RUSH: This is Jeff in St. Louis as we kick off. Great to have you on the program, sir. Hi.
CALLER: Mega dittos.
RUSH: Thank you, sir.
CALLER: Quick question. How do you see the pending demographic shift in this country working for the GOP with the shift to more and more Hispanic voters who are traditionally Democrat-leaning.
RUSH: How do I see that affecting Republicans, did you say?
CALLER: Yeah, in the future. You know, with the Democrat shift going to more and more Hispanic or to just traditionally Democrat, how do you see the GOP fighting that and molding their message to gain some of that demographic vote?
RUSH: Very simply. You talk about unconventional wisdom, this is it. In fact I was in a conversation not long ago with a high-ranking Republican and a high-ranking Democrat, and they were talking about reelect 2012 and what each party was gonna have to do with this group and that group and this group and what they had to do to get the votes of this group and I held up my hand, and I said, “You know what, I don’t understand you guys. I can’t relate to you. That’s why I couldn’t be in politics ’cause I don’t look at people this way.” I think human beings are human beings, and I would go after the Hispanic vote the same way I’d go after the white vote. I’d go after the Hispanic vote the same way I’d go after the female vote. What I would not do is take a group and say, “Okay, what do you guys want? Oh, you want X, okay, fine, I’ll give you that, here’s my speech for you,” and next go over to the women, “What do you women want? Well, okay, here’s my speech for you,” then hope the other guys don’t hear it.
I couldn’t categorize the country: the Hispanics, they have a tendency to vote Democratic, because of what? Okay what do we have to do therefore to get those people? I couldn’t do it. That’s why I will stay here and be on the radio. And I told these two guys, these ranking Republicans and Democrats, who were basically asking me similar opinions to your question, I said, “I can’t answer it that way because I don’t look at the country this way. I don’t look at this country as group A, group B, group C. I think a message of individual liberty, freedom, rugged individualism, basic conservatism, the message of founding of this country will appeal to every human being who hears it if the message is presented with no excuses with confidence, energy and leadership.”
So I’m sorry. I’m sure I’m letting you down with your question. But I really don’t have an answer. ‘Cause I would not pander, I would not say, “Okay, we’ve got Hispanics, whatever somebody’s gonna tell me they want.” “Well, Mr. Limbaugh, this is why you will never win an election because the Hispanics want amnesty for every Spanish speaking person.” No, they don’t. I don’t believe that’s true. If every Spanish speaking person in this country wants amnesty for illegals, I’ll eat my hat. I just don’t believe that. And if that’s what they want, there’s no hope the Republicans can ever get them because if the Republicans offer that, they lose their base.
And I think all these questions are actually traps, and I gave you people a little insight not long ago about how I think and I gotta be very careful here — consultants in the broadcast business can do harm, particularly in television. And I think political consultants can do the same kind of harm because what they’ll apparently do quite readily is decide that candidate A can’t be himself on issue A. Go ahead and be yourself on issue B, but on issue C, no, we gotta come up with something else for you to say. This is why there is so much timidity in candidates, why there is such a reluctance to be forthright and honest, because somebody’s told ’em, “If you say that you’re gonna anger that group over there.” I can’t do that, as one who does not look at people as victims. I do not look at people as members of groups.
When I do this radio program I guaran-damn-tee you I have never once said, “Okay, how do I attract the 18-year-old crowd?” To the chagrin of program directors all over the country. I have never once said, “What do I need to do to attract women?” I do that naturally. I don’t look at it that way. I believe people are people. I think there’s some universal messages. I think good radio is good radio. Smart, honest politics is smart, honest politics. And if you have the right message for people that live in this country, want to be Americans, I don’t think you need to categorize it.
BREAK TRANSCRIPT
RUSH: Now, I want to go back to our caller in the last hour who asked me — Snerdley, it’s Open Line Friday. Do you think that was a setup call? Do you think that was a call attempting to entrap me, the host? You remember the question. What should the Republicans do about the Hispanic demographic? You don’t think so? Okay. He’s worried that the Republicans are going to blow the Hispanic demographic. Well, he might be like a lot of people, then, who think the Republicans — this caller thinks that if we don’t get the Hispanic vote that we don’t win anything, and if we don’t get the Hispanic vote, that we’re never going to win. So how would I advise the GOP to get the Hispanic vote? And you heard my answer.
Now, that again, you talk about being gamed and being set up, unfortunately the media is setting that premise, and we’ve got people on our side that just fall right for it, are willing to accept the premise and go into a 100% defensive mode. But I’ll just say again, I’m not the one to answer that question because I don’t look at it that way, and I guess this is one of the reasons why I could never do politics. I just don’t have the ability to categorize people. I don’t have the ability to tailor a message for a finite group of people and then another message for somebody over here or that group. I’m not made that way. I couldn’t do it with a free conscience. And I don’t think I would be genuine at all, so I couldn’t do it.
Hispanics do not vote in lockstep. In Texas they vote Republican. They vote in droves for Republicans in Texas. Now, if I recall correctly, Democrats got 60% of the Hispanic vote in the 2010 midterms. We’ll have to double-check that. But that’s only 60%. The premise of the caller was that we get none of it. Okay, so we got 40% of the Hispanic vote in the midterms and we weren’t even campaigning, we didn’t even have a message. That vote was purely anti-Obama. That vote was purely anti-Democrat. So 40% of the Hispanics, on their own, voted against Democrats.
See, I believe — and you may call me naive — but I believe Hispanics want jobs, too. And I’m pretty sure Hispanics have to buy gasoline. And I know that they have to buy hamburger. (interruption) I have just been asked if I understand the fear that if we’re not careful, the Democrats could coalesce the Hispanic population as they have the black population and end up getting 90% of the Hispanic vote every election, and if we don’t do something, the Republicans don’t do something as a party, then the Democrats are gonna succeed at that. No, I don’t concede that. I don’t concede anything. I do not concede anything. I don’t concede any segment of the audience doing this program.
I’m sorry, folks, I don’t think this way. I know that they buy hamburger. I know they buy gasoline. I know that they need health care. I know we’ve got some stereotypes that Democrats are trying to turn as many of them into dependents. I know that’s going on, there’s no question that that’s the battle. The thing is, I don’t think we have to convince Hispanics or any other group to become conservative because reality will do that. Ultimately that will happen. It’s one of the many advantages of being on the right side of the truth. It’s racists like Harry Reid who say that people of Hispanic heritage will never vote Republican. We don’t say that. Dingy Harry is out saying things like that. We are a party of converts.
You know, once upon a time, ladies and gentlemen, it was an indisputable truth that Southerners would never vote Republican. It was also an indisputable truth that Catholics would never vote Republican. Now, the bad news for the Democrats regarding Hispanics and blacks and any other minority that they pander to is that eventually people get tired of being forever doomed to being helpless and poor and downtrodden. At some point everybody ultimately wants to take their fate in their own hands. Now, I know what you’re shouting at me. “Wait a minute, this hasn’t happened in the black population.” Yeah, it hasn’t. I think that’s a special consideration, and I do not see the same set of circumstances existing with the Hispanic population here that existed with the black population. We’ve never had Hispanic slavery, for example. We do not have institutionalized hatred of this country being taught in Hispanic households.
We don’t have to give up on this. There’s no reason to cede this. The Democrat Party does not like independent thinkers, and they don’t like people who want to take fate in their own hands and run their own lives. I might remind you, it was a conservative Hispanic who beat Harry Reid’s son for governor of Nevada. So I don’t fall for all of this conventional wisdom business. I’m just telling you, I believe that I could go where Obama went. I believe I could go to El Paso, and I believe I could do a standard Rush to Excellence appearance, and I’ll bet you I would have no problems being appreciated, being applauded, being understood, without having to pander one time to ’em. Just talk about America, as founded, the freedom, the prosperity, the opportunities, how it’s accessed, how it’s happened, give examples. They may not have heard it before. They may not be accustomed to it. (interruption) Well, anywhere, Snerdley. Los Angeles. I just said El Paso because that’s where Obama went. (interruption) Well, yeah. I’ve routinely done it in Los Angeles. Well, not routinely, but in the early days when I was doing the Rush to Excellence Tour.
My point with this is that I believe that the message of conservatism is a universal pro-human message. It is the essence of what this country is all about. And I believe that Hispanics, there are enough of them that want to be genuine Americans and that they can be reached. I don’t believe this notion that every damn one of them wants to be a member of the welfare state. I just don’t accept it. I know that’s the battle, the Democrats trying to create as many dependent people as possible. So I may not be the guy to give you the answer you want on how to politically deal with various demographics, how to get the Hispanic vote, ’cause I don’t think that way, which is why I am not in politics.
BREAK TRANSCRIPT
RUSH: San Antonio, Texas. This is Nick, and it’s great to have you with us on the EIB Network, sir. Hello.
CALLER: Same here, Rush. It’s the greatest honor to speak with you right now, for me being a Hispanic man and openly saying I’m the biggest fan of you. I want to get on the topic because I heard you on the radio right now and it just really got my blood going in a good way, but yet in a way to a point where when I was listening to you, it’s like, how much does Rush really know about his fan base of the Hispanics? I mean what I’m trying to get at is just like, Obama’s promised so much to the Hispanic voters but yet he’s never done nothing for them. Your word is actually being heard by the Hispanics. You’re being heard by us.
RUSH: Well, what was it I said that got your blood going in a good way?
CALLER: Well, just, you know, hearing you, you know, the Hispanic voters, you know, just on that —
RUSH: Let me help out. Was it when I was saying in response to a question, how would we protect the Hispanic demographic —
CALLER: Yes.
RUSH: — as Republicans, I don’t look at ’em that way, they’re Americans, they’re human beings, I just approach them with the right message, I don’t look at people as members of groups? Is that what you’re referring to?
CALLER: Yes, sir. Yes, sir.
RUSH: Well, thank you.
CALLER: See, the thing is, you know, Hispanics, we’re not really into the whole politics thing, but we do listen to what the politicians are saying, and that’s what the words, for example, Obama, his words are what got the Hispanics to vote for him. But yet we don’t ask for much.
RUSH: Well, look human nature is human nature. This is the big problem with the Democrat Party and liberalism. I don’t care who they’re speaking to, they’ll promise anybody anything. And they do look at people, in fact, they want people to be victims, and they want people to think they’re victims because the Republicans have made them that, and the Democrats will say, “We’ll give you this. We’ll give you that. We’ll protect you here.” Doesn’t matter whether they follow through on it. I don’t know why they still get 90% of the black vote. Black people, for as long as I’ve been alive, have been complaining about the same injustices and the same economic problems. They’ve been voting Democrat for as long as I’ve been alive and they’re not improving. The Congressional Black Caucus goes up and complains to Obama, “Look, male unemployment, African male unemployment, 54%, what are you doing?” They want more money. They’re not innocent here. They’re just looking for more money for themselves, but the point is it isn’t getting better. The Democrats don’t make life better for anybody other than themselves.
CALLER: Right. Agreeable. But, see, here’s the problem with the Republicans. They need to step up, because, like I said —
RUSH: And do what?
CALLER: Well, they need to start going out there and they need to start being aggressive. They need to be aggressive, especially if they want to start winning back their votes. I mean I’m pretty sure that Hispanics never really gone with the conservative way and they’ve always listened to the liberal, but still, time to step up.
RUSH: Well, but —
CALLER: Go out there and start attacking and start going after these votes, because we Hispanics, even the gay votes, it don’t matter, any votes out there that were turned on by Obama’s words, they’re not there no more. Now step up and start attacking. Go after it. You know, don’t let this vote go away ’cause one thing of experience, Rush, is that once a Hispanic gives up on a politician, they won’t go back and vote. They won’t. And I know this from experience because I’ve always preached to my parents, my family —
RUSH: Yeah.
CALLER: — we need to keep on going, we need to vote.
RUSH: Well, here’s what I know. Hispanic governor of New Mexico, Hispanic governor, Nevada, Hispanic Senator, Florida, all Republican. This notion that they’re just one way of thinking is absolutely wrong.
BREAK TRANSCRIPT
RUSH: You know, whether you’re talking about Hispanics or any other quasi-minority group, one of the truths of life is that the Republicans are never gonna be able to outbid the Democrats with freebies. It’s never going to happen. To go down that road is an absolute loser, a total waste of resources and time. It’s a waste to even make the Hispanics or whatever minority group you’re talking to think that you’re gonna enter the contest. There’s no way. The Democrats will give away the country to get those votes, which is what is happening. It is a mistake to pander to minority voters in that way, period.
This is one of many reasons why I’ve always disagreed with the Republican idea of illegal immigration, how to reform it, which is basically amnesty. It’s a race for those voters and it’s disingenuous. It’s an insult if you ask me. I think these people are smart enough to figure out what’s happening. When you hear Obama talk about a path to citizenship, which, you know, at a campaign stop at the Hispanic prayer breakfast yesterday, Obama said a path to citizenship is a moral imperative. That’s amnesty. That’s what he means. Now, just think about that for a moment. Think about how out of whack Obama’s moral compass is if he really believes that, if he really believes that amnesty is a moral imperative. Well, whether he means it or not, he’s saying it, and he wants them to believe he means it.
There’s no way the Republicans can outbid that. It is silly, therefore, to even get in the game under that pretext using those rules. And I fear that many on the Republican side think that that’s how they are going to have to compete for Hispanic voters. The Democrats, the aggressors in any conflict set the rules. The Democrats are offering the store, Democrats are offering freebie here, freebie there, whatever. Institutionally the Republicans can’t outbid because they will never give more than the democracy would be willing to ’cause the Democrats will give the country away, in terms of destroying our fiscal solvency. They’ll do it. We can’t. We won’t. It’s silly to even target Hispanic voters that way. I wouldn’t.
Just the way I approach each of you as members of this program’s audience, and that is with a profound respect for your intelligence, your awareness, the fact that you’re informed and involved, that you’re engaged, and to not be condescending in any way, shape, manner, or form, to look down upon you or to think that you’re incapable of understanding something I would say. I think there’s too much of this that goes on in politics in terms of wooing voters, and of course the Democrats have it as a policy, to dumb down. They did it in the education system, and this has to stop. And you don’t compete with it by being Democrat-lite. It isn’t gonna work. They’re not gonna be persuaded anyway. Meaning whatever minority happens to be the target, they simply won’t be persuaded. The Democrats are who they are. There’s plenty of evidence of it.
You’re not gonna get all of them, don’t misunderstand. The objective here would be to bust up the near monopoly, which is not now. I mean the Democrats in the midterms in November got 60% of the Hispanic vote. That’s not 90. That’s not the percentage that the Democrats get of the black vote. What do you think would happen in a presidential race if the Democrat candidate only got 75 or 80% of the black vote instead of the 92%? It would make a pretty big difference.
END TRANSCRIPT
*Note: Links to content outside RushLimbaugh.com usually become inactive over time.