Yesterday’s South Carolina Republican debate set in idyllic Myrtle Beach belied the chaotic and boisterous verbal dueling going on inside the Myrtle Beach Conference Center.
There didn’t appear to be much adherence to time limits or audience control – the booing was at one of the highest decibel levels seen thus far.
Only Romney seemed above it all by focusing not on the other Presidential contenders but rather on Obama bashing. Most of the early questions focused on Romney’s business style and his job growth record – you would of thought he was the CEO of multiple Fortune 100’s by the number of jobs he allegedly created instead of financing the talents of the real job creators – entrepreneurs.
After debating on how to create jobs, who hated Osama bin Laden more and all agreeing 99er’s (those American out of work more than 99 weeks) are for sure deadbeats, questions of immigration landed on Romney’s podium.
The man who continuously asserted his priority to ‘strengthening families’ didn’t appear bothered much by splitting up families when a member is deported or having as many of the undocumented leave ASAP.
When the question on immigration was posed it was started by the moderating panel pointing out that Romney’s father was born in Mexico – while returning to the U.S. where Mitt was born making him the ultimate anchor baby (that’s my term not theirs).
The question was framed as to why when someone had a father born in Mexico are they also identified ‘as having one of the harshest stance on immigration.’
Let me point at what is being implied here. Point One -Romney you are of Mexican descent, have relatives living in Mexico. Point Two – Your father left Mexico for the U.S. to give his family a better opportunity. Point Three - The people you are seeking to deport or at least the majority of them could be family or family of family, i.e. Mexican. Point Four – You are the son of an immigrant yet don’t connect with the immigrant struggle.
Romney’s reply: “Leave and get in line, I will not open other ways to encourage illegal immigration.”
It also didn’t appear Romney was too concerned about losing the Latino vote since I don’t think he even acknowledges it exists. After being asked ‘Aren’t you potentially alienating Latino voters that any Republican needs to win, by promising to veto the DREAM Act, legislation an overwhelming majority of Latinos support?’
Romney’s reply: “Leave and get in line, I will not open other ways to encourage illegal immigration.”
Apparently as disconnected as Romney is with the 99% and his emotions, he is also disconnected with the connection legal Latinos have with the immigrant experience and the undocumented.
Romney is so confident Latino voters are interested in America being a nation of opportunity that he will get their vote, “So if my policies promote a better America their votes will come.” Well that would mean they aren’t really looking at your alleged job creation record, your insistence on eliminating health care for all and your view that some of the unemployed Americas aren’t working hard enough to get a job – when they do they wouldn’t like you all over again.
The upside of the debate was that Texas Gov. Rick Perry (yes he still hasn’t realize he needs to drop out and go back to Texas) was game on. Finally, acknowledging illegal border crossing’s are at a 40-year low thank to the ‘economy being at a 40-year low.’
Read more at Hispanically Speaking News