The GOP may try to divide minorities in the November election

TheRepublican party is in a fix. Right wing orthodoxy demands a GOP presidentialnominee vehemently oppose immigration reform of any kind, a position that willalienate many Latino voters according to recent surveys. At the same time,Republicans are convinced they have no hope of winning the Black vote fromPresident Obama. However, GOP strategists are also keenly aware that theirpresidential candidate will almost certainly lose the November election withoutsignificant support among Black and Latino voters. So what will the Republicansdo about this dilemma?
Myprediction: Their most likely solution will be a tried-and-true method used bycolonial powers … divide and conquer. How that strategy will be implemented maytake many forms. One way I think GOP leaders may try to drive a wedge between Blacksand Latinos would be to have Herman Cain and other prominent Black Republicans publiclyattack immigration reform. By the simplistic reasoning of most Republicanstrategists toward minorities, when Black public figures attack immigrationreform, Latinos will become hostile toward Blacks and vent their wrath onPresident Obama.
The assumptionbehind this callous tactic becomes more evident when we examine the mindset ofmany conservative Republicans toward minorities. Bereft of familiarity withminority cultures, GOP strategists take a monolithic approach to Black andLatino voters. For example, Rush Limbaugh once claimed Republican Colin Powellsupported Barack Obama not because Powell agreed with Obama's politicalpositions but simply because they were both Black. (Limbaugh neglects to explain why Herman Cain, Clarence Thomas and other Black conservatives fail his racial litmus test, proving once again that prejudice trumps reason.) 
Am I beingoverly cynical about GOP motives and tactics? One need look no farther than theSwift Boat attacks unleashed on John Kerry by the GOP to see that cunning politicaladvisors will employ any means necessary to win an election. Let's not kid ourselves about below-the-belt politics, however. They are employed by both parties. But in the last several presidential elections, Republicans have become much more adept at these tactics – and now, they are truly desperate.
With thenation headed toward a future where Non-Hispanic Whites are projected to becomea minority, the Republican party is in a demographic death spiral. As long as the GOPis perceived to be serving the exclusive interests of Non-Hispanic Whites, they are doomed. Yet, every attempt the GOP leadership makes to accommodate minorityinterests will alienate their base. This predicament can only lead to ever moredivisive policies.
Could thesedivide and conquer tactics work? Unfortunately, they have in the past. Whatpeople of conscience of every ethnicity must do is be aware of the inevitable attemptsto divide the us. Regardless of our origins, religion or race, we must standtogether, recognizing our individual identities, yet celebrating our commonhumanity. There is much more than binds us as human beings than divides us as members of different groups. As wecelebrate the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King, we are reminded that ourstrength lies in unity and compassion – by all people, for all people. 
Raul Ramos y Sanchez


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