Following the election results in 2012, stunned Republicans huddled behind closed doors in Washington to conduct an autopsy on why Mitt Romney had lost in all the key battleground states. Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus said it was necessary for the GOP to “put all the cards on the table.”
Following an analysis of the results, Priebus went public with the 100 page report. Among the highlights:
- Republicans needed “extensive outreach to women, African-American, Asian, Hispanic and gay voters.”
- The GOP needed to support “comprehensive immigration reform.”
- Republicans needed a “softer tone and broader outreach.”
Huge problems with the fastest growing voter demographic, Hispanics, prompted GOP official Zoraida Fonalledas, from Puerto Rico, to conclude: “If Hispanic Americans hear the GOP doesn’t want them in the U.S.A. they won’t pay attention to our next sentence. It doesn’t matter what we say about education, jobs or the economy. If Hispanics think we don’t want them here, they will close their ears to our policies.”
The establishment promised “big changes” for 2016.
That was then, this is now.
Enter Donald J. Trump.
The billionaire reality TV host has made attacking Hispanics, with hardly a “softer tone,” the centerpiece of his outsider campaign. So far on the campaign trail:
- Trump has called Hispanic and Latino immigrants “criminals” and “rapists.”
- He called Mexican immigrants “killers” and claimed the Mexican government intentionally sends criminals to the United States.
- He attacked Jeb Bush’s Hispanic wife.
After two of his supporters beat up a Hispanic man Trump responded that they were just being “passionate.”- He kicked a top Mexican broadcaster, Jorge Ramos, out of his press conference.
- He has called for 11 million people to be rounded up and bused back to the Mexican border.
- He blamed Hispanics for violent crime across the country:
Sadly, the overwhelming amount of violent crime in our major cities is committed by blacks and hispanics-a tough subject-must be discussed.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 5, 2013
So with this in mind it should be no big surprise that in a new poll Trump receives just 11 percent of the Hispanic vote in key battleground states.
He has a staggering 87 percent unfavorable rating, and he loses the Hispanic vote 76-11 in a head-to-head matchup with Hillary Clinton.
If Republicans thought they had problems with Hispanics in 2012…
Consider this:
- George W Bush received 35 percent of the Hispanic vote in 2000.
- Bush increased that support to 44 percent in 2004.
- John McCain received 31 percent in 2008.
- Mitt Romney received 27 percent in 2012.
- Donald Trump is currently polling 11 percent.
Trump could double his support between now and November and still get less Hispanic votes than Romney.
In fact, his unpopularity is so bad among Hispanics and Latinos that Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Nevada and New Mexico will each be in play this fall (that’s 60 electoral votes).
The GOP’s own autopsy report from 2012 warned the party to support comprehensive immigration reform and have a softer tone. Nominee Donald Trump is unlikely to achieve that goal.
This could all be part of the next autopsy report next year.