New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez Shows Republicans the Wrong Way to Attract Hispanic Voters

Just Because You Are Hispanic Does Not Mean You Are Not Anti-Hispanic

Today’s lesson is going to be on driver’s licenses.  For reasons beyond comprehension, anti-immigrant Conservatives believe that denying driver’s licenses to those in this country illegally is good policy.  Apparently in their fantasy world, millions of Asian and Hispanic men and women are just dying (sometimes literally) to get into the United States so that they can get a driver’s license and drive around the country, maybe go to the In and Out Drive In.

New Mexico has in the past enacted a law that allows illegal immigrants to obtain a valid driver’s license.  This is proper policy, because with a valid permit these individuals are much more likely to drive responsibly, to have insurance and to comply with motor vehicle rules.  A Conservative who fights this policy is just a person who has not yet been in an accident with an illegal immigrant who does not have a license or insurance.

Gov. Martinez - Gosh She Doesn't Look Like a Mean and Vindictive Person Who Wants to Jail People
for Driving While Hispanic

In New Mexico now the Governor is an Hispanic, and apparently she is making her major cause a change in the law that would deny licenses to illegal immigrants.

While she has promoted economic recovery as one of her major goals, Ms. Martinez has almost single-handedly fought for repealing the driver’s license law. And all along she has refused to entertain any deals.

Since this is idiotic policy, policy that not only harms those it is directed at but also harms society as a whole, one can only assume that Ms. Martinez is playing to the only political base that entertains idiotic policy as a norm, that is, conservative Republicans.  And while Republicans are placing this Governor and the Nevada Governor out front in their recruitment of Hispanic voters,

It comes at a perfect time for the governor, who is about to travel the country as an envoy of the Republican Party, recruiting Latinos to run for office or, at the very least, to give the party a second chance. (Gov. Brian Sandoval of Nevada has also been drafted for the same role.)

it will turn out that Hispanic voters are going to be smart enough to see what is going on, and that just because one has a Hispanic background that does not mean he or she is working in the best interests of the Hispanic community.  In this case Ms. Martinez is working in the best interests of only one member of that community, Ms. Martinez.