Rep. Ros-Lehtinen: Pivotal Hispanic Vote Deserting Obama

Hispanic voters will desert Barack Obama at the next election because he has failed to provide the hope and change he promised and Republicans are their natural party anyway, leading Cuban-American Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen tells Newsmax.

Too many people think that immigration is the only thing Latinos are concerned about but that is simply not true, the House Foreign Affairs chairwoman said in the exclusive interview.

“The Republican party is the party of small government, less government intrusion, small businesses, more economic freedom, and that goes to the heart of what the Hispanic community is all about,” the Florida legislator said.

“The growth in Hispanic small businesses in the United States is phenomenal and it’s because we’re seeing the opportunities exist,” she added. “The party needs to tailor its message, we don’t have to change our principles, but just be unafraid to appeal to the Hispanic voter.

“We tend to think that the Hispanic voter is all about immigration and if you’re not for amnesty, if you’re not for a comprehensive immigration reform, you won’t get the Hispanic vote. That is not true at all.

“Hispanics are pro-business, they’re very much pro-family and pro-community and they’re for safe schools and against drugs–all great American values. We should appeal to those voters all the time.

“Hispanics are a natural for the Republican party.”

Ros-Lehtinen, who was born in Havana and fled Fidel Castro’s regime as an 8-year-old with her parents, says that the Hispanic vote will be nothing like the more than 2-1 margin that sided with Obama over John McCain in 2008.

“The overwhelming Hispanic support is not going to be with Obama this time because they’re not going to be as enthusiastic to go out to vote,” she said.

{snip}