Hispanic Caucus's Continued Decline

As if more evidence was needed that many political groups claiming to serve minority interests are, in practice, little more than PACs for correct-thinking minorities only, Drudge is reporting, via the Hill (subscription required), that the Hispanic Caucus will not endorse Alberto Gonzales for the post of U.S. Attorney General.

My feeling about the Hispanic Caucus, as well as the Black Caucus, is about the same as for the myriad groups claiming to represent the interests of women, minorities, and others: partisanship is fine, as long as they admit to it. If the Hispanic Caucus was honest about its mission, it would change its name to the Liberal Hispanic Caucus, or Democratic Hispanic Caucus.

But by claiming to represent the interests of all Hispanics, only to prove its partisan nature in moves such as the Gonzales freeze-out, it follows the NAACP's well-trod example of failing its constituency. Rather than working to advance the interests of Hispanics, per se, it promotes a narrower definition of "Hispanic" to include only those whose politics it finds palatable. This serves the press well, since we'll doubtless see articles trumpeting Gonzales's failure to gain the imprimatur of this group as evidence of his lack of qualifications for office. These reports should, and probably will, be ignored by his backers, but they'll be used to tar him or, worse, brand him as a sell-out.

But the analogy with MSM holds. As minorities gain access to a wider source of information, the hold of the old order weakens. Hispanics voted for Bush in record numbers last year, and not because they were hoodwinked or corrupted, as liberals allege. Rather, they, like other Americans, are better educated on the issues that concern them most -- the economy, national security, the chance to build a better future for their children. For that, we all can thank the New Media, not to mention the obvious ability of adults to survey the world around them and conclude that they can decide for themselves who's with them, and who's against them. No matter who their erstwhile friends in DC may claim to represent.