There’s no doubt that Latinos have become an increasingly important part of American politics and culture in recent years, but that doesn’t mean our leaders are getting any wiser. Check out eight of the worst attempts at political commentary about Hispanics in 2013 below.
U.S. Rep. Steve King Sinks To New Lows
U.S. Rep. Steve King had already stood out before 2013 for comparing immigrants to dogs, then defending the comparison as a compliment. He continued to alienate Latinos in 2013, most notably in July, when he said that for every undocumented student “who’s a valedictorian, there’s another 100 out there who weigh 130 pounds and they’ve got calves the size of cantaloupes because they’re hauling 75 pounds of marijuana across the desert.”
Whether lashing out as “brazen” Dreamers or inventing crime statistics, King has done more than perhaps any other elected official to degrade the immigration debate and insult the Latino community.
Mitt Romney Still Doesn’t Get It
After flopping among Latino voters with just 23 percent of the vote in the 2012 presidential election, Republican candidate Mitt Romney continued to blame Hispanics instead of himself for his poor performance.”I think my position and the position of our party is not well understood at the Hispanic community,” Romney said in an interview with CNN. “I want to see immigration reform. I said that during the campaign. I want to make sure we have a legal immigration system that brings, in my view, more people legally to our country. I’d like to do that.” His views on legal immigration weren’t particularly controversial in the Latino community. It was his embrace of “self-deportation” and his opposition to a pathway to citizenship.
Ann Coulter Kept Talking
In the realm of anti-Latino punditry, Ann Coulter set the standard for blending misinformation with insult. Coulter has been on a Latino-bashing rampage since Mitt Romney lost last year’s presidential election.
Generally, she encourages the GOP to avoid bothering with the Hispanic vote at all. In June, she theorized that Republicans could win the Hispanic vote by opposing immigration reform, one of the most emotional issues for the Latino community.
To read full list: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/23/dumbest-commentary-latinos-_n_4494362.html