The Curious Case of the Hispanic Republican. Attorney General Alberto Gonzáles

“There are few participants in American politics taken less seriously than the Hispanic Republican. He or she, skeptics insist, is either a dimwitted traitor to the cause, or a figment of the imagination produced by Republican operative Houdinis. Plenty of people have taken the mention of a Hispanic Republican as the perfect cue to crack a joke. “Latins for Republicans — it’s like roaches for Raid,” quipped comedian John Leguizamo at 2004 Democratic Party fundraiser.

Despite the snickering, Karl Rove and company have been serious the past few years about netting more votes from the community that once adopted the slogan “Viva Kennedy.” Four months after Leguizamo’s controversial comment, their efforts yielded a surprising six-point increase in Hispanic votes for President Bush.”

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