LEXIS-NEXIS® Academic
Copyright 2000 Newsweek
Newsweek
August 14, 2000,
U.S. Edition
SECTION: NATIONAL AFFAIRS; Pg. 26
LENGTH: 461 words
HEADLINE: The
Ricky Martin Factor
BYLINE: By Matt Bai; With Debra Rosenberg
HIGHLIGHT:
Bush hopes for help from Latino voters in swing states
BODY:
Before last week, Emilton Cortez didn't think much of Republicans. As part of a
nightly focus group watching the convention, the 28-year-old Puerto Rican
American scoffed at white delegates grooving to black pop singer Brian
McKnight. (The focus group, conducted by GOP pollster Frank Luntz, was
sponsored by MSNBC and yrock.com.) But then George W. Bush took the stage. Like
other Latinos, Cortez was impressed.
"It felt like he was talking to me," he said.
"He didn't try to kiss our butt." Now he's thinking he'll vote for Bush.
The Bushes have learned some hard lessons about diversity. In 1992 George W
watched as Pat Buchanan took a torch to his father's convention, ranting about
the culture wars and driving swing voters into the arms of Bill Clinton. Jeb
Bush narrowly lost his first bid for Florida governor in 1994, earning only
about 5 percent of the black vote. He worked hard to attract blacks four years
later, winning 14 percent--and the election. W gets it, too, which is why he
won roughly half the Latino votes in Texas his last time out. Now Latinos could
be critical for Bush in swing states like New Mexico, Illinois and New Jersey.
Still, Republican strategists know it may take years to break the Democrats'
hold on minority voters, especially in some key states like California. For now
the GOP at least hopes it has reassured white swing voters that this Bush is
all about tolerance.
Like Al Gore, Bush sprinkles speeches with Spanish phrases and hits on issues,
including school vouchers and immigration reform, that resonate with Latinos.
His nephew George P, whose mother is Latina, will be a major asset.
Battleground 2000, a bipartisan poll, found that Bush went into last week's
convention down 7 points among Latinos and ended it with an 18-point lead.
Black voters weren't nearly so impressed. Bush's fellow GOP governors rejoiced
that Buchanan was gone, but the scars were evident; only 86--about 4
percent--of the delegates in Philly were black, up from 53 in 1996. Polls show
that minority voters feel the Democrats take them for granted, but even more
think the Republicans ignore them altogether. Unlike more recent Latino
immigrants, black voters' ties to the Democrats go back to FDR and civil
rights, and many consider Clinton, as Toni Morrison put it,
"the first black president." Bush's Bob Jones University speech and his death-penalty record haven't
helped. GOP stars John McCain and J. C. Watts are embarking on a bus tour of
black neighborhoods this summer. If the two can't convert new voters, GOP
strategists hope they can at least dampen enthusiasm for Gore and hold down
voter turnout. It's not exactly a lofty goal for the party of Lincoln. But
after decades of squandering that legacy, it's a start.
GRAPHIC: PHOTO: Star Power: George P. Bush chatting with actress Bo Derek in the GOP
green room
LOAD-DATE: August 8, 2000