"La Hillary" Moves to Shore up Latino Support

Memo to Team Kaine: Do more research. You can't expect people to support you if you don't understand them. More than 80 percent of Hispanics are bilingual or only speak English.

In 1984, without any federal experience, Cisneros was never going to wind up on the ticket. Still, the Mondale campaign probably dangled the possibility to get Latinos excited to vote for the Democratic ticket. After the tease ran its course and Mondale chose Rep. Geraldine Ferraro of New York, 40 percent of Latinos voted to re-elect Republican President Ronald Reagan.

Now Clinton is likely running the same game. It's not important whether she picks Castro. All that matters is that enough Latino voters think she could pick Castro.

But if Clinton has the Latino vote all wrapped up, as the polls seem to indicate, why is she trying so hard to court that community? Because her Latino support is a mile wide and an inch deep. And that has a lot to do with the fact that Latinos can never be sure which Hillary Clinton is talking to them.

Is it La Hillary who, last month, penned an op-ed criticizing Republicans for their "hostile, outlandish, vitriolic claims about the immigrant community" and asserting that she "will always stand with the Latino community"? Or is it Hard-nosed Hillary who, having worked for the Children's Defense Fund after graduating from Yale Law School, ignored due process when she declared that Central American child refugees streaming across the U.S.-Mexico border last summer "should be sent back"?

A few months ago, a Gallup poll found that, while 76 percent of Latinos were familiar with Clinton, only 58 percent had a favorable opinion. And in the dark blue state of California, a recent Field Poll of likely Democratic voters found that Clinton has the support of just 52 percent of Latinos.

Castro's endorsement notwithstanding, the right Democrat could still give Clinton a run for her money with Latinos.

Which brings us back to the bigger story facing Democrats. Say, Mr. Vice President, how's your Spanish?

Oh never mind. It's not important. What Latinos really want a candidate to communicate is trust.

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Ruben Navarrette's email address is ruben@rubennavarrette.com.