By Robert "Mike" Duncan

On December 9, the Republican candidates for President will gather in Miami for a debate sponsored by Univision. There, Hispanics and all Americans will be given a great opportunity to see why Republican policies will make for the brightest and best future for our country.

Republicans have a strong record to run on. It is because of Republican policies that the achievement gap in our schools has narrowed. It is with a Republican President that we have seen unprecedented numbers of small businesses especially Hispanic-owned small businesses open their doors. It is under Republican leadership that trade to Latin America has skyrocketed. And it was George W. Bush who appointed the most diverse administration in history, including the first ever Hispanic General Chairman of the Republican Party.

But we cannot and will not rest on our laurels. The future is more important than the past, and over the next year, the Republican message to all Hispanics to all Americans will be a message of hope and a bright future.

Our Partys message will be about how to make lives better for all Americans. It will be about how we will continue to fight for accountability, high standards, and parental control to help children learn and grow in our schools. It will be about our fight to keep taxes low so those children can find good jobs, and keep more of the money they earn. We will talk about helping those children become homeowners as they grow into adulthood. We will talk about real reform for Social Security so their safe and secure retirement is assured.

In other words, Republicans will be talking about how their policies will help every child and every adult live a brighter and better future. Those policies are the real differences between Republicans and Democrats.

I believe the Republican Party is stronger when it is fighting for the Hispanic vote just as it is stronger when it is fighting for every other vote. I want the Hispanic community to see a welcoming Republican Party, one that wants to reach out and share our vision of the American Dream with them.

Hispanics have a lot to gain from the 2008 presidential election. They will play a major role, as they have in all of our recent elections. The Hispanic community is a large and growing part of our political process, and in less than a year, it will once again help to shape its own future and the future of all Americans. The Univision debate on December 9 will help make the choice even easier, and I am looking forward to seeing our Republican candidates once again compare their records with the Democrats rhetoric.

Robert "Mike" Duncan was elected chairman of the Republican National Committee in January, 2007. He has worked on five Republican presidential campaigns and held a number of positions at the RNC.