The hispanic vote was much smaller back then. Much smaller % of total US population.
If that's the case, why did Bush 43 barely win in 2004 vs. Bush 41's cakewalk to the Oval Office in 1988?
The short answer is (and I'm sure you know this) is that Bush the Elder (as did Reagan) got way more of the WHITE VOTERS.
And that, 240, is the point.
If the 2016 GOP candidate can energize the white electorate, particularly working-class voters, Hilary (or whoever get the DNC nod) is TOAST, no matter how many Latinos (legally or not-soleaglly) go her way. If there's any demographic on which the GOP should concentrate, it's working-class white men, older single white women, and married white women. Black and Hispanic women are pretty much lost (too many are single mothers and hooked on daddy government).
Romney got beat up because millions of GOPers (seeing little difference between him and Obama, especially on healthcare) sat on the sidelines. And that's exactly why Obama wants the GOP to commit suicide by passing amnesty. Otherwise, he would have taken care of this issue when the GOP COULD NOT STOP HIM in 2009 and early 2010.
