Governor Christie got 60% of the vote in deep blue New Jersey, including 51% of the Hispanic vote according to exit polls.
How did he do it? Did Governor Christie call for a path to citizenship or been a leader on immigration reform? Did he attend any immigration marches or pander for Hispanic votes by giving meaningless "5 de Mayo" speeches?
The answer is no.
Governor Christie did two things that got him 51% of the Hispanic vote:
First, he led and made decisions for the residents of New Jersey. This is why he got votes from every group. Voters like leadership especially when there is none coming from The White House.
Second, he paid attention to Hispanics and asked for their vote. He had his campaign knock on doors and ask Hispanics for their vote. He did not assume that Hispanics would vote Democrat.
Sadly, Governor Romney didn't do this! I heard over and over in 2012 that the Romney campaign did not fight for the Hispanic vote.
What's the lesson for the next GOP nominee? Speak clearly and tell people where you stand. Most importantly, do not assume that Hispanics are talking about immigration 24/7. Hispanics actually care about other issues, such as jobs and lousy public schools.
Let me repeat: Governor Christie asked Hispanics for their votes and a majority said yes.
P. S. You can hear CANTO TALK here & follow me on Twitter @ scantojr.
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