Local News: Waco Republican Party Criticizes Waco Hispanic Group

Sphere: Related Content Local GOP Battles Hispanic Republican Start-Up Group
By Michael W. Shapiro (Tribune-Herald staff writer)

From the Waco-Tribune Hearld

A new political club that aims to bring McLennan County minorities into the Republican fold got a rude welcome from unexpected quarters: the McLennan County Republican Party.

The Hispanic Republican Club of McLennan County kicked off this fall under the leadership of Woodway resident Duke Machado and a group of conservative activists, including some in the Tea Party movement. The group’s mission is to reach out to Hispanic, black and young adult voters, whom leaders say the party has ignored.

But the day before Thanksgiving, shortly after the club announced its January launch party, the McLennan County GOP leadership sent out an e-mail blast emphasizing that the club “is not sanctioned by, nor is it affiliated with, the Republican Party of McLennan County.”

Since then, group’s leaders have been locked in a personal and political dispute with longtime county GOP leader M.A. Taylor, running afoul of Ronald Reagan’s 11th Commandment: Thou shalt not speak ill of any fellow Republican.

“I expected to be hit by the Democratic Party, not by Republicans,” Machado said after his club’s board wrapped up a meeting late Tuesday.

The two sides exchanged criticisms in separate interviews last week.

Janet Jackson, a conservative activist from Bosque County who is working with Machado on the club, said the party has a bad track record when it comes to bringing minorities and young people into the fold.

Jackson said the club’s mission includes recruiting Republicans to fill empty precinct chairs in minority neighborhoods.

The Republican Party lacks precinct chairs in about 40 precincts countywide.

While Taylor agreed Thursday that outreach to Hispanic voters is a worthy goal, he questioned the club’s strategy of recruiting precinct chairs.

“They think because there are 92 precincts in McLennan County, we need to have 92 precinct chairs,” Taylor said. “What they fail to understand is about half of those precincts are minority precincts, and you’re not going to find any Republicans in them.”

County Democratic Party chairman John Cullar said that, likewise, it’s not unusual for his party not to have a chair in Republican-dominated precincts.

Taylor acknowledged that the conflict between the local GOP and the Hispanic Republican club has a personal element.

“The driving force behind this organization is Janet Jackson,” Taylor said. “She’s been a pain in our backside for many years, and she continues to be. We’ve found we cannot work with her and have refused to try.”

Pointing to the party’s electoral successes over the years, he said, “What she fails to realize is that we started with one Republican in office in McLennan County, and we now have 22.”

The county party’s Nov. 24 e-mail stated that the club was not endorsed by the state GOP’s executive director. The club’s Web site refuted that claim by posting a document by Eric Opiela, then executive director, authorizing the club to work on behalf of the party.

In a brief interview Friday, Opiela, who resigned as executive director late last month, said he was excited about the club and optimistic it will succeed.

Club vice president Bert Hernandez described the county Republican Party’s e-mail as a shot across the bow.

“This e-mail is our Declaration of Independence, and they wrote it for us,” Hernandez said. “We’re going to proceed with bringing people into the Republican Party, we’re going to proceed with recruiting chairmen in those precincts that aren’t covered, we’re going to invite people to our events, we’re going to call people before elections and get out the vote, and if these guys want to sit back and enjoy the fruits of it, they’re welcome to it,” he said.

Hernandez, who met Machado at a Tea Party event, said the Republican Party should be doing more to connect with area Hispanic residents, many of whom run small businesses and are sympathetic to the party’s platforms on fiscal issues: “Whether they’re Hispanic or black or Asian or whatever, it’s common to hear, ‘How much more am I paying in taxes?’ ”

Meanwhile, Taylor and Machado disagreed on the importance of a new Web site that Machado has touted as a way to get people involved in Republican politics.

“He wants to start this Web site thing and have Hispanics subscribe to it, and that whole approach puzzles me,” Taylor said. “What’s this going to do to build the party?”

Jackson said Taylor’s opposition to the group boiled down to an unfounded fear that more party precinct chairs are out to dilute the power of the county party’s leadership. She said the club isn’t trying to supplant the Republican Party and will in fact make the organization stronger.

Likewise, Machado said he hopes the Republican Party ultimately will recognize the club as an ally, not an enemy. He added that he’s excited about the Jan. 16 launch event, which will feature live flamenco music and a performance from Dallas comedian Flo Hernandez.

Robert Aguilar, chairman of the local Tejano Democrats group, said it was good to see Republicans reaching out to minority voters, but he didn’t think they would attract many followers because of their positions on immigration and other issues.

“They’ll get some people,” Aguilar said. “We see some Hispanics talking about Republican issues, and that’s fine, but right now the Democrats offer a better platform.

“Most Hispanics are still struggling for safety, security and health needs,” he added, and for the most part, “the Republican Party can’t see what’s happened to us because they don’t live in our neighborhoods.”

Published on Monday, December 07, 2009