The GOP, Mel Martinez And The Hispanic Vote

I see that there is some unhappiness on the conservative side of the blogosphere over the nomination of Florida Senator Mel Martinez to chair the Republican National Committee.  I have to depart from some of the gloomy assessments that are, quite obviously, a derivative of Martinez's support for a "comprehensive" solution to the border issue.

With all due respect to my allies on the center-right, I think that it would be a mistake to judge an RNC Chair based upon what position he or she might have on one issue.  The RNC chair doesn't set the national agenda for the Party.  As I see it, they have two principle functions.  Raising money and organizing for elections.  This is especially true in a presidential election year.  Pardon the admittedly loose analogy, but the Republican presidential nominee essentially functions as the CEO -- staking out positions, laying out the vision, selecting the campaign management team and serving as the face of the organization, or in this case, the Party.  The RNC chair is more like the COO  -- largely in charge of the overall operational details of the wider effort to elect Republicans throughout the country.  To this end, there is a great deal of coordination between the RNC and the nominee, but make no mistake about who is really in charge.

From a purely political standpoint, Martinez is probably an excellent choice.  It's very well-known that a key element of the Bush/Rove strategy is the wooing of Hispanic voters into the Republican Party.  This is important for two reasons.  First, Hispanic culture is family-oriented and traditional.  Hispanic voters should be natural and welcome allies with the GOP.  Second, and more importantly, the Republicans need Hispanic voters for their long-term viability.  If Hispanics move toward the Democrats as a solid voting bloc, it is likely over for the Republican Party.  It's just a numbers issue.  Bush and Rove know this all too well, and their desire to pass the comprehensive immigration reform, while giving the base heartburn, is motivated by this political reality.  The center-right is pretty set-against an amnesty program, so Bush and Rove are likely pursuing their overall Hispanic strategy while hedging their bets by appointing Martinez.  If an amnesty bill fails, or passes without much Republican support, having an Hispanic as RNC chair may soften the blow with those prospective Hispanic voters who support amnesty for their undocumented friends and relatives. 

Regardless, it just makes sense for a Party seeking Hispanic support to place an Hispanic in a position of some visibility.  It sounds to me as if Martinez is going to be a somewhat titular RNC chair anyway, with another person handling most of the day-to-day tasks while Martinez tends to Senate business.  President Bush and Karl Rove are in a tough position.  They don't desire to alienate (no pun intended) the base on immigration, but they are also taking the long view. 

One might rightly raise the argument that the border is far too important to be playing politics with, and I would agree.  If there is to be a rapprochement between enforcement-only advocates and those favoring amnesty, it is imperative that enforcement issues be resolved first.  Once the border stops leaking like a sieve, perhaps there will be some political will among the center-right to discuss additional policy options.  It is obvious, though, that Republicans trying to put the cart before the horse do so at their own electoral peril.