Gerson Counsels Inclusion

Michael Gerson has an OP-Ed over at WaPo  this morning, in which he laments the departure of Mel Martinez, and worries that it means Republicans will continue to lose favor with Latinos.  Duh.  To his credit,  Gerson has criticized the anti-immigrant fervor of the Repubs in the past. But he seems never to point out that the actual treatment of actual people by the Republicans is wrong and mean-spirited.  He sees it as a PR problem - he worries only that Latinos will resist voting against their own interests due to poor messaging on the part of the politicians.

Some conservatives dismiss electoral considerations as soiled and cynical. They will make their case, even if that means sacrificing Florida, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada and . . . Indiana. Yes, Indiana, which had supported Republican presidential candidates for 40 years before Obama captured it on the strength of Hispanic votes. This is a good definition of extremism -- the assumption that irrelevance is evidence of integrity. In fact, it is a moral achievement of democracy that it eventually forces political parties to appeal to minorities and outsiders instead of demonizing them. The scramble for votes, in the long run, requires inclusion.