Others took a more hopeful view, saying that the Republican Party and Romney had time yet to fix their perception problem with Latinos.
"Longer term, my party needs to get right on this issue, but I have yet to be convinced that it is a swing voter issue," one said.
Many also noted that the deciding issue of the 2012 elections will most certainly not be immigration.
"It's the economy, still, stupid," one Republican said.
"Did it help John McCain any to be strongly pro-immigration?" another pointed out.
Democratic insiders meanwhile predictably perceived the Republicans' problem with Latinos to be much more dire.
"If I was a Republican playing the long game, I'd stop trying to throw people out of the country who've lived here a long time. The long-run trend is bad for Republicans," one said.
"My guess is the Supreme Court upholds the Arizona immigration law," another predicted. "If that is the case, it will drive Latino turnout through the roof and help the president win New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, Nevada and re-election."
Or as yet another put it: "This issue will pay dividends for Democrats for generations to come."
Others were more tempered in their views, agreeing with their Republican counterparts that immigration is still a side-note to larger questions about the economy looming over the election.
"Latino voters in some states may be upset at the Republicans' posturing on immigration during the primary season, but it is not a game-changer," one Democratic insider said. "Let's face it--it's not like Republicans were planning on winning 40% of the Latino vote in any scenario."
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