Christopher Rodriguez: Biden, Democrats don't speak for Hispanics. Trust me – I am one
Democrats who have shifted radically to the Left, and Hispanic voters don’t want to follow them
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}One thing I celebrated this past Hispanic Heritage Month? Democrats no longer have a monopoly on the Hispanic community.
As a Hispanic small-business owner, a U.S. Marine Corps combat veteran, and now a Republican candidate for Congress, I’m not just in touch with the working-class Hispanic voters who the elites in the Democrat Party pretend to speak for – I am one. I grew up with a drug-abusive father; I lifted myself out of poverty; I served my country in Iraq; I launched my own business from nothing and have raised a beautiful family with seven kids.
Millions of Hispanics have lived through their own personal experiences in pursuit of the American dream. Unlike the Leftists running the Democrat Party these days, we know it is alive and well. So believe me when I say: the Hispanic community is becoming more disillusioned by the day with the Democrats’ embrace of the radical Left.
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Hispanics are not "drifting rightward," as some pundits suggest. We’re exactly where we’ve been for generations: believing in the value of hard work, family, God, safe communities, and the freedom and opportunity that comes from the American dream.
It’s the Democrats who have shifted radically to the Left, leading Hispanic voters down a radical path millions of us don’t want to follow … and strengthening the voice of a new generation of conservative Hispanic leadership.
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In fact, that’s one of the reasons I am running for Congress.
Let’s start with the Democrat elites’ crazed devotion to using the word "LatinX." No one – and I mean no one – who actually lives in a Hispanic community uses that word. It’s not even a word in Spanish – it’s woke nonsense being forced on our community by liberal English-speaking Whites pushing their left-wing gender theory agendas. It’s insulting, and we notice.
Take the Democrats’ leadership on the economy. President Trump’s policies were, contrary to the media narrative, a game-changer for Hispanic voters. The Trump economy created unprecedented job growth, wage growth, home ownership and business creation for Hispanics. In fact, under his leadership, the Hispanic poverty rate declined to an all-time low. Thanks to President Trump, Hispanics were on the cusp of unprecedented economic freedom.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}There’s a reason President Trump and the Republican Party saw huge shifts in Hispanic support across the country in 2020.
Democrats hoped we didn’t notice – but we did. Now, with Biden in charge, we notice an economy that is spinning out of control; we notice inflation punching Hispanic families in the gut; we notice a supply-chain crisis that makes it harder to put food on the table. Instead of addressing these problems, Democrats are dead-set on passing a massive tax-and-spend bill that will tax us for programs we don’t need, burden us with debt we don’t want, and cripple Hispanic entrepreneurship and prosperity for years to come.
We notice.
Take President Biden’s leadership of the military, where hundreds of thousands of Hispanics currently serve on active duty. A million more, like myself, are proud veterans. Biden’s disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan, leaving Americans and our allies behind so he could meet a completely arbitrary deadline, has left service members of all backgrounds disgusted by his actions.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Meanwhile, our top generals seem more focused on politics and wokeness than on strength and security. We remember the days under President Trump when serving in the U.S. military meant something. Now, we are not so sure. I hear it every day. Camp Pendleton, home to nearly 70,000 service members, is in my district.
We notice.
Take President Biden’s handling of the border crisis. Contrary to the media narrative, Hispanic voters understand that the only way to have a safe and prosperous America is to have a border that both fairly welcomes legal immigrants and maintains law and order. We are all too familiar with the gangs, human traffickers, and drug smugglers that take advantage of the chaos. Hispanics value safe communities – it’s why the Hispanic leadership of the National Border Patrol Council and the National Latino Peace Officers Association Advocacy wholeheartedly endorsed President Trump.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}We notice.
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There’s a reason President Trump and the Republican Party saw huge shifts in Hispanic support across the country in 2020. There’s a reason why California Republicans saw a significant shift in Hispanic support during the effort to recall Gov. Gavin Newsom this summer. Hispanics like me are waking up.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Democrats have neglected the everyday issues that matter to us for years, only to pander with race-based identity politics on Election Day. Hispanic conservatives are energized more than ever to run for office and lead our communities in 2022. We will not let Democrats fail us anymore.