When Jeb Bush spoke in Spanish on a campaign stop in Texas on Monday, it reminded people why he was once seen as the Republican ticket to winning more Hispanic votes — and taking the White House. Speaking near the US-Mexico border just weeks after Donald Trump visited the area, Bush impressed people with his linguistic skills. But the former Florida governor, who wanted to distinguish his immigration stance from that of Trump, instead ended up taking flak over his recent controversial use of the phrase “anchor babies” — a derogatory term for children born in the US to illegal immigrants.- Trump has propelled himself to the front of the 17-strong Republican presidential pack with a draconian immigration plan, which involves the mass deportation of 11m undocumented immigrants — and their legal children — the building of a big wall along the border, and amending the constitution so that children born to illegal immigrants no longer automatically qualify for US citizenship.- While Trump is firmly planted at one extreme of the spectrum on immigration policy, the popularity of his views with the conservative Republican base, which is influential in the primaries, poses a conundrum for candidates such as Bush who would rather take a moderate stance to avoid antagonising Hispanics who are the fasting growing segment of the US electorate. Some analysts believe that Bush used the term “anchor babies” to boost support even as he strives to sell his plan on immigration, which would provide a path for undocumented immigrants to become legal. Nathan Gonzales, a US political commentator, said the choice of words was a “strategic decision” and not a slip of the tongue by a man who talks proudly about his Mexican-born wife and Hispanic children.- Even Trump has accused Bush of tacking right because of the success that the real estate magnate is enjoying over the issue. “(Bush is) very weak on immigration,” said Trump. “Although now he is using ‘anchor baby’. Now because I used it, he is using it.”- One problem for moderate Republicans, such as Bush, is that Democrats are using Trump to paint the entire GOP as anti-immigrant. Bush on Monday said it was “ludicrous” for Hillary Clinton, the front-runner for the Democratic nomination, to suggest that he had used a derogatory phrase.- But the Democrats are conscious that they are tapping into a perception that the GOP itself conceded existed after Mitt Romney lost the 2012 election. In a post mortem report, the GOP pointed out that the party had lost the popular vote in five of the past six presidential races, and that winning support from Hispanics was critical to reversing that trend.- “Hispanic voters tell us our party’s position on immigration has become a litmus test, measuring whether we are meeting them with a welcome mat or a closed door,” the GOP warned in the report.
