Conventional wisdom suggests that Donald Trump’s candidacy was dead on arrival with Hispanics. His strong stand against illegal immigration has been viewed as an instant turnoff.
However, one consultant suggests that Trump may actually do well with those Hispanics who matter in an electoral context. From the Washington Times:
"This stuff you read about how Hispanics are going to run away from Trump in droves is a Northeastern myth," said longtime presidential campaign adviser Mark Sanders.Perhaps that clip of from a Las Vegas rally of a Colombian woman singing Trump’s praises wasn’t a fluke after all.
"Most Hispanics here in East Texas are here legally, they vote, and they are hard-line opponents of illegal immigration," said Mr. Sanders, a top adviser in Democrat Tony Sanchez's 2002 campaign to unseat then-Gov. Rick Perry. "The only one they want is Trump -- not Hillary, not Bernie. That's the conundrum for Democrats."
Mr. Sanders says Hispanics in East Texas "come here from rural backgrounds, from the lower end of the social and economic ladder. Most of their kids go to community colleges because it's all their families can afford, and then go directly into the military. They have hard-core patriotism -- just what Trump plays into," Mr. Sanders added.
