Hillsborough County GOP Chair admits the party is trying to figure out how to appeal to Latino voters

"Honestly, we're trying to figure it out," Wood told CL from the third row of seats above the floor at an RNC event earlier this week. "Part of the reason is trying to figure out why they describe themselves as Democrats. It's almost the sense that they hear the word 'democracy,' which is why they come to America, which is why they attach themselves to the Democratic Party."

Wood almost echoed Ronald Reagan's line that Hispanics are natural Republicans who just don't know it yet.

"When I get to know Hispanics, they're really like Republicans when you scratch the surface, so I think it's somehow a way of introducing them to the party," he said. "We’ve got people trying to figure that nut out."

Often times, the word 'Hispanic' is associated with Cubans, thus Republican. But in the past decade, Florida has seen an explosion of other nationalities, such as Puerto Ricans and Mexicans, that lean more to the left.

As of now, Mitt Romney would have to win Florida to have a serious chance of taking the White House. If you analyze the electoral map, getting more than the 28 percent support from Latinos seems essential.

In terms of organization in Hillsborough, Wood said there are three offices supported by Romney and two by the county party. He'd like to have six within the next few weeks.

Wood also professed great respect for the Obama for America campaign team, saying he "watched them like a hawk." He credited its technology and database management as formidable tools he has to compete against.