Exit polling from Tuesday’s election reveals that the Republican Party has a Latino problem. Two rising political stars for the Democratic party -- twin brothers Julian and Joaquin Castro -- are saying to fix it, the GOP needs big changes.
When the decision was made to make San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro the Democratic Convention keynote speaker, many wondered why him. Now after seeing how strongly Latinos voted for President Barack Obama on Tuesday, it seems like that decision was pure genius.
And Republican strategists are wonders where can they get some of that genius -- because if they can't win Latino votes they will likely remain a party out of power.
Interviewed Thursday on CNN, Castro said Republicans need to do more than change their tone to win Latino votes.
“What it means for Republicans is they have to become a bigger tent party. They can’t toe the line of the Tea Party and expect that they are going to be able to appeal to Latinos or to other groups,” Julian Castro said.
Castro’s twin brother, Joaquin, was elected to Congress on Tuesday. And Thursday he was on MSNBC stating that recruiting ethnic Republican candidates isn’t going to get the Latino to vote GOP.
“They’ve elected several folks now -- Brian Sandoval, Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio. I’m hoping that those Latino Republicans will be able to have a real effect on their party, and start to moderate them with respect to these issues," Joaquin Castro said.
Julian Castro said the reason Texas hasn’t gone blue despite the high percentage of Latinos is low voter turn-out -- but the right candidate would change that. Castro is being talked about for a future run for Texas Governor.
