A Democratic voice echoes a prominent sentiment that holds merit as the Republican National Convention (RNC) sweeps the Tampa Bay area with Republicans and a flurry of visitors, journalists and protests.

On Tuesday, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney will not be able to attract Latino voters by using prominent Latino representatives and spokespeople.

You cant just trot out a brown face or a Spanish surname and expect that people are going to vote for your party or your candidate, he said at a press conference on Tuesday.

The statement came after Republicans slotted Texas Senate candidate Ted Cruz to speak in a prime-time slot. Other planned speakers include Fla. Sen. Marco Rubio and N.M. Gov. Susana Martinez.

Villaraigosa also said President Barack Obama is likely to get up to 70 percent of Latino votes in theupcoming election, which would be greater than the 67 percent reported to have voted in his favor in 2008, according to an exit poll analysis carried out by the Pew Hispanic Center. A 2012 poll by The Wall Street Journal, NBC News and Telemundo reported that Obama was leading in Latino votes against Romney 63 percent to 28 percent.

Romney spokesman Ryan Williams assured that the claims were false and baseless attacks against Gov. Romney. But there seems to be some insight in Villaraigosas statement, especially since the speakers are part of Romneys larger push for his so-called self-deportation immigration policy a self-deportation that would lead to the loss of 11 million people from the U.S., according to the mayor.

The mayor described the Republican partys attempt to lure Latino voters as window dressing, or something that looks productive and appears beneficial but does not actually accomplish much.

In other words, LatinoRepublican speakers are not strong enough to overcome larger political issues that concern voters in the U.S.

Though Villaraigosas visit to Tampa is fueled in part by efforts to promote Democratic opinions toward the GOP and the RNC, and though his views may be biased when considering the opposing party, the mayor gives rise to significant ideas.

Though Latino representation at the federal level is low according to the Huffington Post, only two senators and 27 representatives are Latino there remains power in the Latino population, as it is estimated that a presidential candidate must have at least 33 percent of Latino votes to win the election.

Though Latinos represent a significant segment of the voter population, and Romneys attempt to harness their vote is not without reason, a partys policies are still the most important consideration for voting. Merely pandering for votes will serve no benefit.