People are making a pretty big fuss out of the NRSC’s decision to oppose Marco Rubio in Florida’s senate primary, but for several different reasons. Various pundits have called for the NRSC to stay out of such races entirely, to sway Rubio to run for Governor instead, to support Rubio because he’s more conservative, and finally to support Rubio because it would be a way of reaching out to Latino voters. It is this last opinion that I find most interesting in the debate, because I think that the people who talk about the GOP losing the growing Latino demographic (and it’s a lot, nowadays) are missing an important distinction.

The GOP ‘reached out’ to Latino voters well before the Democrats did, one could argue. The Bush administration had more Latino appointees than any in history, putting Hispanic political leaders in charge of many of the nation’s most important offices and duties. Alberto Gonzales was the first Latino Attorney General, showing that the appointments reached all the way to the President’s Cabinet.

However, there is a strong difference between shaping policy and merely enacting that of others. By the end of his tenure, Gonzales was viewed by many as no more than a puppet and fall guy for the President’s political maneuvering. His controversial actions and statements were not exactly what regular citizens had in mind for their supposed standard-bearer. But in Rubio, the Republican power brokers have an opportunity to run a Latino candidate, as opposed to appointing a figure-head. Instead of putting Latinos in prominent positions to do whatever the old guard asks them to do, they can be seen as empowering agents for a Latino candidate to run and gain the access need to shape policy as he sees fit.

Rubio’s take on shaping policy only makes it easier to slide him into this role, as he is an avid believer in constituent outreach, inviting all Floridians to help him come up with 100 ideas to improve the state during his Speaker tenure. He brings with him not only his own views, but also those of any Latino voter in Florida (a lot). Properly conveyed, his seat at the table is a seat at the table for many everyday Americans in this growing voting bloc.

Putting Latinos in important positions and tasking them with certain responsibilities is old news, in terms of showing it off for voter outreach anyway (which is also why I think the Sotomayor pick will not have the political effect many assume). A more comprehensive and deserving approach is to give Latino voters a voice in the future of this party and nation. Whether Rubio is the right man for the Senate in this instance, the tangential benefits of his elevation should not be overlooked, lest a chance to capitalize on them be missed next time.

Last 5 posts by Gideon D'Assandro

• The Reality of Racial Politics - August 17th, 2009
• Thank God Obama's President - August 3rd, 2009
• Health Care Coverup - July 23rd, 2009
• The Suppressed EPA Report’s Effect on Healthcare - July 12th, 2009
• Social Conservatism Going Forward - July 5th, 2009