The White House hosted yet another inconsequential Latino summit last week, with dozens of community leaders from across the country. The purpose of this Hispanic Policy Conference, according to White House Director of Intergovernmental Affairs Cecilia Muñoz, was “more for us to listen and not for us to talk.” But what are they going to hear that they don’t already know about what Latinos expect from President Barack Obama?

This conclave was more about politics than substance. As the president formally kicks off his reelection campaign, he has begun a well-coordinated effort to reconnect with Latinos — after paying little attention to them since he took office.

This meeting was the latest installment in a series of events, speeches and visits orchestrated by the White House to show the president remains committed to the Latino community.

Not surprisingly, the White House ensures that these events generate as much Spanish-language media coverage as possible. To its credit, the administration understands the power of the Spanish language media. Latinos, even those whose primary language is English, listen to radio and TV broadcasts in Spanish.

The artfulness of this strategy became clear in April, when Obama held a meeting to discuss immigration with leading Spanish TV and radio personalities and other Latino luminaries. White House guests included the actress Eva Longoria of “Desperate Housewives,” Eddie “Piolin” Sotelo, the host of the No. 1 show in Hispanic radio, and the celebrated Don Francisco, host of the variety show “Sabado Gigante” on Univision.

It’s questionable that these celebrities can move Congress to address this issue. But they are influential with their respective audiences. Indeed, some told their fans about the honor of being invited to this “important” summit — as well as their respect for the president.

And then there was Obama’s immigration speech in El Paso, Texas, in May. He said he remains committed to immigration reform — but cannot act because he doesn’t have enough GOP support. He then mocked the very Republicans whose support he needs — saying that some may want to build a moat stocked with alligators along the southern U.S. border.

Obama has also become the first president since John F. Kennedy to pay an official visit to Puerto Rico. But again this should be viewed in terms of his reelection campaign.

Obama most likely visited the island to impress Puerto Ricans in the key battleground state of Florida. The Sunshine State’s Puerto Rican population has grown dramatically in the past 10 years, becoming a decisive voting bloc in a state with one of the highest number of electoral votes.

In his speech in Puerto Rico, the president, as he usually does when talking to Latino audiences, went out of his way to roll his “r’s” every time he said a Spanish name. Why doesn’t he do the same when pronouncing other non-Anglo, non-Latino names? Could there be pandering here?

The question remains: Can the administration’s Latino strategy work? Judging from the response from Latinos, I don’t think so. His trip to Puerto Rico was criticized for being too short and empty of substance. The most recent Gallup Poll shows Latino support for Obama plummeting to an average of 52 percent for June, down from 74 percent at the beginning of his term.

This isn’t surprising. Latinos, like most Americans, are impressed with action, not words.

The White House doesn’t understand that Latinos are upset with Obama for not advancing the immigration issue in Congress, after repeatedly promising during the 2008 campaign that he would press for reform in his first year in office. What exacerbates Latino resentment is that Obama seems to be using the issue for purely political purposes.

Latinos hear Obama blame Republicans for opposing immigration reform. Yet they wonder what he has done to reach out to them and get their support? Isn’t the role of the president to bring people together and build the consensus necessary to get bipartisan support for a bill?

Latinos surely remember that President George W. Bush sent two top Cabinet members to the Hill in ’07 to negotiate an immigration reform plan with the Democratic leadership, not knowing if he had the necessary votes to pass it. Though Bush failed, they recognize he showed presidential leadership in trying to find a solution to this complex problem. Why can’t Obama do the same now?

With Puerto Rican voters in Florida, the strategy most likely won’t work either. They don’t care as much about immigration as other Latino groups. But like most Americans, Latinos are frustrated with the administration’s economic policies. They see unemployment stuck at about 9 percent, with Latino unemployment considerably higher, at roughly 12 percent. It’s going to take more than a trip to Puerto Rico to get their vote.

Obama had his chance. He raised the hopes of Latinos and then didn’t deliver.

This doesn’t mean that the majority of Latinos are going to vote Republican. But it does mean that many will consider voting for the Republican candidate. If the GOP nominee gets at least 40 percent of the Latino vote — and can win states like Colorado, Florida, Nevada and New Mexico — Obama could possibly be defeated in 2012.

Theatrics will not replace results with Latinos.