New York Times
By Jeremy Peters
April 28, 2015
Jeb
Bush visited Puerto Rico on Tuesday and spoke in personal terms about
“the power of the immigrant experience” as he challenged his party to be
more respectful of Latino
communities if it ever hopes to win back their votes.
Latinos
who are disillusioned with President Obama are willing to listen to
Republicans like himself, Mr. Bush said at a campaign appearance at the
Universidad Metropolitana.
“But the fact is,” he added, “we’ve got to give that message, and we
haven’t campaigned in communities to show respect and to listen.”
“This
is not crazy talk,” Mr. Bush, the former Florida governor, went on.
“This is just human nature. If you show respect for people and you have a
message that gives
them some hope that life can be better, they’re more open to voting for
you.”
Speaking
in both Spanish and English during a question-and-answer session at the
university, Mr. Bush drew on his own story. “Trust me,” he said. “I
know the power of
the immigrant experience because I live it each and every day. I know
the immigrant experience because I married a beautiful girl from Mexico.
My children are bicultural and bilingual.”
Mr.
Bush is not a stranger to the island, as he reminded the crowd at the
university, which included a few students but seemed mainly to be made
up of supporters of the
former governor, Luis Fortuño, a Republican.
When
Mr. Bush’s father, George Bush, ran for president in 1980, he sent Jeb
to Puerto Rico to help organize for the island’s primary. (Though Puerto
Rico has no votes
in the Electoral College, it does send delegates to both parties’
national conventions.)
Jeb
Bush recalled that experience fondly. “I learned how to organize
intensely here, I learned the passion,” he said, adding: “I learned how
to drink a lot of Puerto Rican
rum. I had a blast.”
For more information, go to: www.beverlyhillsimmigrationlaw.com
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