Instead of airing Latina Governor Susana Martinez's speech at the Republican National Convention, ABC chose to host liberal Univision anchor Jorge Ramos who had dire words for the Republican Party.
"I think Republicans have a real, real challenge trying to get Latinos. Because just a few words in Spanish from Susana Martinez over principle is not enough," warned Ramos while ABC showed video of Martinez speaking. "[I]if they insist on talking about immigration, they're going to lose even more of the Hispanic vote," he also said. [Video below the break.]
Ramos has been an immigration advocate while appearing as a journalist with Univision. He begged for immigration reform in a Time magazine interview.
Yet ABC aired his liberal screed against Republican immigration policy while one of the party's prominent Latino politicians addressed the convention.
"So they really have to insist on economics because if they insist on immigration, they're really going to lose the Hispanic vote," Ramos stated of Republicans. "I think he [Romney] has to avoid immigration. If he says the word 'self-deportation,' that's it for him," Ramos said of Mitt Romney's upcoming convention address.
A transcript of the segment, which aired during ABC's coverage of the Republican National Convention on August 29 at 10:17 p.m. EDT, is as follows:
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: Right now on the podium Governor Susanna Martinez of New Mexico, Mexican-American, first-term. She addressed the convention in Spanish just a few minutes ago, and of course Diane, trying to get more of the Hispanic vote such a major challenge for Governor Romney right now. He's well behind President Obama, at a rate right now, it will be very difficult for him to win. I want to bring that to our partner Jorge Ramos from Univision.
All week long we expect to hear from Susana Martinez, from Senator Rubio in Florida, Senator Marco Rubio tomorrow night. But Mitt Romney's economic message will be how he draws Hispanic voters in.
JORGE RAMOS, Univision news anchor: And that's the only way, if they insist on talking about immigration, they're going to lose even more of the Hispanic vote. The last poll that I saw, they don't even get 30 percent of the Hispanic vote. If they can't get 33 percent, 35 or 40 percent, they're going to lose the election. The new rule in American politics is that if you can't get the Hispanic vote, you cannot get the White House.
DIANE SAWYER: And again, John McCain got 31 percent?
RAMOS: Only 31 percent. So the magic number is 33 percent, and if they insist on this message of Governor Romney rejects immigration reform, he rejects the DREAM Act, he's for self-deportation – and we have to remember that there were Republicans who approve the anti-immigrant laws in Arizona, in Alabama and Georgia. So they really have to insist on economics because if they insist on immigration, they're really going to lose the Hispanic vote.
STEPHANOPOULOS: And give us a sense – you gave us a sense of the percentage of the Hispanic vote, but it's important in the states beyond the states you would normally think of like Florida and New Mexico.
RAMOS: Yeah, and – well Colorado is really important, but in the end, it's just a matter of a few numbers. Latinos, I think, might decide this election if they decided the last two elections. In a very close election, Latinos will decide who wins Florida, Colorado and Nevada. And again, I think Republicans have a real, real challenge trying to get Latinos. Because just a few words in Spanish from Susana Martinez over principle is not enough.
STEPHANOPOULOS: What is – when Mitt Romney takes the stage tomorrow night, if he has two sentences to try to appeal to the Latino vote, to the Hispanic vote, what can it be?
RAMOS: I think he has to avoid immigration. If he says the word "self-deportation," that's it for him.
