Should Republicans ignore Hispanic voters altogether?
That's the advice of conservative firebrand Phyllis Schlafly, who told conservative radio program Focus Today last week that the GOP needs to spend its time reaching out to white voters, and ignore Hispanic voters who aren't going to vote conservative anyway.
The idea that Republicans should court the Hispanic vote is "a great myth," Schlafly said. “And there is not the slightest bit of evidence they are going to vote Republican. And the people the Republicans should reach out to are the white votes—the white voters who didn’t vote in the last election.”
“The propagandists are leading us down the wrong path,” she added. “There’s not any evidence at all that these Hispanics coming in from Mexico will vote Republican.”
The activist, who is the founder of "pro-family" organization Eagle Forum and has authored several books, has long said that immigration reform is disadvantageous for the Republican party.
In April, Schlafly claimed that comprehensive immigration reform, with a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, would be “suicide for the Republican Party," according to Right Wing Watch.
Newly-minted Americans will vote Democratic because they "come from a country where there’s no tradition or expectation of limited government” and "they think government should be there to give orders and solve their problems and give them a handout when they need it," she said.
ABC News/Univision notes that the GOP has lost the popular vote in five out of six recent presidential elections despite winning a majority of the white vote, however. In fact, in 2012 Republican candidate Mitt Romney won 59 percent of the white vote last year according to exit polls.
However, Schlafly's strategy has been echoed by such Republicans as Rep. Steve King of Iowa, sho suggested that the Hispanic vote is not as important as some people believe, according to MSNBC.
Now nearing 90 years old, Schlafly clearly has no qualms speaking her mind when it comes to GOP values. In March, she said that Sen. Rob Portman's reversal in support of gay marriage was "a mistake" that will get him kicked out of office.
She also called failed Republican presidential nominees Bob Dole, John McCain and Mitt Romney "losers" during a fiery speech at the Conservative Political Action Committee meeting.