CNN’s Ana Navarro: “Something snapped” in Republican Party after government shutdown

Ana Navarro, Institute of Politics fellow and political contributor at CNN and CNN en Español, describes herself as a “Republican without labels,” which she explained meant that she is “inclusive, not obstructionist.” Navarro, who served as the National Hispanic Co-Chair for Gov. Jon Huntsman’s 2012 Campaign, spoke to the Shorenstein Center about how punditry has changed political debate, and how politicians might be able to capture the Hispanic vote.

While the Republican Party has struggled to gain the Hispanic vote, Navarro pointed to Chris Christie as an example of a candidate who has succeeded. Mitt Romney’s campaign on the other hand, she said, was a “manual of what not to do.” Even though Hispanics were generally disillusioned and disappointed with Obama in 2012, “Romney didn’t give them anywhere to run,” she said.Looking forward, Navarro sees changes on the political landscape. “Something snapped in the past month as a result of the shutdown,” she said. The Tea Party “has been coming after incumbent Republicans,” and they have “taken up so much of the oxygen in the room that they’ve begun to define the national perception and brand.” As a result, she observed, more traditional Republicans have started “duking it out more vigorously” with members of the Tea Party.

Listen to the audio on SoundCloud