It was as recently announced (this week), that Julian Castro, mayor of San Antonio, Texas, will be the keynote speaker at the Democrat National Convention.
This might come as a surprise to many, but the Democrats have just one Hispanic Senator (Robert Menendez – New Jersey) and one Hispanic member in the House, Xavier Becerra of L.A. They have no governors.
In the 2008 election, the Hispanic voting block represented 9% the 130 million Americans voting in that election. While Hispanics support Democrats 2 to 1 versus GOP competition, the GOP is much further down the road in terms getting Hispanics elected to office.
Compare the Democrat Hispanic short list (above) with the long list of nationally prominent Republican Latinos including Florida senator and potential Romney running mate Marco Rubio; Thomas Rivera Schatz (President of the Puerto Rico Senate); Republican Latino governors Susana Martinez of New Mexico and Brian Sandoval of Nevada; and Ted Cruz, a Latino Republican running for a Senate seat in Texas; Henry Bonilla (former U.S. Congressman from Texas); Anna Escobedo Cabral (former U.S. Treasurer); Mike Curb, former Lieutenant Governor of California and the list could go on and on.
Point of post: within the next 20/30 years, the GOP will lose its edge, nationally, because of its appeal to white voters unless it can continue to incorporate Hispanics and Blacks into its conservative base. Obviously, the GOP is well on its way to a new diversity.