talk all they want about abortion and same-sex marriage, but survey after survey tells us that even among socially conservative Hispanics, it’s the other issues that matter most,” said Christine M. Sierra, a professor of political science at the University of New Mexico.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/23/us/politics/23latino.html?_r=1&ref=politics&oref=slogin