Mitt Romney Still Doesn't Get Why He Lost the Latino Vote
Mitt Romney doesn't believe it was his stance on immigration that made him lose the Latino vote, but rather, Latinos didn't understand his position when it came to immigration reform.
"I think my position and the position of our party is not well understood by the Hispanic community," Romney told 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."
After winning only 27 percent of the Latino vote during the November election, Romney adds that his loss had more to do with outreach.
"The largest strategic error was not investing sufficiently, particularly in Hispanic TV and Hispanic outreach to help Hispanic voters understand that ours is the party of opportunity," Romney said to CNN.
According to a Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) poll released on Friday, half of Hispanics identify with the Democratic Party, while only 15 percent identify with the GOP.
Forty-three percent of Hispanics indicated that the phrase "cares about people like you" better describes the Democratic Party, while 12 percent felt this way about the GOP.
"I think the poll clearly shows that Republicans have both a brand issue and an issue problem," said Robert P. Jones, head of PRRI. "I think both of those things are going to have to get addressed to make progress connecting with Hispanics in America."