Sen. John McCain warns that Republicans may be driving Hispanics away

Jim Kuhnhenn

Associated Press
Dec. 10, 2007 12:00 AM

CORAL GABLES, Fla. - The Republican presidential candidates sought to embrace Hispanics in a Spanish-language debate Sunday, striving to mark common ground with a growing voter bloc while softening the anti-illegal immigration rhetoric that has marked past encounters.

The candidates avoided the harsh exchanges and name-calling of their most recent debate, while most emphasized the need for border security and an end to illegal immigration.

Only Sen. John McCain warned that harsh immigration rhetoric voiced by some Republicans has driven Hispanics away from the party.

The Arizona senator has stood apart from most of his Republican rivals because he supported creating a path for citizenship for illegal immigrants.

"I think some of the rhetoric that many Hispanics hear about illegal immigration makes some of them believe that we are not in favor of or seek the support of Hispanic citizens in this country," he said after the moderator noted that the percentage of the Hispanic vote for the GOP has dropped from President Bush's win in 2004 to last year's congressional elections.