If Republicans care about the growing Hispanic vote, they might want to take note of the front page story this week on Newt Gingrich in El Tiempo Latino. The weekly boasts to be “the leading Spanish-language newspaper” in the Washington, D.C. area.
Here are a few key excerpts (rough translation via www.spanishdict.com):
Gingrich was the first to talk about immigration more moderately compared to the radical discourses of Michele Bachmann, a Minnesota legislator, and [Herman] Cain.
The candidate ran the risk and offered a look different to the migratory issue during one of the last Republican debate, at the end of November. Gingrich said he was in favour of establishing legal avenues for undocumented immigrants who have respected the law, paid their taxes and lived in the country for many years.
… Romney — former Governor of Massachusetts, and who is the favorite of the elite — was one of those who attacked Gingrich.
This kind of coverage, of course, could potentially harm Gingrich in a primary. On the other hand, there is a sense out there that Republicans who support a common-sense approach to immigration are on a sort of fool’s errand; they risk angering their base, but do not get any benefit.
This article makes it clear that the Spanish-speaking press (and, by extension, their readers) are quite aware of the nuances between Gingrich’s positions on immigration, versus the rest of the field.