'Presumptuous and condescending': Latino journalist warns Dems against scolding Hispanics

[turbinetree]

Written by Carl Gibson
Published November 12, 2024

Data from the 2024 election shows that President-elect Donald Trump made gains among all demographic groups, but significantly larger gains from Latino voters. One Latino journalist is now warning Democrats to not scapegoat Hispanic voters for their drubbing in the polls last week.

In a Tuesday essay for the San Antonio Express-News, columnist Ruben Navarrette Jr. argued that if Democrats hope to win back Latino voters, their current strategy of scolding and scapegoating Hispanics for defecting to the Republican side won't help. He noted that "a precarious alliance of Black Democrats and white liberals" is already alienating Latino voters by laying blame at their feet for Trump's second term.

"Latinos are now public enemy No. 1 with that group because of the outsized role we played in Trump’s reelection. According to exit polls, Trump won support of 46% of Latinos and 55% of Latino men," Navarrette Jr. wrote. "In [pundits'] minds, Latinos — especially the men — are sexist and racist. Simple as that."

https://www.alternet.org/latino-journalist-trump/

[GPV]

1. Will it be "scapegoating" when the brown shirts haul you away??

[Elessar Zappa]

2. I've seen plenty of it already.

It’s a dumb strategy if we ever plan to win again because Hispanics are a fast growing demographic.

[orange jar]

5. +1

When white people become the minority, Hispanics will be the ones in the majority. We'd be wise not to dismiss their concerns.

[Jit423]

32. You are of course, assuming that ALL Hispanics and Latinos think alkie. Already disproven by this election.

Also, once Trump finishes his mass deportation we don't know what group will be the biggest minority. There are millions of mixed ethnicities and races. It depends on how they self ID. It's too soon to threaten anyone or any group if ever.

That said, pointing out the facts should not be taken as scapegoating. People have cape-goated blacks for damn near everything except 9/11.
The deficit is high because black people are on welfare, even though more whites receive what they call "welfare". Crime is high because blacks smoke weed and use drugs, but we all know the facts, right? Government is bad because too any blacks are employed by government. It goes on and on. The economy is bad and inflation is high because too many blacks receive food stamps, get Pell grants...you name it.

Is it any wonder that SOME blacks and even SOME whites are looking at the election results and scapegoating Hispanics? Just stop it! Wait until Jan 20 and after, than hold those in power then accountable for the state of affairs and affairs of state.

[orange jar]

38. I agree that the scapegoating is out of control.

However, I didn't assume that ALL Hispanics were supportive of Trump. I know they aren't. However, in seeing that a significant number of Hispanic voters voted for Trump and the Republicans over Harris and the Democrats (and that this trend of Hispanic Americans moving to the Right has appeared to be consistent for the past couple years), it's in our party's best interest to take their concerns into consideration since, in the relatively near future, Hispanic Americans will be the majority in this country. If a growing and significant number of the majority ends up supporting Republicans, then Dems are going to continue to have trouble winning elections.

As we see today, the (unfortunately) majority of White Americans voted for Trump. This has contributed to his 2016 and 2024 wins. If Hispanic Americans continue to trend the same way they are currently when they become the majority, then we'll run into the exact same issue. We need to address it ASAP so that we can have future wins.

[kansasobama]

41. It depends

If Hispanics are MAGAs, there is no way we should try to win them back. If it is something else, okay. Win back others.

We should also not be too lenient with DACA and other stuff. For what? Four years from now, they all become MAGATs. Let GOP share the burden of DACA. It feels like, Dems do all these goodies and later it helps GOP.

[dpibel]

57. Gonna be a long time before they're even a plurality

In the 2020 census, 57.8% of all US people were white. The next largest category was, indeed, Hispanic.

At a whopping 18.7%.

When white people drop below 50%, they're still going to be the largest single ethnicity by far.

[kacekwl]

26. Wait a couple years

then we'll see.

[Docreed2003]

51. +1

That's absolutely true

[The Unmitigated Gall]

3. Fuck. That. nt

[Lotusflower70]

4. Well

I am Latina and I know that the gains from Latino voters helped Trump. Actions have consequences

[msongs]

6. loads of latino men are sexist and racist from my experience. but they were only a part of the voters for trump

and maybe the author is too full of himself

[Elessar Zappa]

10. Loads of all men are sexist and racist.

It’s not exclusive to Hispanics.

[prodigitalson]

7. He says presumptuously and condescendingly

[yardwork]

43. And scoldingly.

[Klarkashton]

8. What is this now? All the macho maga is getting their feelings hurt?

Go to fucking hell.

[Yavin4]

9. And when they take you and your family, don't come crying to the Democrats.

Handle that shit on your own. We're done.

[TheKentuckian]

11. Yes, we know that a bunch of you hate black people and desperately

want to be on team White or at least be higher on the pyramid than black people.

That is why you did what you did and I'm not begging you morons for a damn thing, speed on before you get peed on.

[Dem4life1234]

21. Many are absolutely fucking racist

If you look at Latin America, witness how many treat anyone darker than Jlo. Latin America has as much colorism and racism as the States, perhaps worse.

Some are extremely racist towards anyone considered "dark".

I have no sympathy for wannabe white supremacists.

[Beringia]

39. that's funny

[WarGamer]

12. It's an ENORMOUS mistake to BLAME anyone for the 24 election... other than DEM leadership

Blaming the voters is possibly the stupidEST.

I can list the reason for the loss 1-10 and none of them are "Because XYZ demographic sucks"

[yaesu]

17. Blaming Dem leadership and not dumbass voters?

now THAT was funny

[WarGamer]

20. Seriously... it's like a tale of two food trucks.

So we're in Huntington Beach, CA... and there's a food truck serving Mexican food including Fish Tacos and there's a truck next to it serving Philly Cheese Steak...

And the PCS truck blames the "fucking stupid consumers" for buyin off the Mexican truck?

Seriously?

An election is "selling" something.

If no one buys... change the menu or fire the chef.

[yardwork]

44. That metaphor doesn't work.

Neither do all the sports metaphors.

Voting is not a consumer purchase and thinking of it that way is part of why our democracy is teetering in the brink.

Democracy requires thoughtful, informed choices, using good judgement.

Apparently this is just too hard and boring for a lot of Americans, so we get the government that results from a casual random choice between food trucks. The carnival barker wins every time.

[haele]

52. Actually, for many Americans, the team metaphors are apt.

Because many Americans either don't care or don't know how to educate themselves about politics.
They are reactionary because they choose not to ask why things are the way they are unless it directly affects them, and even then, they don't go much further than a surface examination.

Both sides suck to them. A politician is just after your vote, and will lie to get it. So they vote for whomever makes them feel better.
Doesn't matter the color, culture, gender or age. At least 50% (probably closer to 80%) of Americans only rely on their feelings to make a decision.

It's not patronizing to say that if it's the truth.

Haele

[cachukis]

53. Spot on.

[Fullduplexxx]

25. The only ones to blame are the american voters

[WarGamer]

27. If an election is an attempt to SELL something...

How can you blame the consumer?

[Fullduplexxx]

34. They should have paid attention, been more involved in getting to know them . an election is not a sales pitch

Calling it such is a word game I'm not playing .

[WarGamer]

35. It's absoltely a sales pitch

[Scrivener7]

13. Yadda, yadda, yadda.

[yaesu]

14. A little too late for any advice so I will put it in the G file. nt

[Dem4life1234]

15. What the fuck eva!

They are grown ass adults capable of making their own decisions!


Those who voted for him to have shame upon themselves for supporting a rapist thieving conman who will destroy our country.

[sakabatou]

16. When the leopard eats your face, don't blame the people who warned you

[Dem4life1234]

60. Needs to be more articles

Shaming these MAGAts for being horrible people.

Instead of bitching about Dems!

[taxi]

18. Dear Carl Gibson,

Your efforts confuse me. How can you say in all seriousness that we are alienating Latino voters? You are making your remarks on something Ruben Navarrette Jr. argued - that if Democrats hope to win back Latino voters, their current strategy of scolding and scapegoating... wont help. And that makes no sense at all. The Latino voters who voted for Trump were never our voters. Not then, not now. There is nothing to win back. Please get a clue.
They are primed to be abused by the party that they elected, and it is the republicans who need to grovel in attempt to win back their votes.
Quit trying to place the blame on us. You may want to do a bit of self-reflection on this topic.

[Cosmocat]

19. Or what? You will vote for the people

Who hate your guts w a passion again?

[Bettie]

22. I haven't scolded anyone

and I will feel terrible for non-magats when they (or their loved ones, if they love anyone) are hauled off to camps or tossed over the border (even if they are citizens) or 'denaturalized'.

Latino MAGAts should be happy when that happens, it is literally what they voted for.

Also, the way this reads...he's not too fond of Black people.

[yardwork]

45. He sounds racist as hell.

[Bettie]

46. Yeah, I noticed that too

Frankly, i think everyone who voted for the orange anus is either profoundly stupid (like, should use safety scissors stupid) or are just really into harming others. Doesn't matter what religion, color, orientation...it's a one question intelligence test and a lot of people failed it.

[kacekwl]

23. Stupid and irresponsible

is my response to Hispanics who voted for trump. Actually anyone who voted for trump.

[Baitball Blogger]

24. It's true we don't need to be proactive with the scolding.

We just have to show restraint when they get hit with the karma they created for themselves.

[ananda]

28. I just feel deeply sorry for them and so many others.

This administration is going to cause a lot of people
a lot of pain.

[JT45242]

29. There won't be any left in 4 years so who cares...

Sorry to be so callous. But legal or not. Citizen or not -- people who look Hispanic will be rounded up sent to concentration camps where they will either die or be dropped in another country south of the Rio grande river.

The fascists won't care which country. Hell they might just throw them out of planes like the thanksgiving turkeys on the WKRP episode.

But one thing is for certain, not many will be voting in 4 years.

[LeftInTX]

36. There are 65 million in the US.

They aren't going anywhere. Mexico can't take them. This where our team gets things wrong!

Trump.is looking at 11 million non-citizens. Not US citizens. Right now, Mexico can't even take on their own citizens. They can't take on 11 million.

[JT45242]

63. I wouldn't be surprised if he tried to go Stalin ...

One death is a tragedy... A million is a statistic.

[Gore1FL]

30. I am not made at hispanics for voting how they want to vote.

I am more dismayed.

I can say the same for the many white women that voted away their rights.

I am dismayed at anyone voting for Trump and the republicans.

[JustAnotherGen]

31. We aren't the ones who will be

Inflicting the pain and cruelty on the 55% of Latino mens' social circle and family.

I've got my own problems to worry about. That's not scapegoating to say everyone for themself.

[dlk]

33. What kind of moral compass does a voter posess

When they vote for a degenerate rapist? The umbrage only shows the high level of cognitive disconnect from reality (and decency).

[Johonny]

37. The RW is condescending to liberals 24/7

But no one ever lectures the right to stop. Instead we let the media paint liberals as condescending out of touch elitists and we argue over it. Fuck it. I won't play that game.

[Deuxcents]

40. I'm getting real tired of the demanding, shoulda, woulda, coulda blame the Dems are getting.

We had an election. We lost. Including the MAGAs who are not wealthy or have a place at their cult leader’s table. To keep saying the Democratic Party was not inclusive, did not read the tea leaves correctly, it was a woman candidate and all the rest is on my last nerve. The election was one week ago and after this disappointment, we gotta dust ourselves off, pick up our heads and hold them high and get on with life because it ain’t gonna be easy, that’s for sure. We have lessons to learn and we’ll learn them without all the armchair talking heads constantly bashing the Dems.

[Hippasus]

42. Would it be impolite to mention...

…afrolatinos here?

[JI7]

47. I agree with not scolding but there is nothing wrong

with discussing why people vote the way they do. And how some groups just ARE more conservative.

[alarimer]

48. Then don't expect much sympathy when the raids start.

[Skittles]

49. oh FUCK YOU you PIECE OF FUCKING SHIT

YOU DIDN'T JUST FUCK OVER LIBS, YOU FUCKED OVER YOURSELVES

F U C K Y O U !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[2 Meow Momma]

50. Boo hoo! Dems blame each group in turn. We've all been on that firing line. nt

[in2herbs]

54. I think the Latinos voting against democracy is a knee jerk reaction to their belief that

blacks are better off than they are and because blacks vote D, they voted R "to show "em."

[Hekate]

55. I've seen it here and there at DU, and it is imo unseemly. We need to call it out as the bigotry it is. nt

[onecaliberal]

56. Fuck off child rape lovers and I don't give a fuck what color your skin is.

[Wanderlust988]

58. I'm not scolding Latinos, I'm just telling them I don't give AF anymore

Don't call me, don't email me. I'm not protesting shit. You made your bed, so go lie in it. So when Trump splits up your families and puts kids in cages, I'll be eating popcorn and sitting my black ass in my La-Z-Boy. So I'm not scolding.

[Hippasus]

59. That's pretty harsh.

Maybe you should read some history.

Black gringos and Black latinos should not be at war on this.

[LisaL]

61. Trump is not going to split them, you see.

The whole families will get deported. Trump is nice that way.

[Freethinker65]

62. Sexist and/or racist and/or non-critical thinking and/or gullible

Voting for the party that thinks your nationality "poisons the blood"" of true Americans isn't exactly smart if you are a minority. Good luck.


Accept the criticism for what it is. There is plenty of "blame" to go around.

[SoFlaBro]

64. Just saw exit polling that Puerto Ricans went from Biden +38 to Harris +9. Need to win those 20 points back.

[kwolf68]

65. Latinos are...

oftentimes poorly educated and religious, that's a tough nut to crack. Not surprised many are moving right.