▲ Supporters of the tycoon cheer him on during the Republican convention, which was held in a triumphant atmosphere following the failed assassination attempt last weekend.Afp Photo

Jim Cason and David Brooks

Correspondents

The newspaper La Jornada
Wednesday, July 17, 2024, p. 26

Milwaukee. Although Republicans focused on the second day of their national convention on how the illegal immigrants They are threatening the country, destroying schools and killing citizens, legislators and strategists of that party highlighted the progress made in attracting Latinos to their ranks and some predicted that Donald Trump will capture up to 50 percent of the vote in that sector.

Polls released yesterday by the Harris Polling firm showed that Latino Republicans had a very high level of enthusiasm for their candidate Trump, while their Democratic counterparts were much less enthusiastic about their candidate Joe Biden. In terms of the Hispanic vote, the best thing that could have happened to the Republican Party was Donald Trump and his turn toward economic populism.explains Alfonso Aguilar, director of Hispanic Engagement at the Republican American Principles Project.

But the difficulty of this task was evident yesterday when Latino Republicans tried to explain how their communities could support a candidate and a party that today continued to vilify the illegal immigrants and which devotes a good part of its convention to reiterating how immigrants undermine and even threaten the United States.

Maria Elvira Salazar, a Republican federal representative from Florida, commented today that Trump could be the first president in the country’s history to win more than 50 percent of the Latino voteWhile others have suggested that a success would be 40 to 45 percent of that vote, it is extraordinary that a former president and candidate who repeatedly accuses Mexicans of being rapists and criminals could achieve that potential level of support.

And now it’s not just Trump, but his new vice presidential candidate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, who is aligned on that issue with his boss. In a campaign video released two years ago, Vance declares on camera: “Are you a racist, do you hate Mexicans? ‘The media calls us racists for wanting to build Trump’s wall. They censor us, but they hide the truth. Joe Biden’s open border is killing Ohioans. More illegal drugs and more Democratic voters are flooding into this country. This issue is personal. I almost lost my mother to the poison that is coming across the border. No child should grow up an orphan. ’”

Expectation of obtaining better salaries

At an event sponsored by Axios and Univision around the convention, Salazar was asked about these comments. “They’re really not very nice words. But the fact is that if the opportunity is there for a better salary or a better opportunity for your child to go to a better school, if you don’t have inflation, if the border is not open… Four years ago, look at the economy: every Hispanic was working,” insisting that during Trump’s presidency everything was better for Latinos.

Deputy Monica de la Cruz agreed. Well, I think Senator Vance was an excellent choice and I do think he will connect with voters and bring Hispanics in particular to the Republican Party, to vote for President Trump. The number one reason is because Hispanics tend to have larger families..

At the same time, the Harris polling firm released a survey today that seems to confirm that Latino voters are primarily focused on the economy. When you look at the three most important issues in the country for Latinos [la primera es economía]my personal finances, inflation, affordable housing, salariesexplained John Gerzema, director of Harris. And that is the most important by a margin of three to one compared to the other two main issues, which are reproductive rights and migration, he said.

Alfonso Aguilar of the American Principles Project says Latinos are changing their stance on border control policies. I think many Democrats and perhaps many [líderes] immigrants were arguing that Hispanics favored more lenient border policies. When you look at the poll, the majority is in favor of stricter policies on border security and unauthorized immigrants..

Mexicans accused of smuggling drugs

And to prove this, Arizona’s David Lara will speak at the Republican convention this week about the dangers of a open border in San Luis, Arizona. In an interview with The DayLara explained that his parents were legal Mexican immigrants from Sonora and Baja California and said that today “almost every Latino in Arizona is conservative. In his speech, he said, Lara will accuse that The people who are transporting the drugs are Mexican.

Gerzema commented that If the Republican Party can understand Latino voters and what they are looking for in this more populist message, and pivot a little bit from being the party of big business to a party for my business and create a more personal relationship, they will be very successful..

Aguilar is not as optimistic as Salazar about what Trump and his party will be able to capture from the Latino vote, but he says that It is quite possible that in this election we will manage to capture 45 percent at the national level, which would be one point more than what George W. Bush captured in 2004. [el más alto para los republicanos en la historia]if I’m not mistaken.