Villaraigosa Criticizes Hispanic Lineup at Republican National Convention, Highlights Romney-Hispanic Disconnection

In an effort to connect Mitt Romney with Hispanic Americans voters, the Republicans have chosen Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, Texas Rep. Francisco Canseco, Sher Valenzuela, the Republican candidate for lieutenant governor of Delaware; Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval, Ted Cruz, GOP Senate nominee from Texas, First Lady of Puerto Rico Luce Vela Fortuno and New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez to speak at the Republican National Convention in Tampa.

But, chairman of the Democratic National Convention and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa claims that the lineup of the Hispanic speakers at the RNC is not enough to make the Romney-Latino connection.

"You can't just trot out a brown face or a Spanish surname and expect people are going to vote for your party or your candidate," Villaraigosa, a U.S. born-Latino told reporters Tuesday. "Window dressing doesn't do much for a candidate. It's your policies, your platform."

Villaraigosa pointed out the GOP platform, which calls for the self-deportation of the estimated 11 million illegal immigrants living in the U.S.

Rubio agreed with Villaraigosa's comments.

Rubio will introduce Romney before he officially accepts his party's nomination and said that both parties need to address Hispanics' needs and the GOP has to have a more defined platform and not just be the anti-illegal immigration party.

Rubio said that the Republican party is facing a challenge with Hispanic voters and claim that there are problems with Obama's decision to stop deporting younger illegal immigrants who came to the U.S. as children. However, Romney has promised to change that strategy but has not specified how.

In 2008, Hispanic voter turnout was 9.7 million and according to the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials Educational Fund, on Nov. 6, approximately 12.2 million Hispanics will cast their vote.

While the Romney campaign has been trying to reach Hispanics through various means, a recent Gallup poll showed 61 percent of registered Hispanic voters supported Obama and 29 percent favored Romney.

To make matter worse, Univision news anchor Jorge Ramos said in an open letter that unless the Republicans change several of its anti-immigrant positions, they may be doomed to lose the White House for decades.

"Latinos do not forget that the Republican Party endorsed the appalling anti-immigrant laws in Arizona, Alabama, Georgia and other states," Ramos said. "The stubborn Republican opposition to the "DREAM Act" is another example. It is absurd to deny undocumented people brought to the U.S. by their parents as children the opportunity to become a citizen, and then use the importance of having a secure border with Mexico as an excuse. These young people-more than two million-already here, studied in American schools, not their fault that they brought into this country and you do not want help. That goes against the American tradition of open arms to foreigners most vulnerable and needy."