Fred Barnes has an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal offering his advice on how Republicans can win more of the Hispanic vote. As part of the GOP establishment panic over Trump, it makes the common-sense point that “harsh” and “intemperate” language on immigration is counterproductive; I’d add only that harshness and intemperance can be a turn-off to the general electorate even if directed toward despised targets like the creepy butchers of Planned Parenthood.
But, as you can imagine, the piece is really a call to ignore the issues Trump is raising and to pass amnesty for illegal aliens and increased legal immigration. The disconnect between Barnes’s banal political advice and his advocacy for Obama’s immigration agenda is most jarring in a litany of recommendations at the end:
The key to attracting Hispanics is not a secret. They should be treated like any voting bloc. It starts with outreach and organizing. Republicans should be respectful of their needs and interests. Tone matters. Enacting some form of immigration reform is necessary. Using the Spanish-speaking media is critical in elections. So is being visible in the Hispanic community. Learning to speak Spanish helped Republican Rep. Mike Coffman win re-election in his district in the Denver suburbs.
Here’s a recipe for doing better among both Hispanic voters and others: Replace the sentence I put in bold with something like, “Make a sober, thoughtful (i.e., non-Trumpist) case for an immigration policy that focuses first and foremost on the interests of Americans of all backgrounds.”