Mediaboss Marketing

Ruben Navarrette Jr., Opinion columnist Published 3:15 a.m. ET Nov. 26, 2019 | Updated 8:02 a.m. ET Nov. 26, 2019

Latino voters in California make up a large percentage of the electorate in the newly minted Super Tuesday behemoth. USA TODAY

Despite his harmful rhetoric, President Trump's policies and fierce attitude have attracted a certain subset of those in the Latino community.

San Diego Its like chickens for Colonel Sanders.Why would any self-respecting Latino vote to re-elect President Donald Trump, arguably the most anti-Latino chief executive in U.S. history?

Thats what my non-Latino friends want to know. I get that question all the time, often accompanied by a tilted head and a confused look.

In the 2020 election, Trump seems likely to get between 25%-30% of the Latino vote. A recent poll by Telemundo found that 1 in 4 American Latinos would vote to re-elect him.

In 2016, according to exit polls, Trump got 28% of the Latino vote.He did better than Sen. Bob Dole, who got 21% of the Latino vote in 1996, and Sen. Mitt Romney, who got 27% in 2012. But he couldnt match Sen. John McCain, who got 31% of the Latino vote in 2008, or President George W. Bush, who got 40% in 2004. Anything north of 30% is a decent showing for a Republican, and anything beyond 40% will make a GOP candidate virtually unbeatable.

Latino voters count for a lot. Three reasons: theyre a young populationthat is adding new voters at a staggering rate; Theyre well-represented in so-called battleground states such as Colorado, Nevadaand Florida; And close to two-thirds of Latinosare Mexicansor Mexican-Americans, whotend to be swing voters.

Latinos are now poised to be the largest racial orethnic minority group to be eligible to vote in a presidential election, according to the Pew Research Center.By 2020, an estimated 32 million Latinos will be eligible to vote, which is just slightly more than the 30 million voters who are African-Americans. According to Pew, Latinos are expected to be about 13.3% of the electorate in 2020.

Heres what you need to know about the Latino vote: there is no such thing. That is, Latinos arent monolithic and we dont vote as a bloc.

A rally in Dallas on Oct. 17, 2019.(Photo: Nicholas Kamm/AFP via Getty Images)

Yet, Trump is likely to do better than expected with Latino voters.

Its not just because of a strong economy, low unemployment rates among Latinos, etc. Its also because many Latinos are willing to look past Trumps anti-Latino bigotry. After all, they tell themselves, the president is not talking about people like them.

The problem is that, when it comes to Latinos, Trump cant stop talking trash. Heres a look at his rant sheet.

As a candidate, Trumpdeclared that Mexico isnot sending their bestbut ridding itself of those who arebringing drugsbringing crime,labeled Mexican immigrants criminals and rapists, promised to deport bad hombres, praised the 1954mass deportation program called "Operation Wetback," promised a deportation force,and attacked the integrity of U.S. District Court Judge Gonzalo Curiel a U.S.-born citizen of Mexican descent by questioning whether Curiel could fairly adjudicate a lawsuit against Trump University because, Hes a Mexican.

Dear progressives: Hispanics are not 'Latinx.' Stop trying to Anglicize our Spanish language.

As president, Trump pardoned Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio after the former lawman was found guilty of racially profiling Latinos and defying court orders, ended Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), "leaving"more than 700,000 young peoplepotentially subject to deportation, targeted birthright citizenship for the U.S.-born children of illegal immigrants, embraced policies that would cutlegalimmigration in halfand separated thousands of refugee families to the point where nearly 70,000 immigrant children were held in U.S. custody at some point in the last year.

Even as he campaigns for re-election, Trump still cant seem to refrain from sticking his foot in this mouth when it comes to Latino voters.

He talks often about how the United States is facing an invasion from the south.Thats the same word that 21-year-old Patrick Crusius used in a racist manifestohe penned before walking into a Walmart in El Paso, Texason Aug 3 to, as he allegedly told police,kill as many Mexicans as possible.Crucius killed 22 people, many of them Mexicanand wounded 25others.

Several weeks ago, when Trump traveled to New Mexico to court conservative Latinos, he doted on CNN commentator Steve Cortes, a pro-Trump immigrant from Colombia who the president declared looks more like a WASP than I do.Trump put Cortes on the spot, asking him,Who do you like more,the country or the Hispanics?Cortes answered The country.

Most of the Latinos who back Trump are not so buffoonish about their support. But theyre no less devoted to their guy.

As a Mexican-American Never Trumper, I wanted to understand these people. Besides, as a journalist who is trained to talk to strangers, the idea of Latinos who support Trump sounded plenty strange to me.

So, I went out and interviewed a couple dozen Latinos for Trump.

What I found is that, in many cases, these folks are not really Latino at all. Theyre post-Latino. They see themselves as Americans. Theyre ambivalent about their heritage, relatives, ancestors. They dont take offense when Trump insults Mexican immigrants because even for Mexican-Americans they see the people hes talking about as another species.

It's time to take a stand: After El Paso shooting, Mexican Americans can no longer be ambivalent minority

Consider the views of Chris Salcedo, a conservative Mexican-American radio host in Texas who bills himself as a liberty loving Latino.

Ive always resented the hell out of liberals, in the press and out of the press, who have said that I, because of my Latino surname, have anything in common with someone who is breaking into my country without our permission, Salcedo told me. When the president cracks down on illegal border crossings and human trafficking, I do not believe hes attacking me because I also want to stop those same things.

I get it. But I also recognize a familiar song when I hear one. Other ethnic groups know this one by heart. The Irish, Italians andJewsall have people in their community who dont identify with their heritage or who think theyre better than others in their tribe, when theyre really just better off. These are the folks who were born on third basebut tell themselves they hit a triple.

Now some Latinos have found their way to Trump. Good for them. But make no mistake. In a larger sense, theyre lost.

Ruben Navarrette Jr., a member of the USA Today Board of Contributors, is a syndicated columnist with the Washington Post Writers Groupand host of the daily podcast, Navarrette Nation. Follow him on Twitter:@RubenNavarrette

Autoplay

Show Thumbnails

Show Captions

Read or Share this story: https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2019/11/26/latinos-for-trump-supporters-hispanics-mexicans-attacks-immigrants-column/4224954002/

See the original post here:
Millions of Latinos are Trump supporters. Here's what they're thinking. - USA TODAY

Bret: I understand his weakness with African-American voters but remain mystified by why he isnt polling better with the younger electorate. Even so: Wouldnt it be nice to have a president who makes you enjoy the English language every time he speaks?

Gail: Mayor Pete is certainly a good speaker, but hell be even better when he runs again a few years down the line. I dont think its a rejection if you just feel he could use a little more political experience outside of South Bend.

And speaking of mayors, are you still high on Mike Bloomberg? Talk about terrible poll numbers. How much do you think hed need to spend to turn things around? More or less than the national budget of Canada?

Bret: He is my first choice by far, whatever misgivings I might have about his micromanaging style. (We former Republicans have to stick together.) Im convinced he can trounce Trump in a general election, and he would have a winning message to the so-called exhausted majority that is sick of our hyper-ideological, polarized politics. And I wouldnt read too much into his poll numbers right now. Hes a candidate of the head, not the heart. He has the money to keep going all the way to the convention, which might prove very useful if, as I think is entirely possible, the Democrats wind up with a brokered convention between two or three uncertain or unpalatable front-runners.

Gail: Ah, yes, a brokered convention. The last one was so exciting. King George VI had just died, the hydrogen bomb was about to get its first test and people were talking about the great new picture Singin in the Rain.

We havent had one since 1952, Bret. But tell me what youre envisioning.

Bret: Imagine a scenario in which Buttigieg wins Iowa, Warren wins New Hampshire, Biden wins South Carolina and then goes on to win Super Tuesday, causing Bernie Sanders to drop out of the race. Some Sandernistas will go to Biden, but I suspect most of his supporters then shift to Warren. The rest of the field drops out for lack of funds except, of course, for Bloomberg. At that point, the Democratic Party takes a deep breath, clenches some posterior muscles and realizes the former mayor offers the best shot at dethroning Trump, who at that point will be celebrating his impeachment victory after an acquittal in the Senate.

Am I 100 percent insane, or just 95 percent?

Gail: Hesitant to dismiss any wild possibility in the current climate. But when crazy stuff happens, its always because of Donald Trump. On the Democratic side things are actually pretty boring considering that weve got a wide-open presidential race.

See the original post here:
Can Anyone or Anything Dislodge Trump From the White House? - The New York Times

The point is proven. The corruption has been established.

Its rather simple: Donald Trump abused his power as president to extort a foreign country into investigating a political rival.

There is no remaining doubt that this happened.

Furthermore, the conspiracy of people involved in the execution of this plan, as well as pursuing the debunked conspiracy theory that it was Ukraine that interfered in the 2016 election to help Hillary Clinton, rather than Russia interfering to help Trump, is also coming more into focus.

It is clear that Trump has committed impeachable offenses. (Some people around him may also have committed prosecutable crimes.) The only remaining question is whether some honorable Republicans might join Democrats in voting for whichever articles of impeachment might be drawn up in the House of Representatives.

At present, it appears that few or none would do so. That is a sad indictment of our country and of the Republican Party.

I have contended from the beginning that impeachment was important regardless of Republican support, regardless of the chances of conviction and removal in the Senate. Impeachment is important because our system of democracy is being tested. The Constitution is being tested. And, not moving to impeach would in a way enshrine abuse of power as a precedent.

And yet, it is still remarkable to see the way partisans are choosing to behave in this moment. It is still remarkable to see the disinformation coming from conservative media. It is still remarkable to see just how many fellow citizens have bought into deception.

This is one of the great successes (if that word can be used in this way) of the Trump presidency: He has succeeded in eroding truth and bending reality among those who support him. He has succeeded in commandeering conservatism and twisting it into something nearly unrecognizable.

And now, all of Trumps supporters and defenders are erecting a protective hedge around him. The cult of Trumpism cant be allowed to fall.

They are devoted to Trumps version of the truth and his version of reality. In it, he is a tough-talking tough guy who uses colorful language and sharp elbows to change things in their interest and in their favor. In this reality, he is unfairly and incessantly maligned by those obsessed with hating him as a person and for his supposed successes. In this reality, Trump is being bullied.

Also, nothing said about him is to be believed, no matter who says it and how much proof is presented. Conversely, believing him, a compulsive liar, happens by default.

For instance, poll results published last month by Monmouth University found that 67 percent of self-identified Republicans and Republican-leaning voters believe Trumps baseless claim that Joe Biden probably did pressure Ukrainian officials to keep them from investigating his sons business interests there, while just 16 percent said Trump made promises or put pressure on Ukraines president to investigate Biden, even though Trump had already admitted it and the partial transcript confirms it.

This is both confounding and frightening. How is a democracy supposed to survive when this many people deny a basic common set of facts? How does one engage in political debate with someone lost in a world of lies?

And of course, this is just as Trump wants it. He has spent his entire life bending the truth and flat-out lying. It was one thing when he did it as a private citizen, to puff up his chest and inflate his wealth. There were no real consequences for the country in the telling of those lies.

But now he has brought his lie loudly tactic to the White House, and he has realized that there is a section of America hungry for a show, willing to believe anything the carnival barker says and be thoroughly entertained by it.

Trump realized something that few people are willing to acknowledge: That politics is theater first. It is about appearance and performance to a disturbing degree. People want a story, a vision, a fascinating protagonist. Politics loves a star.

The derisive clich, Washington is Hollywood for ugly people, coined by Democratic strategist Paul Begala, has lasted so long because there is a grain of truth in it. Its simply another version of Hollywood, where great tales are packaged and sold, where great actors teach people to believe in ephemera.

Its just that the show in Washington controls the national budget and the national arsenal and affects real peoples real lives.

But, Trump knows that the impeachment inquiry can simply be seen as part of the show, and if he can put on a bigger, better show, he can survive it. Trump is not concerned about truth, protocol, tradition or the sanctity of the Constitution.

Trump cares about Trump. Trump cares about the Trump brand and the Trump show. Trump will reduce this country to rubble before he will submit to correction. And, hell portray our destruction as his greatest show.

The Times is committed to publishing a diversity of letters to the editor. Wed like to hear what you think about this or any of our articles. Here are some tips. And heres our email: letters@nytimes.com.

Follow The New York Times Opinion section on Facebook and Twitter (@NYTopinion), and Instagram.

Read more:
For Trump, Impeachment Is a Show - The New York Times

HAMBURG, Germany A couple of years ago I took a vacation to Sicily. I had parked my car in a public lot when a local guy approached me to ask for money. I pointed to a sign that read free parking, so why did he think he could demand anything of me? He said that of course I was not obliged to pay him, but if I wanted to make sure my car was undamaged upon my return, Id better be friends with him and give him a couple of euro.

We had a deal.

I thought back to this episode when I watched the Trump impeachment hearings last week. To European eyes, what is on display there is more than just a controversy over whether Donald Trump abused his presidential powers. Rather, it looks like the defining battle between two ideas of America: America as a partner and America as a bully. The bigger question hanging over the entire impeachment question is whether a majority of Americans believe that coercing a country like Ukraine into cooperation for the sake of the Republican Party is acceptable foreign policy.

From everything we know, Mr. Trump put President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine in a damned-if-you-do damned-if-you-dont situation: Either you deliver political ammunition against the Democrats by publicly announcing investigations against the son of Joe Biden, or I will freeze our military assistance to you. To a country at war with Russia, this choice basically meant: become a pawn in my political campaign, or risk serious damage.

Only a slim majority of Americans endorse the proceedings which means that for tens of millions of Americans, Donald Trump did exactly what he is accused of doing, and theyre O.K. with it. Democrats believe it was an abuse of power; everyone else, it seems, believes President Trump was just trying to do a deal.

That view is not surprising. Since the end of the Cold War, America has gained little from the liberal world order on which it spent more dollars, blood and lives than any other nation. Free trade and democracy? They came back to haunt Americas industry when China and its state-subsidized manufacturers outcompeted everyone in the World Trade Organization, without opening its own markets.

A free and united Europe? The continent that America protected and supported for 70 years has profited nicely from integrating low-wage economies into the eurozone, which enabled cheap exports.

A rules-based international order? While the European Union would be happy to include Ukraine, a swing state between liberalism and authoritarianism, into its economic realm, the bloc does little to help defend its neighbor from Russias overwhelming military force. Instead, its up to the United States to deliver the anti-tank missiles. Bad deal, indeed.

And of course, such voters have a point. There are plenty of reasons America should demand more equitable burden sharing and reforms to international rule books, starting with the World Trade Organization.

But thats no excuse for dumping the fundamentals of American leadership in favor of a more transactional, debased form of nation-state influence peddling. The old principles (even if they have not always been honored) would still be worth applying, especially the idea that partnership as opposed to bullying for personal gain creates trust, a trust that creates further partnership, which sets in motion a virtuous circle of ever greater mutual respect and gain that is, ultimately, to everyones benefit.

Listening to Ambassador Bill Taylor at the hearings, a nonpartisan career diplomat last stationed in Kyiv, one of his principled statements seemed to have almost fallen out of time: If we believe that nations get to decide on their own economic, political and security alliances, we must support Ukraine in its fight against its bullying neighbor.

In other words, building a level playing field surely comes at a price for the one who provides the machinery. But it will pay off. Short-term costs can create long-term gains. Wealth is created by non-zero-sum exchanges, as economists say.

Maybe the loss of precisely this belief is what lies at the core of Trumpism: Why care about trust when you can exert coercive power? There is no foreign policy principle involved unless it is that the president, as the sole representative of America abroad, should be able to do whatever he wants. That is why, whatever you think about whether Mr. Trump abused his constitutional powers at home, he certainly violated a core principle of American leadership abroad.

Mr. Trumps Art of the Deal approach to the world is the opposite of what made America great. It replaces trust with suspicion and turns partners into skeptics. It is a global version of the Sicilian world order I encountered in that parking lot everyone, even the smallest con, using whatever they have to advance their interests. Is that what America wants? If not, it needs to put more trust in what used to be its greatest quality: creating trust.

Jochen Bittner is a co-head of the debate section for the weekly newspaper Die Zeit and a contributing opinion writer.

The Times is committed to publishing a diversity of letters to the editor. Wed like to hear what you think about this or any of our articles. Here are some tips. And heres our email: letters@nytimes.com.

Follow The New York Times Opinion section on Facebook, Twitter (@NYTopinion) and Instagram.

More here:
What the Impeachment Hearings Look Like From Europe - The New York Times

Earlier this month, Trump took the unprecedented step of saying not only that he would prefer Boris Johnson's Conservatives to win, but controversially suggested that Johnson should do a pact with the rival Brexit Party, led by Johnson's rival, Nigel Farage.

Ever since the campaign got underway, Trump has been used as a weapon by many of Johnson's opponents -- most notably the main opposition Labour Party.

The claim itself is spurious. Johnson is a man who has just struck a deal with Europe and appears to have shifted significantly toward a friendly relationship with the European Union being his priority. The 500 million figure is easy to pull apart for anyone with access to a smartphone. And Johnson has repeatedly insisted that the NHS will not be on the table in any trade deal with the US.

True or not, it's a message that taps into a bias many voters will already have. "Labour has a structural advantage on the NHS," said Rob Ford, professor in politics at the University of Manchester. "The public simply trusts the Conservatives less than Labour and believes that the Conservatives are more likely to privatize parts of the NHS."

Making this election about the NHS helps Labour in more ways than simply hammering the Prime Minister. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has a confusing Brexit policy and doesn't cope well with questions on his plan. And as Ford explained, "Every voter who is talking about Boris selling the NHS to Trump is probably a voter who isn't talking about Boris getting Brexit done."

An indication of the perceived effectiveness of using Trump as an attack line can be seen in an analysis of paid-for Facebook ads from Labour and other groups that oppose Johnson.

Read this article:
Donald Trump is unpopular in Britain. That's why he's being used to attack Boris Johnson - CNN International