There may be no single, simple explanation why Mitt Romney lost the election this week — but clearly the perception that the GOP is anti-Hispanic didn’t help. For years, I’ve been warning my fellow conservatives that their position on immigration would be costly, not just politically but for the economy as well.

The election results definitively proved the former. The Hispanic vote was decisive in denying Romney a win in Colorado, Nevada, Florida and possibly Virginia. Without winning more Hispanic votes, the Republican Party may be doomed to permanent minority status.