OPINION:
Al Cardenas, chairman of the American Conservative Union, wants Republicans and conservatives to emulate Democrats in the hunt for votes (“Republicans too white, male, old,” Commentary, Tuesday). Mr. Cardenas believes segregating Americans into ethnic and gender groups is what is needed to win elections. In other words, become “Democrat-light.” Find out what each group wants and pander to them by handing out goodies, regardless of what the effect of those goodies may have on the United States as a whole.
Mr. Cardenas wants Republicans to disregard American sovereignty and territorial integrity to increase the percentage of Hispanic votes for Republicans. He writes that former Presidents Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush received more than 40 percent of the Hispanic vote. What he fails to mention, however, is Reagan’s immediate successor, George H.W. Bush, received only 7 percent fewer Hispanic votes than did Reagan despite Reagan’s having signed an amnesty law.
Mr. Cardenas writes that Reagan and George W. Bush “respected our community.” Would open borders and amnesty for every illegal alien show “respect”? Should the United States become simply an economic zone rather than remain a sovereign nation with territorial integrity just so it can show respect for Mr. Cardenas’ “community”?
Republicans lost the election because of the demonization of a truthful and decent Republican candidate by Democrats. Youthful voters went for President Obama in the same numbers they did in 2008, blissfully ignorant that a greatly diminished future is now being sealed with out-of-control debt and deficits, higher taxes, fewer job opportunities and socialized health care. They will look back years from now and wonder what they were thinking. America’s greatness will only be known from history books, unless those books are written by liberals and progressives.
JOSEPH R. FARRELL
Alexandria, Va.
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