Thursday, May 16, 2013

Quick Fact: GOP $10M We-Heart-Minorities Campaign Takes Another Hit

Less than two months ago, the RNC trumpeted a $10 dollar campaign to improve their relationship with Hispanic and other minority groups.  

This week, Pablo Pantoja, the RNC's State Director of Florida Outreach has resigned from the Republican Party to become a Democrat.  In his resignation letter, Mr. Pantoja cited Republican intolerance: 

"It doesn't take much to see the culture of intolerance surrounding the Republican Party today.  I have wondered before about the seemingly harsh undertones about immigrants and others.  Look no further; a well-known organization recently confirms the intolerance of that which seems different or strange to them."

The organization Mr. Pantoja refers to is The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank whose website boasts, "Conservative ideas are making an astonishing comeback--thanks in part to the ceaseless efforts of The Heritage Foundation."  Former Heritage scholar, Jason Richwine recently released this zinger: "No one knows whether Hispanics will ever reach IQ parity with whites, but the prediction that new Hispanic immigrants will have low-IQ children and grandchildren is difficult to argue against."

At the same time, conservative Republican Senators have announced that they are readying "poison pill" amendments to the soon to be debated Senate immigration bill--amendments designed to weaken support for the bill as a whole.  

Mr. Pantoja joins former Florida Governor Charlie Crist who left the Republican Party and changed his party affiliation to Democrat last December. 
Note to the RNC:  When you have U.S. Senators trying to derail new immigration laws before they are even debated and you fail to convince your own Outreach Director that your intentions are good, your campaign to appeal to minorities may be in trouble.

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