March 6, 2009

GOP Hispanic Outreach FAIL

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From the conservative website Right Wing News (via The Next Right):

I was talking to a very credible Capitol Hill source (who wishes to remain anonymous) today and that person told me a story that just blew my mind…

He told me the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce’s 19th Annual Legislative Conference will be taking place next week in DC.

Here’s the kicker: supposedly, the Democrats have 20 senators scheduled to attend various events and receptions. The Republicans? Are you ready for this? They have no senators currently scheduled to attend. Zero. Nada. Zilch.

You know what’s great about this? This is easy minority outreach for Republicans. It’s not like they’re being asked to go visit the NAACP or speak to an immigrants’ rights march. This is the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, an organization filled with business leaders who presumably have wealth, oppose regulations, and want to see lower corporate taxes. And yet, when the Right Wing News author followed up with the HCC (my acronym), the staff there confirmed that Republicans were taking a pass.

Hispanics are the fastest growing minority in the control and will soon dominate politics in the western United States. Effective Hispanic outreach by the Dems and a complete lack of attention by Republicans could mean long-term Democratic control of Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and Nevada, all current or former key swing states.

Update: Ryan Grim reports that Republican lawmakers have been embarrassed into attending the HCC conference! That was quick.

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WE'LL BE BLUNT

It is astonishingly hard keeping a newsroom afloat these days, and we need to raise $253,000 in online donations quickly, by October 7.

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Readers also told us to just give it to you straight when we need to ask for your support, and seeing how matter-of-factly explaining our inner workings, our challenges and finances, can bring more of you in has been a real silver lining. So our online membership lead, Brian, lays it all out for you in his personal, insider account (that literally puts his skin in the game!) of how urgent things are right now.

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