Schwarzenegger Moves To Shore Up Vulnerability With Latinos
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is moving to shore up an area of vulnerability in his re-election campaign against his trailing Democratic opponent, Phil Angelides. On Tuesday at an event in L.A., he will announce the formation of Hispanic Families for Arnold. When he was elected in the 2003 recall election, Schwarzenegger garnered 34 percent of the Latino vote, a good total given that the replacement Democratic nominee, Lieutenant Governor Cruz Bustamante, is Mexican-American. But in some recent polls matched up against Angelides, Schwarzenegger is running under 20 percent.
Forty to fifty community leaders and their families will join Schwarzenegger at the Tuesday event. They include former U.S. Small Business Administration head Hector Barreto, state Assemblywoman Bonnie Garcia,
Santa Ana City Councilman Carlos Bustamante, Simi Valley Mayor Pro Tem Glen Becerra, and Henry Mendoza, head of the California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce.
As a candidate, the former action superstar had been greatly advantaged by having Latino men as a significant part of his fan base. He had made several of his movies in Mexico, including megahits Total Recall, the movie which elevated his profile on the global stage, and Predator. Although he had campaigned against the highly controversial drivers licenses for illegal immigrants bill, many Latinos shared his concern with potential post-9/11 security flaws in the measure. Schwarzenegger had supported the Proposition 187 anti-illegal immigration initiative in 1994, but in 2002 had come out publicly against it as a punitive measure, although some in his campaign seemed remarkably unaware of that.
But in office, things began to go sour. One problem was that he didn’t really have a Latino outreach operation. One top advisor of the time said privately that Schwarzenegger didn’t need Latino votes to win re-election.
Schwarzenegger forced the repeal of LA Senator Gil Cedillo’s bill granting drivers licenses to illegal immigrants. Former Governor Gray Davis had signed the bill — which contained fewer security features than a previous version he had vetoed before — and it was a major factor in his recall. Schwarzenegger said he would sign a bill with appropriate security features, but when Cedillo presented him with a tougher bill, he declined.
He was frequently at loggerheads with Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez. And although he traveled to several other countries, Mexico was not among them. Then there was the Minutemen incident. Going on an LA radio station last year to decry a controversial billboard which implied that Los Angeles was part of Mexico, he praised the even more controversial Minutemen group for their fitful efforts at patrolling the border with Mexico. President George W. Bush had dismissed the group as “vigilantes,” but the governor praised them for doing a “great job.”
After the chaotic year that was 2005 for Schwarzenegger, he began regrouping. His new Bush veteran political advisors counseled a strong program reaching out to Latinos and Schwarzenegger, anxious to rekindle what he once had, was very receptive. (The president, a two-term governor of Texas, opposed Prop 187 and has always emphasized relations with the Latino community and with Mexico.)
Even before this, Schwarzenegger and Nunez, who had been the real “anti-Arnold” in terms of being the politician who was the most effective thorn in his side, forged a strong working partnership out of the ashes of Schwarzenegger’s unsuccessful special election agenda. The two men nearly negotiated their way out of last year’s special election showdown in private meetings at Schwarzenegger’s home last summer.
Schwarzenegger hosted Mexican President Vicente Fox in May, along with Speaker Nunez. He will be traveling to Mexico in August.
He has also held a number of little publicized Latino rountables this year, listening to community concerns.
This past weekend, Schwarzenegger addressed the National Council of La Raza convention in L.A., after walking around the event with his friend, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.
The governor, who had no Latino outreach program to speak of before, has been helped in this by a new senior advisor. Former Univision broadcaster and League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) director Arnoldo Torres, a one-time advisor to Jesse Jackson, came on board this year to counsel him and run Latino outreach.
Schwarzenegger’s job approval rating among Latinos has improved significantly since the beginning of the year — from a dreadful 19 percent to 30 percent in the San Jose State poll — but the better approval numbers have not yet translated in voter support. Tomorrow’s event is the beginning of a drive to translate the increased approval and vastly improved atmospherics into more support at the polls.
July 10th, 2006 at 6:33 am
Last week Angelides, in a ‘Me Too” strategy, came up with a prison reform proposal.
Will Angelides follow Schwarzenegger’s lead again to have a Latino outreach program? Interesting to watch Angelides plays “Follow-the-Leader” game.
Angelides can’t seem to have any solutions for California except for more taxes.
July 10th, 2006 at 7:54 am
Bill - The NCLR response to Arnold was luke warm. The mission of the whole convention was to identify and replace those with an immigration policy opposite to those organizing the convention. Arnold is clearly on that list. Most rank and file lationos i spoke to are not planning on supporting him. He seems as though he just panders to whatever audience he’s in front of. I know, rare for a politican, however lately he seems worse than others. Hasta la Vista, baby!
July 10th, 2006 at 9:02 am
“The mission of the whole convention was to identify and replace those with an immigration policy opposite to those organizing the convention. Arnold is clearly on that list. ”
I attended some of the events (NCLR/NALEO Naturalization Application Processing Workshop and the Town Hall on immigration Reform and Beyond) at NCLR this weekend. I agree with your description of the general focus of the convention but I disagree with your assessment of Arnold. I was in a workshop when he walked around with Mayor AV, but my friends who saw them said it was CLEAR there is a good and real relationship between them. He has problems. A friendship with Mayor AS and the Speaker will not solve everything. But among my friends and colleagues in attendance, I also saw a “wait and see” attitude. While the focus now is the voter registration drive and there will be a “list” NOT ALL Republicans will be on that list. Certainly, not the ones working with Democrats to pass CIRA and certainly not the ones who come out and support CIRA. Therefore, it remains unclear if he is on this “list”. His big problem still remains that he is sending out what is perceived as MIXED MESSAGES about CIRA, if you do that then it appears you are you can not be counted on defending the “citizenship track.” Everyone wants to know where you are on this issue if you are an elected official. I use to mock “single issue” voting…I know many people who just wanted to know where a congressional candidate was on Foreign Aid/support for Israel before they cast his or her vote and I know many women who still ask about ANY politician “where is he/she on choice” even when it seems highly irrelevant to the office the individual was in pursuit of!…to my surprise I am there, and a lot of us who find this issue relevant will be voting “single issue ” until this is resolved…there is a great deal of energy, passion, and raised expectations since the passing of the Senate Bill…so this passion and energy will go into countering those who obstruct CIRA, this fall and beyond.
July 10th, 2006 at 9:24 am
[…] Schwarzenegger Moves To Shore Up Vulnerability With Latinos [NWN] […]
July 10th, 2006 at 9:25 am
I’m looking toward the “Hispanic Families for Arnold” group urging the governor to sign the mininum wage law with an indexing provision, fighting back Ray Haynes attempt to repeal AB 540 (in-state tutition for undocumenteds), appointing more Latino judges (I think the Mayor’s sister was only the third out of more than 100, embarrassing, esp. when they use the “lack of qualified candidtes” line as they cut money for outreach programs for Latino kids. Makes it a self-fulfilling prophecy) and appointing some Latinos to his cabinet.
This is just stuff off of the top of my head.
July 10th, 2006 at 10:12 am
Arnold needs to do a video like Bush did in ‘04:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gaufw7EmSnY&search=bush%20latino
July 10th, 2006 at 10:21 am
I would bet … No.
>The mission of the whole convention was to identify and replace those with an immigration policy opposite to those organizing the convention. Arnold is clearly on that list.
July 10th, 2006 at 10:55 am
what? no rosario marin?
i’d like to know more about this group of 50. the people you mentioned are well known republicans who are essentially duty bound to being paraded around before every election. i don’t have a problem with that.
i do have a problem with two facts:
1) the administration (and republicans in general) only need latinos for campaigning, but not for anything else. i’m probably correct to assume these hispanic families won’t be giving arnold important advice or insight into identifying or addressing the needs of this growing population. it’s all image making and no substance.
2) latinos are a diverse group, but republicans somehow always manage to chose the least diverse group of latinos. what good does it do to select like-minded-republicans?
i’m not impressed with the last minute outreach program.
the following statement: “One top advisor of the time said privately that Schwarzenegger didn’t need Latino votes…” spells out an important difference between schwarzenegger and bush. bush has a track record (an important part of outreach) and schwarzenegger does not.
July 10th, 2006 at 11:15 am
Both parties have their hackocracies trotted out for utilitarian partisan purposes.
July 10th, 2006 at 11:29 am
I think not. It was the existence of a referendum that forced the repeal. Without repeal by the legislature, the voters would have done it and that would have precluded the opportunity to push it through later. He did say that with the security features and identifiable license differences he would sign a bill. But then added that we should wait for the forthcoming Real ID regulations to be enacted. Polls show that licenses for illegals aren’t popular with the electorate so that may be affecting his decision. If this is backtracking it worth also mentioning that Cedillo himself now includes what he had previously compared to Nazi-mandated tattoos on Jews in his bill.
July 10th, 2006 at 11:40 am
You made this inaccurate point before.
There was no referendum.
There might have been a referendum. Led by Schwarzenegger.
July 10th, 2006 at 11:49 am
Never let it be said that Gov. Schwarzenegger is not a Latin American enthusiast, although perhaps not the greatest of dancers.
http://time.blogs.com/daily_dish/2006/07/youtube_for_the_5.html?promoid=rss_daily_dish
July 10th, 2006 at 12:15 pm
Mr. Bradley writes:”One top advisor of the time said privately that Schwarzenegger didn’t need Latino votes to win re-election.”
Well, tomorrow is Karl Rove at NCLR and Arnold’s “Hispanic Family event.”!
Whoever this “advisor” was …. he/she is either a very shallow person or had/has a very shallow understanding of the US demographics and especially of California’s! …and for Arnold to have bought this line …well, what can I say, it does not speak well of him…either in the “smarts ” department or in his “mantra:” I want to do the best job for the people of California….but still all things considered, Arnold is doing just fine now and the shortest route to get Mayor AV as our next GUV is Arnold. AV is high energy and can recharge this state’s batteries ..he is the “real thing” and most importantly he will represent everyone, no one will be excluded or be an afterthought, which in some ways is more offensive than excluded.
July 10th, 2006 at 12:33 pm
I didn’t say he bought the line, though he was influenced. Don’t be a jumper.
July 10th, 2006 at 1:17 pm
Someof the old Schwarzeneger advisers like Rob Stutzman, the Republican Bob Mulholland, and Mike Murphey ran him rihgt into the ground.
July 10th, 2006 at 1:35 pm
I wish you would go hear Karl Rove…I will be dependent on “hearsay” from my girlfriends and establishment press reports …that not the best way to get a real story…
July 10th, 2006 at 1:43 pm
“Gen. Pace Offers Teary Immigration Testimony
Joint Chiefs Chairman Moves Congress With Personal Story
By Glenn Frankel and Daniela Deane
Washington Post Staff Writers
Monday, July 10, 2006; 2:52 PM
MIAMI, July 10 — A congressional field hearing on immigration came to a stunning halt Monday morning when Gen. Peter Pace, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, broke down in tears talking about his Italian immigrant father and the opportunities his parents gave their children by coming to the United States.
A hush fell over the hearing room as Pace, a Marine from Brooklyn, N.Y., broke down and was unable to continue for a couple of minutes as the opening witness at the hearing”
The above happened today at one of Senate’s Town Halls …to counter the misinformation and disinformation House REEP Town Halls… Senator Kennedy was in attendance.
July 10th, 2006 at 2:23 pm
Oh, just another soft-hearted Marine Corps socialist. First we get James Webb becoming a Democrat to run for the Senate in Virginia, now this. Weenies.
July 10th, 2006 at 3:59 pm
You are so sly …sooo fly Mr. Bradley!
GO CIRA!
“Gallop Poll : July 10 -These results are based on telephone interviews with a randomly selected national sample of 2,032 adults, including oversamples of 500 blacks and 506 Hispanics, aged 18 years and older, conducted June 8-25, 200
The poll finds most Americans favor a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants as the way to address the status of illegal immigrants living in the United States. Two in three Americans say the United States should “allow illegal immigrants to remain in the United States and become U.S. citizens, but only if they meet certain requirements over a period of time.” The remainder of the public divides about evenly between allowing illegal immigrants to remain in the United States to work for a limited amount of time (17%) and “deporting all illegal immigrants back to their home country” (16%).
Hispanics (86%) overwhelmingly support the path to citizenship approach, while a lesser majority of whites (63%) and blacks (69%) do so.
17. Which comes closest to your view about what government policy should be toward illegal immigrants currently residing in the United States? Should the government — [ROTATED: deport all illegal immigrants back to their home country, allow illegal immigrants to remain in the United States in order to work, but only for a limited amount of time, or allow illegal immigrants to remain in the United States and become U.S. citizens, but only if they meet certain requirements over a period of time]?
The poll finds most Americans favor a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants as the way to address the status of illegal immigrants living in the United States. Two in three Americans say the United States should “allow illegal immigrants to remain in the United States and become U.S. citizens, but only if they meet certain requirements over a period of time.” The remainder of the public divides about evenly between allowing illegal immigrants to remain in the United States to work for a limited amount of time (17%) and “deporting all illegal immigrants back to their home country” (16%).
Hispanics (86%) overwhelmingly support the path to citizenship approach, while a lesser majority of whites (63%) and blacks (69%) do so.
Survey Methods
These results are based on telephone interviews with a randomly selected national sample of 2,032 adults, including oversamples of 500 blacks and 506 Hispanics, aged 18 years and older, conducted June 8-25, 2006. The total sample is weighted so that it reflects the national adult population. For results based on this sample, one can say with 95% confidence that the maximum error attributable to sampling and other random effects is ±6 percentage points. In addition to sampling error, question wording and practical difficulties in conducting surveys can introduce error or bias into the findings of public opinion polls.
For results based on the sample of 500 blacks, one can say with 95% confidence that the maximum margin of sampling error is ±7 percentage points.
For results based on the sample of 506 Hispanics, one can say with 95% confidence that the maximum margin of sampling error is ±7 percentage points (167 out of the 506 interviews with Hispanics were conducted in Spanish).
For results based on the sample of 872 non-Hispanic whites, one can say with 95% confidence that the maximum margin of sampling error is ±7 percentage points. “
July 10th, 2006 at 6:35 pm
I wager James Webb’s medals like John Kerry’s were faked just like all those others who dare to challenge those who never served in the military.
July 10th, 2006 at 7:19 pm
Good grief. I like that poll question with “but only if they meet certain requirements” in it, without even saying what those are. How about if the path to citizenship requires sucessfully squatting 1200lbs? Even Pat Buchannan would approve of that. But hey, Pat would be one of those “Americans who favor a path to citizenship”.
July 10th, 2006 at 7:36 pm
From the LA Times November 25, 2003
July 10th, 2006 at 7:41 pm
Let me explain something to you for the final time.
They did not have the signatures.
Hence there was no referendum. Unless Schwarzenegger did it.
Don’t waste my time with this again.
July 10th, 2006 at 7:51 pm
Athlonguy:”but only if they meet certain requirements” in it, without even saying what those are.”
Unlike you, most Americans understand that CIRA (Kennedy-McCain) sets forth rigorous requirements to be met during a 10- 11 year period, including but not limited to:learning English, paying back taxes, paying fines.
July 10th, 2006 at 8:34 pm
Barbara - The poll speaks for itself. Make conclusions based on the questions actually asked to people, not on questions you wish were asked.
July 10th, 2006 at 9:39 pm
The CRA is nothing, offensive noise makers, only a dumb lib would not know that.
July 10th, 2006 at 11:41 pm
Hemlock sayeth: “I wager James Webb’s medals like John Kerry’s were faked just like all those others who dare to challenge those who never served in the military.”
Am I missing an untyped impish grin, or is that scurrilous slander of all war vets who criticize the Bush Doctrine intended to be taken seriously?
My medals are real, I challenge the credibility of elitist draft avoiders who now bravely send others to die, and the swifties and their spawn are either manipulated fools, scum, or more likely a mixture of the two.
Tell me I missed the joke, please…I did at least ‘get’ the one about weenies….
July 10th, 2006 at 11:48 pm
I have learned the hard way that I frequently have to inform people in these humorless times that I have just told a joke. Dr. Hemlock may feel differently. Let’s see if he was trying to insult you or not.
July 11th, 2006 at 7:49 am
If you have to ask.
July 11th, 2006 at 10:57 am
OK, thanks. sorry if I overreacted, but that one’s a “hot button” with me.
July 12th, 2006 at 6:39 pm
Those who have commented upon the superficial nature of the Governator’s Latino outreach and his bizarre immigration posture which is simply incoherent are, in the vernacular, “spot on.”
Intellectually compromised and a purely egocentric reasoner, every move is a politcal decision based upon service of self and the public good is generally irrelevant. Schwarzenegger is tethered to no identifiable ethical or philosophical contructs, refuses to study policy in any formidable way, is largely disinterested in the arduous, if unglamorous, tasks of governance, and is disdainful of the working classes. He cannot maitain focus on an issue, operates frequently on whim and reverses course with dizzying frequency. What he does commit to tends to be stale, outdated, overly simplistic and rooted in his plutocratic wordl view (though he frequently calls the slop he prettles on about “visionary”).
Hence, he cannot - sadly - be expected to advance any “pricipled” position on immigration and he will vascillate and equivocate his way through election day having made no reasonable commitments to any constitutency. And, anyone who believes him to be a true ally of the Latino community has simply not been paying attention.
The Gov. had the opportunity, as an immigrant (one who by the way, violated the conditions of his visa as with every other rule he disregards) to co-opt the immigration issue becoming a powerful voice on the issue and pushing himself to “true” national prominence on a policy issue. He fell silent and, indeed, seems to see himself as a very special “immigrant.”
In fact, he is in no way very “special.” Sponsored by the resources of Joe Weider, pumped on steroids, and largely flaunting laws regulations and respectable human conduct, little of what he has achieved is purely of his own doing as he would have the public believe. Anyone familiar with his track record gags when he gushes about his unique “self made” status.
I can forsee the Latino outreach he is sponsoring having an impact based on the testimonial and transfer characteritics of his Latino supporters. But, these folks should step away from such considerations, challenge him to answer questions without equivocation and describe how he will approach the immigration issue in his next term. Do not hold your breath.
The wild card is the notion that Nunez wants another term for the Gov. that AV may ascend in 2010. This is repugnant, though quite possibly true, and that Nunez might sacrifice apppropriate movement on the immigration front that is sensible and humane for such a distant political crap shoot is reprehensible. The Gov. has already wasted 3 years of the public’s time and this could be a further setback. Fortunately the sate is far more resilient than most realize and in spite of Schwarzenegger’s bumbling and buffoonery it has managed to stay afloat.
Should Latinos line up in support of the Gov. in such a fashion that they are significant to a victory in November, expect that he will spend the next four years waffling on immigration and hiding behind his very famous notion “It is a Federal Government problem and I cannot do anything about it.”
Angelides is no great prize but he has a hell of alot more moxy than the Gov. Sadly, the candidate with the most responsible, workable and considerate immigration position has no chance of winning: Peter Camejo.