Asserts the moderate Republican political consultant in D.C.: "Approximately 69 percent of Black VAP [voting age population] and 58 percent of Hispanic VAP
are registered to vote; there are more than 7 million people in each
group of VAP who are not registered to vote. According to the Pew
Hispanic Center, more than 25 million Blacks were eligible to vote in
November. For Whites, the figure was 152 million. Each group alone was
larger than the Hispanic electorate. As you know, Hispanics are an ethnic group, not a race. And they can
self-identify as either Black or White. Even in reaching out to
Hispanics, some GOP handlers are ignoring the fact that there are Black
Hispanics."
He continues: "So, all the hype about the power of the Hispanic vote is just that –
hype. But, the bigger message to the Republican Party is: Stop picking
various demographic groups to be your flavor of the month. Go after all
the votes in earnest. And while they are at it, pay more attention to
the Black vote. It's simple arithmetic. When you understand the story of the Cadillac car, you will then
understand the opportunity the Republican Party is in danger of blowing.
If Republicans continue to have leadership that views the Black vote as
a waste of time, then the party will go down the path the Cadillac was
on [before appealing to black consumers dramatically changed its fortunes]."
Raynard Jackson: "All This Republican Talk About The Hispanic Vote Is Hype. The Black Vote Remains Important"
