GOP Strategist Who Told Latinos “Don’t Vote,” Casts His Ballot

Do as Robert de Posada says, but not as he does.

By Julianne Hing Oct 29, 2010

Here’s your Friday dose of right-wing hypocrisy. [TBD.com](http://www.tbd.com/articles/2010/10/-don-t-vote-advocate-tells-tbd-he-voted-26567.html) reported on Thursday that Robert de Posada, the Republican strategist behind the [Latinos for Reform ad](https://colorlines.com/archives/2010/10/latinos_for_reform.html) that encouraged Latinos to stay home on Election Day has in fact already voted this season. De Posada voted by absentee ballot in Virginia. De Posada didn’t see any contradiction. "When you look at the substance of the ad, the website, when you look at the press release, we are very clear," de Posada told TBD. "Go vote for governor or whoever, just don’t vote for those who betray you." (via [Politico](http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1010/44287.html)) Except he didn’t find the room to fit that message in his [GOP-backed ad](https://colorlines.com/archives/2010/10/latinos_for_reform.html), which told Latinos: > "Democratic leaders must pay for their broken promises and betrayals," the voice says. "If we go on supporting them this November, they will keep playing games with our future and keep taking our vote for granted." > > "If they didn’t keep their promise on immigration reform then, they can’t count on our vote," the voice says. And then comes the big whammy: "Don’t vote this November. This is the only way to send them a clear message. You can no longer take us for granted. Don’t vote." The ad that de Posada’s group put together was set to air on Univision in Nevada until Democrats forced the station to pull the ad.