George W. Bush's position on

Hispanic or Latino/a community: According to a recent Zogby International poll, Latino/as are interested more in the substance of policy issues and the candidate's record than mere rhetoric. This poll identified key areas of emphasis, the top issues being education, economy/jobs, immigration, civil rights, and health care. National Council of La Raza report. Thus, there are not specific Latino/a issues, but rather this group is looking at how candidate's stands on these issues will impact their lives.

Description of position: President Bush has a Viva Bush! campaign (link), which is specifically targeted towards gaining Latino/a support. The president has outlined three main policies, which specifically impact Latino/as in the U.S, including: increasing educational opportunities through the No Child Left Behind Act, increasing revenues to small business owners, and an economic policy which would match foreign workers with employers as well as speed the process of citizenship through temporary legal status. The overall impact of these policies is to increase the status of Latino/as in the U.S. Presidential remarks made on July 8, 2004 to the League of United Latin American Citizens Annual Convention. (link) Other important policies include increasing minority home ownership and trade with Latin American countries, with new trade polices. Re-elect Bush website.

Quotation: "Across our country, we are working to continue helping Hispanic Americans realize the great promise of America. In 2002, I set a goal of increasing the number of minority homeowners by at least 5.5 million by the end of the decade. We are making good progress -- having added more than 1.6 million minority homeowners so far. My Administration's business agenda and economic policies have helped create an environment in which Latino small business owners in the United States are starting new businesses and employing millions of people, expanding trade throughout the Americas, and generating billions in revenue. Through the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, we are working to ensure that schools are serving every student. In addition, we are committed to improving immigration services while strengthening national security." Presidential Proclamation on National Hispanic Heritage Month, September 17, 2004. White House website link. 

Assessment of the proposal:

Positive: Robert Deposada, president of The Latino Coalition, a non-profit, non-partisan membership organization, supports Bush's policies, particularly on immigration reforms: Bush "should be praised for ignoring the empty rhetoric of the political extremes and presenting a common sense and pragmatic approach to solve this problem. His proposal addresses both the short-term and long-term problems, by establishing a temporary worker program that eliminates the incentives for individuals to cross the border illegally looking for a job." The Latino Connection Press Release, January 7, 2003.

Negative: Raul Yzaguirre, president of National Council of La Raza, is very critical of the Bush administration for failing Latino/as on every issue that the president claims victory on: taxes, education, health care, and immigration. With immigration, Bush's policy is a re-enactment of failed policies, and will not help workers (link) These issues have not benefited Latino/as, and instead, Yzaguirre argues that they have been used to gain political votes without action: "And no matter who the candidate or which political party, we want action, not talk. Talk is cheap in English, talk is cheap in Spanish." Comments to NCLA, July 13, 2003.

Comparison: While both parties have Spanish campaigns, the president is focusing on his past record as well as his ability to provide services, such as education and jobs. His policies are extensions of status quo policies, as compared with Kerry's new programs. Additionally, the Bush campaign has focused more on Hispanic issues for a longer period of time than Kerry.

Link to Kerry's issue page.