Race + Politics: Rosie Perez Goes In On Mitt Romney

By Arturo R. García

One reason to keep an eye on the new Actually … politcal super PAC: diversity is in the mix from the get-go. The campaign, designed to pierce Republican arguments, features Rosie Perez, W. Kamau Bell and Jay Smooth in its introductory clip. And the first full clip to go live has Perez tackling Romney’s “jokes” about Latinos head on:

Transcript under the cut.

Mitt Romney Video: My dad, you probably know, was the governor of Michigan and was the head of a car company. But he was born in Mexico. Had he been born of Mexican parents, I’d have a better shot of winning this.

[Audience laughter]

I say that jokingly, but it would be helpful to be Latino.

Rosie Perez: [Laughter...] Actually, Mitt, that is so true. All you have to do is look at the statistics and Mitt’s point becomes crystal clear. Hispanics represent 17 percent of the population and account for less than 2 percent of all elected and appointed officials. The advantage is obvious. Think of all our Hispanic-American presidents: From Jorge Washington to Jorge Bush, uno y dos. And who can forget Presidente Jimmy Smits. Boriqua!

I mean, all Mitt needs is a little sazón. But just a little bit. I mean, you didn’t really need to go full John Boehner on the spray-tan. [Laughter ...] But a clean-cut Hispanic-American like Julian Castro? [Gasp] Or Ricky Martin! [Gasp] Oh. My. Goodness. What if you were just a little bit gay, Mitt? Think of all the advantages that would provide! [Gasp]

No, wait for it — what if you had a vagina? If you were a gay Latina, this election would be in the bag for you!

Unfortunately for you, Mitt, you were cursed with the hard-knock life of growing up as the son of a wealthy governor and auto executive. [Tearing up] And when your father paid your way through private school, Harvard, Harvard Law, and bought your first car? I just can’t imagine how difficult that must have been for you.

But the truth is, the reason why Latinos aren’t voting for you is because your policies suck. Being Latino wouldn’t win you the election. But saying jokingly that you wish you were might actually lose it for you.