Yes I said it...and it took me a long time to realize it. The latest hand-wringing about the lack of support by Florida (sic) “Hispanics” and “Blacks” just hit me between the eyes. Here’s a flash for you, Democrats. From a political standpoint, there are no blanket positions for those incredibly diverse groups. To give them a blanket name—or to think you can win their vote simply by varying the accent of the narrator of an ad—is bigotry, plain and simple.
Most South Florida Cubans have been here for two to three generations. In large part, they own small businesses. For months Trump has been blasting them with ads telling them that Biden the socialist will kill their businesses. Meanwhile their businesses are suffering. Get Bloomberg on the airwaves in English, explaining to them in detail why Trump’s business acumen and policies are so bad for them. They sit in their shops all day talking to people, and outside with drinks every evening talking to more people. They are generally not in favor of more immigration. Crime is a big deal to them. Treat them like smart adults, give them facts and hope for the small business economy.
The Venezuelans have been here for less time. They are angry; many were wealthy and left because socialism took away their wealth. Trump is on the right side of their politics. This will be a tough one. But a reasonable Cuba/Venezuela policy that supports democracy but not war might work.
Puerto Ricans didn’t vote much at all in 18. Many are citizens, but haven’t taken the time to establish their residency in Florida. The state makes it hard. One by one, help them through the hoops. They remember paper towel throwing and insults to the Mayor of San Juan.
So too I’ve heard Dems lump the many South Florida Haitians in the category of “black.” Group them by melanin? What chutzpah, as we say in Boca. While many Haitians are not citizens, the community is incredibly education-oriented. I don’t want to sound like I’m stereotyping, but a “joke” might illustrate. They say Haitian moms work all day then stay up all night ironing their children’s clothes for school the next day. This isn’t a joke: Many Haitian moms come to community college with the kids the first day! Here’s the angle; COVID is killing us, and education too. I think you have a good audience here; but speak to them with respect. They are the least likely to argue with you about politics (cultural) and most likely to just not vote.
I could go on and on. There are groups intensely interested in immigration policy, like my Guatamalan neighbors. There are groups that want to simply ignore Trump.
It’s five months late. Florida Dems should be castigated for criminal negligence. But voting begins in a week or so. If the Lincoln Project can create effective ads overnight, maybe Bloomberg can too.
But ditch the words “Hispanic” and “Black” and start thinking about people.