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Subscribe to RSSFORT WORTH -- In his first public campaign appearance in the Lone Star State, presumptive GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney today offered a twist on his traditionally economic-focused stump speech by directly reaching out to Hispanic voters, who Romney said were especially hard hit in the current economic downturn.
"This Obama economy has been hard particularly on Hispanic businesses and Hispanic Americans," Romney said. "I don't know if you've seen the numbers recently, but did you know that the rate of unemployment among Hispanic Americans rose last month to 11%. And that the people in this country that are poor, living in poverty, one out of three are Hispanic American."
"Hispanic Americans... in large measure have looked to entrepreneurs and innovators and small business to get going," Romney continued. "But this has been such an anti, anti-small business, hostile to small business environment that its been harder for those businesses to open up their doors and to hire more people."
"I can tell you that if I'm the next president of the United States, I'll be the president for all Americans and make sure this economy is good for all Americans, Hispanic and otherwise," he concluded.
The outreach to Hispanics is fitting in Texas, where 38% of the population claims Hispanic heritage, according to the latest census figures, and vital to Romney's prospects in November as the latest NBC/WSJ poll shows the president holding a 34-point lead among registered Latino voters.
Romney, who staked out arguably the toughest stance on illegal immigration in the GOP primary, never uttered the word "immigration" in today's 23 minute address, instead keeping the focus on the economy -- the singular issue his campaign aides say will decide the election.
The former Massachusetts governor himself told donors in April that Republicans had to find a way to get Hispanic voters into the fold, and that polls that show massive advantages for Democrats amongst the fast-growing group "spells doom for us."
“Hispanics stand to lose the most from Romney’s insistence on the same failed economic policies that created the economic crisis, including his plans to give massive tax breaks to millionaires and billionaires, allow Wall Street write its own rules again, and let foreclosures ‘hit the bottom.’ Obama campaign spokesperson Gabriela Domenzain countered in a statement.
Today, Romney said he thought the president might make a move on the economy -- which he described had "some things" getting better, in spite of the administration's policies -- for electoral reasons.
"It's amazing: Three and a half years in - three and a half years in as president, with America in crisis, with 23 million people out of work or stopped looking for work, he hasn't put forth a plan to get us working again. Now I know we're getting close to an election so he'll come out with one soon," Romney predicted.
Romney also made mention of two notable Texas politicians: Gov. Rick Perry and former president George W. Bush -- neither of whom is expected to campaign or fundraise with Romney on his current two-day swing through the state.
"President George W. Bush was at the White House for the unveiling of his painting last week," Romney said, over cheers for the native Texan former president, whose name he rarely breathes on the campaign trail. "You know, he's always an easy target and so he's blamed. But after three and half years, people have figured out this Obama's economy, not George Bush's economy.
And for Perry, and the Lone Star State itself, which greeted the presumptive nominee with 97 degree temperatures, Romney had only kind words.
"Thank you, Texas, for taking me over the line and helping me get the nomination. Thank you! That was, that was good news and you guys worked hard to get me over that line. I appreciate it very much," Romney said. "Your governor has been a great friend. We had a lot of people in the contest. We all came together because we recognize there's something we've got to do as Republicans -- come together to defeat Barack Obama and take back America."
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It is going to take a whole lot more then Willard pandering to their pocket books in order for him to gain ground with Hispanic voters!
A Hispanic voting for Willard is comparable to a chicken voting for Colonel Sanders...
C'mon Mitt, say something smart like you usually do! I can hear him now. something like "I always tip the guys who do my yard and wash my car". All you Hispanic folks have nothing to worry about from ol' Mitt. After all his daddy was born in Mexico! LMAO
Yeah, good point Feisty.
But then again, how's the Hispanic unemployment rate looking these days, and better yet, what is the trend?
See old gal, the trends are all going away from team O.
Mitts the Barber has a plan to reduce Hispanic unemployment. Self Deportation. If half of them deport themselves to someplace South, will Hispanic unemployment drop to 5%?
more people vote party-line - Mitt the MisFit won't get away with much here.
Two notable Texas politicians, LMAO The Village Idiot and the Boy King. Too Funny!!! They're notable alright!!
elect me the POTUS and you will be able to do my lawn because then, I will not care if you're an illegal for Pete's sake
A Mitt Romney presidency would be disastrous for Hispanics.Very convenient for him to remember that we are fast becoming a key voter demographic,while he's in Texas for a day or two,and inconvenient for him to speak on his immigration,and Dream Act positions.
How many of the unemployed are undocumented immigrants? Should that matter to Mitts the Barber?
If he gets them jobs, how will he fulfill his commitment to get rid of them. Mitts has a difficult balancing act. He needs to appease the anti-illegals while convincing the Hispanic-Americans that he doesn't mean them.
Mitt Romney lies easier than he breathes. The Stimulus ushered in 26 consecutive months of private sector job growth and the blindly obstructionist republican caucus blocked the President's September 2011 Jobs Plan, which included payroll tax cuts and spending on infrastructure. He's coming back with another $300 billion proposal this week.
The republican party has become dominated by a coalition of the avaricious, the ignorant, the stupid and the bigoted. Nothing else explains why Mitt Romney gets away with telling lie after lie after lie.
When Romney was running for governor he promised jobs because of his business experience and he went from 37th to 47th in job creation.
Is that really proof that Romney can create jobs?
Now Romney is claiming he inherited a bad situation and not his fault. Romney did not know what to do then and does not know what to do now. Furthermore I don't think he much cares, the republicans only seem to care about tax cuts for Romney and his rich friends and starving our people while making the military stronger so the republicans can be the rulers of the world.
I forgot they threw in taking away women's rights and making women second class citizens for their religious base. Republicans are voting against the equal pay act because second class citizens like women are not allowed rights in the eyes of the republicans.
VOTE FOR WOMEN'S RIGHTS...VOTE FOR A DEMOCRAT 2012
He left office 12th in unemployment rate.
12th?
Is Mitt bragging about being 12th.
Oh my.
YES, in a left wing liberal work force, being 12th is amazing.
While Willard may supportive now of hispanics for their vote, what of his very unresponsive view of women and equal pay for women. Where is his spport for Obama's initiative for equql pay.
[Romney reaches out to Hispanics...]
I'm surprised he didn't off up a taco as an ice breaker...
(R.I.P. Seamus...)
I'm afraid the etch-a-sketch thing won't work this time Mitt. You spent so much time denigrating Hispanics that trying to turn that around will be impossible. I guess you have so low of a regard for Hispanics that you think they haven't noticed what you've been up to. Sorry Mitt, epic fail. Making Rubio you running mate won't help either. Hispanics don't think too much of him and all his lies have been catching up to him lately. Time to write off that demographic Mittens.
The Wisconsin LANDSLIDE vote for Walker gives me renewed confidence that the electorate has seen the negative effects of what Democrat governance has done to our country........ God Bless America!
November is closing in Barak, YOU"RE NEXT!
The libs on MSNBC tonight are SEATHING with poisonous Spin, it's just TOO FUNNY! LMAO
Barak, November is closing in, YOU ARE NEXT!
Relax, Ssmithlg,
In the end you're still running Mitt Romney.
I empathize with all true Tea Partiers. After all the hoopla of the 2010 elections, after all the hard fought effort to take over the Republican Party, after all this your party has nominated Mitt Romney.
You must be about to vomit.
Barack HUSSEIN Obama in 2012, if only because Evangelicals cannot and will not bring themselves to vote for Mitt Romney.
Romney does not have a family so how does he know the heart of the American family? The family is the foundation of America. Romney is finished as a Presidential hopeful for the simple fact that he does not have a family especially anyh children. He does not know the heart of the working class with children nor does he understand how his policies affect American's with families. Until Romney has children of his own he will never be able to relate to American families that are married and have children. But President Obama does who has a family and has tried to create jobs so that the American family can go on all the while Republicans like Boenher another Republican without a family continue to thwart attempts of President Obama to create jobs so that the American family can survive. Romney is not a family orientated president as he does not have a family other than his wife. President Obama on the other hand does have a family and knows how family life is effected without the benefit of job creation being president. President Obama knows family. Romney does not. Families are the foundation of America. President Obama is part of the Foundation because he is a family man. Romney is not because all he has is a wife.
President Obama is the 1% and he doesn't have a clue how Americans are suffering right now. His only concern is getting re-elected and pushing his own stifling agenda.
And Romney has a clue about how Americans are suffering right now? And Romney isn't a 1%er? And Romney's only concern is something other than getting his ass in the White House to push his own stifling agenda?
LOL! Put the bong down.
Believe'nAmerica
"President Obama is the 1% and he doesn't have a clue how Americans are suffering right now. His only concern is getting re-elected and pushing his own stifling agenda."
Mitt Romney is the 1% and he doesn't have a clue how Americans are suffering right now. His only concern is getting elected and pushing his own stifling agenda.
Gee, that was easy.
Barack HUSSEIN Obama in 2012
When are the people of this country, Black, White, Yellow,Green , whatever. Going to wake up and see that this is no longer a free country. If you look at the old cold war propaganda we spewed out during that time and now take a close look at life in this country,if you do not see a correlation you have your head in the sand and deserve what ever happens to you. I guess as long as you have your Jersey Shore, American Idol and all that other crap you stay asleep. Do you know after the last great war we took many queues from how the Reich would disseminate the propaganda, They would wrap it in entertainment. We have different propaganda now but it is the same tactics. It is used to keep the masses in line.. DO THE RESEARCH PEOPLE. The government has an active policy based on the works of
Edward Bernays
In Propaganda (1928), Bernays argued that the manipulation of public opinion was a necessary part of democracy:
sell out!
sell out!
If I were President Obama I'd take Romney to task by making him point out just what policies he is refering to.
If you going to blame the economic hardships on the President's policies...than be a man and list them and why they have affected the hispanic demographic in that manner.
Ohh...wait, you can't because it simply is not true and factual.
Truth and facts are meaningless to to the Republican value system.
Mitt Romney has no plan. None.
He only advocates that which is, and that which was, hailed as sound policy under the Bush administration.
If you wish to go back to the day before George W. Bush left office, then by all means vote for Mitt. He will definitely take us there. And we all remember what cheery days those were.
Barack HUSSEIN Obama in 2012, the alternative spells utter disaster.
Obama has no BUDGET nor any plan. FORWARD without a Map See where that gets us?
mitt's message to hispanics is pick more beans for less money. mitt is a dispicable man.
For Mitt Romney, breathing is lying and lying is breathing.
At least a guy like Santorum actually believed 90% of what he said.
Mitt is a liar, and not just a political liar, the likes of Boehner and Cheney come to mind, but a compulsive liar, a man who finds nothing wrong in lying, day in and day out.
For those that think Obama lies, you ain't seen nothin' yet.
Barack HUSSEIN Obama in 2012, if only because Rick Santorum is about to vomit, having to accept that his Tea Party/Republican Party has actually nominated Mitt Romney. I feel your pain, Rick.
dwillie,
You forgot to mention that the majority of Dems. also were against that spending bill. Remember now???
You also forgot to mention that your man Harry Reid is sitting on almost 20 jobs bills passed by the house and he refuses to even send them to committee. You remember, Harry Reid, don't you...he's the one that refuses to produce a budget from the Senate...an illegal act in itself.
Funny that so many liberals keep calling Mitt a liar without really saying exactly what he has been dishonest about. I guess it's an easier approach to sounding off than actually saying anything meaningful and honest.
Also pretty funny how little there is on here about the recall election last night. I guess you libbies can't think of much to say about it that isn't just plain embarrassing. The times are changing and people with any sense are realizing we can't keep spending more money than we actually have....are you listening BO?
OilmanMD
I guess you realize that both BO and Joe are in the 1% er group. Do you really think that BO actually has the best interest of this country in mind? If you do, please tell us all why he has been campaigning for most of the last 3-1/2 years and why he has already had more fund raising events than the last 5 presidents combined. He is a strutting egomaniac that is more concerned about his position than about the rest of us.
Can't wait to see him strut off into the sunset after he gets whipped in November.
dwight,
Romney doesn't have a family???? Where in the world did you get that idea? Are you doing peyote again? Of course he has a family; he's the consummate family man. Get your facts straight.
Its very hard to debate left wing liberal democrats, They are all Stoned. All day.
Saintvrain
"Funny that so many liberals keep calling Mitt a liar without really saying exactly what he has been dishonest about. I guess it's an easier approach to sounding off than actually saying anything meaningful and honest."
Are you freaking kidding me? You're either kidding or you're a moron.
Some of the Many Lies of Mitt Romney:
1: Obama has increased spending. "Since President Obama assumed office three years ago, federal spending has accelerated at a pace without precedent in recent history"
Fact: President Obama has presided over some of the slowest federal spending growth in decades, in fact, the slowest since the Korean War. His growth percentage is 1.4 percent. Ronald Reagan's was a whopping 9 percent. Look it up.
2: Obama has raised taxes. "He has already raised taxes on millions of Americans, but he won't stop there. He wants to raise taxes on millions more by taxing small businesses and job creators."
Fact: Under Obama: The renewal of the Bush tax cuts, two straight years of a payroll tax holiday and the stimulus bill tax cuts all took place during his administration. In fact, we enjoy the lowest overall tax rates since the Truman administration. Look it up.
3: Obamacare will kill jobs. "Obamacare will kill 800,000 jobs. What could the president be thinking by passing a bill like this, knowing full well it will kill 800,000 jobs?"
Fact: A Harvard economist's study found that the Affordable Care Act will actually save employers roughly $3,000 a year per employee in health care costs. Repealing the law, the study estimates, would cause four million job loses by 2019. It's repealing the law, not implementing it, that would kill jobs. Look it up.
4: Obamacare increases the deficit. "The number one to cut is Obamacare. That saves $95 billion a year."
Fact: When Republicans introduced the "Repealing the Job-Killing Health Care Law Act," the Congressional Budget Office told John Boehner what would happen if the law was passed. The CBO estimates that repealing Obamacare would "increase federal budget deficits over the 2012-2019 period by a total of roughly $145 billion." Obamacare will save us money in the long run, not cost us more. Look it up.
5: Obama promised unemployment below eight percent. "Three years ago, a newly elected President Obama told America that if Congress approved his plan to borrow nearly a trillion dollars, he would hold unemployment below eight percent."
Fact: President Barack Obama never said that. In other words, no such promise was ever made. Ever. The words never left President Obama's mouth. And Romney knows it. In other words, he's lying. Go ahead, look it up.
And let's not even get into Romney taking credit for saving the Auto Industry.
Well SaintVrain, that was only five major lies made by Mitt Romney. There are many, many more.
Your above post smells of dog doo-doo.
El Presidente Romney, que lastima.