With the first full day of convention events set to commence, it's clear that most of the nation's political news is focused squarely in Tampa, Fla. We bring you the latest news related to diversity and minority issues.
Craig Romney Appeals to the Latino Vote: Mitt Romney’s son, Craig Romney, spoke at a Republican convention event emphasizing the importance of the Latino vote and how his father’s values align with the interests of this key voting bloc, NBC Latino reports. The younger Romney, who has appeared in many of Romney’s Spanish ads, has been at the core of the presidential hopeful’s messaging to Latino voters, having learned Spanish while carrying out missionary work in Chile.
The event, “Nuestra Noche,” was organized by the American Conservative Union and the Republican State Leadership Committee as a nod toward the renewed focus on the “future majority.”
GOP Ramps Up Efforts to Win Over Minority Vote: Efforts by Republican leaders to appeal to more minority voters has been clear at this week’s convention, from a lineup of diverse speakers to daily briefings for reporters of Latino publications, the Atlantic Journal-Constitution reports. The GOP has many rising stars who are minorities, including Utah Congressional hopeful Mia Love, South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and more.
Even so, just 2 percent of convention delegates are African-American compared to 26 percent of delegates attending the Democratic National Convention. The number of Hispanic delegates is not tracked, though officials suspect the number is slightly higher than for African-Americans.
First Sikh to Speak at Convention: The head of the Sikh Society of Central Florida will give the invocation Wednesday evening at the Republican National Convention, the first time a Sikh has been asked to speak at a national convention, the New York Times reports. The invitation comes just a few short weeks after the Aug. 5 Sikh temple shooting in Wisconsin that left six people dead.
Florida’s Divided Latino Population: More than half of Latino voters supported President Obama on their ballots in 2008, but the fight over the weak economy, immigration, and health care has made the voting bloc more divided than ever, Bloomberg reports. This is especially true in Florida, where Hispanics are among the most diverse with no majority ethnicity or strong support for either party. To win them over, Obama and Republican Mitt Romney will need to create targeted messaging that isn’t one size fits all.
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