Leslie Sanchez, a Republican strategist who worked for President George W. Bush, made a critically important statement on yesterday's Diane Rehm Show on NPR. It was so important and so fundamental that it should be written up in boldface capital letters and posted on the office wall of all Republicans who want to participate in the national immigration debate without offending and alienating Latinos.
Said Sanchez:
There's this misconception this is all about the Latino vote. Yes, this is very important to Hispanics. Immigration is the lens by which they view the political parties. But ultimately...this is just not a Latino issue. It's an American issue.
And Hispanic voters are splitting – they really do split. For the last ten years they've split on this issue of immigration reform, some wanting it stronger, some wanting more border enforcement, especially the Hispanics that live in the [areas] directly affected by the U.S.-Mexico border. So there's a shift in the Hispanic community. But ultimately there's no tolerance for dehumanizing any immigrant or any individual. That, no one can stand for.