Romney the Nightmare

Mitt Romney, the Republican Party’s candidate for presidency in the United States, had a golden opportunity to explain to the Latino community how he would resolve the future of dreamers if he were to win the presidency. Sadly, he wasted that opportunity.

Last week, instead of acting with determination, courage and intelligence, Romney spoke at the NALEO Assembly (an organization that gathers the majority of Latino politicians elected and appointed to government positions) and he was unable to articulate a coherent policy about the dreamers or about the immigration issue in general. In contrast, a few days previous, President Obama had commanded the Department of Immigration to suspend the deportation and facilitate temporary work permits to the dreamers.

Romeny spoke vaguely and repeated the repertoire of platitudes about the subject, but he didn’t say anything remarkable. He affirmed, for example, that he would face the dreamers’ problems “in a civil and firm manner.” The quotation is textual and incomprehensible. What did he mean by that, that he would stipulate organized deportations?

In another part of the speech, he suggested that he would like that those who have performed military service or have their master’s degree in the United States to stay in the country. But he didn’t explain what he would do, specifically, so that these two types of immigrants could stay here. He also didn’t say what he would do with the immigrants that didn’t meet these requirements. Immigrants who have families here, graduated from college or high school, or have been working for years in this country and have never had a problem with authorities.

To date, Romney continues to suggest one or two ideas about the subject, but he doesn’t develop them. What’s worse, his attitude indicates an alarming lack of interest in resolving the complicated issue in a humane and viable way. It is true that recently the Republican candidate has avoided the aggressive rhetoric that has characterized him throughout his entire political career. For example, the aggressive rhetoric he used against his opponents in the Republican primaries of 2008 somehow showed minimal sympathy for the undocumented.

In the 2012 primary, Romney also spoke loudly and strongly against Governor of Texas Rick Perry for allowing some cases of undocumented youth to pay their state university tuition with a state resident rate and not the rate for students from abroad or residing in another state.

At NALEO Romney didn’t articulate policies, he made foolish remarks. For example, he told the audience the vicissitudes of returning to Mexico with his father, when he was only five years old. But he didn’t specify that his grandfather had fled to avoid punishment for breaking the U.S. laws against polygamy and found temporary refuge in that country. He also didn’t clarify why he shed light on the subject. Maybe one of the publicists advised him that when he was in front of people of Mexican origin he should mention his “almost Mexican roots”? So far, it was traditional for politicians who wanted the Hispanic vote to go to the neighborhoods with mariachi and tacos.

In any case, it is evident that Romney doesn’t understand that when a politician demonizes the undocumented community, he harasses a big part of the Latino community.

Obama hasn’t been exactly the ideal president for Latinos and his zeal for deporting people that came here to work and never committed a crime is inexcusable. But the reality is that there’s not much to choose from and the alternative that Romney offers looks a lot worse. Therefore, there’s no other option than to follow that one who remembered our children last minute, rather than risk electing someone who will surely do a lot worse.