There were major media figures on stage and in the audience at an Aug. 29 panel discussion titled, "The Republican Party and Tomorrow's America: The Hispanic Surge and the New Landscape of American Politics."
Held at the University Club of Tampa, a major purpose of the discussion was perhaps best summarized by South Florida GOP political consultant Ana Navarro when she said that Mitt Romney will not be able to win the general election this November if he doesn't start attracting more support from Latino voters.
"If he doesn't beat McCain's numbers (in 2008), he doesn't win," Navarro said.
The Hispanic population is the fastest growing part of the U.S. electorate. At a different panel discussion on Aug. 28, pollster Whit Ayres offered a stunning statistic: There are 50,000 Hispanics who turn 18 every month, and will for the next 20 years.
Based on how unpopular the GOP is with this key demographic, things need to change if the party is going to remain competitive in presidential elections.
But when South Florida Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart and former Florida Sen. Mel Martinez were asked how Mitt Romney could change his abysmal polling numbers — currently around 28 percent, lower than the 31 percent McCain received in 2008 — neither had a satisfying answer.
This article appears in Aug 30 – Sep 5, 2012.