Dick Armey (pictured right) is living in dreamland if he thinks mestizos will vote Republican / conservative in large numbers. He has apparently forgotten a disaster called the John McCain presidential candidacy, which pandered, sucked up and begged for non-white votes–to no avail.
Former Republican House leader Dick Armey said staunchanti-immigration opponents such as Rep. Tom Tancredo are destructive toRepublicans — and are alienating a “natural” constituency that couldhelp the party win elections.
“Who in the Republican Party was the genius that said that now thatwe have identified the fastest-growing voting demographic in America,let’s go out and alienate them?” Armey said, referencing Hispanics,during a luncheon in Washington at the National Press Club.
“When I was the majority leader, I saw to it that Tom Tancredo didnot get on the stage because I saw how destructive he was,” Armey saidof the Colorado congressman and 2008 Republican presidential candidateknown for his opposition to illegal immigration.
Armey said “this is a nation of immigrants” and “if you loveAmerica, love freedom” and if you will work and pay taxes, you shouldbe welcome in the country.
The former majority leader, who is now chairman of FreedomWorks andheavily involved in the Tea Party movement, said the INS is “deformed”and “dysfunctional.”
“They way they treat these folks is unbelievably rude and callousand cruel. Fix that agency, make it do its job, make it do its job in ahumane … fashion and then you can control the borders,” he said.
Armey also said “the Republican Party is the most naturally talentedparty at losing its natural constituents in the history of the world.”
“This party was born with the emancipation proclamation and can’t get a black vote to safe its life. How do they do that?”