Republicans have a serious Latino-voter problem, and fixing it could spark a painful public debate that wrenches the party in two, writes Patrik Jonsson at the Christian Science Monitor. Latinos played a big role in reelecting President Obama, comprising 10% of voters and backing him by 71%. But if the Republicans embrace that bloc by granting amnesty to more than 10 million illegal immigrants, then middle-class, conservative whites are going to freak, Jonsson writes.
The move would contradict decades of anti-immigration policy and fly in the face of working-class anger over perceived "handouts" to illegal immigrants. Nonetheless, conservatives like Sean Hannity and Charles Krauthammer are testing the waters by supporting the notion of amnesty with a secured border. For now, Latinos remain suspicious of the GOP's attitudes, writes Jonsson—especially after conservative legislatures in the south and west waged such vocal battles against illegal immigrants. Click for Jonsson's full article. (More Latino voters stories.)