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Whether or not Herman Cain becomes the Republican Party nominee, he may already be undercutting his party鈥檚 chances in the general election when it comes to winning over one key voting bloc: Hispanics.

颁补颈苍鈥檚 about building a fence along the Mexican border with 鈥渆lectrified barbed wire鈥� along the top may reinforce an image of the GOP as callous and anti-immigrant - just when the party was hoping to make real inroads among Hispanic voters.

The unemployment rate among Hispanics nationwide is currently at 11.3 percent, more than two points higher than the national average. Those numbers are even worse in key swing states like Florida, New Mexico, and Nevada - . Polls show that President Obama鈥檚 approval rating among Hispanics, which hit a high of 82 percent in early 2009, is now at just 49 percent.

But any hopes Republicans had of capitalizing on all this may be quickly evaporating as the spotlight continues to shine on Cain. At an event in Arizona yesterday with Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio - who has become the face of that state鈥檚 controversial immigration-enforcement law - Cain both apologized for and then seemed to double down on his 鈥渆lectric fence鈥� idea.

鈥淚t was a joke!鈥� , adding:

鈥淚t鈥檚 probably not a joke that you鈥檙e supposed to make if you鈥檙e a presidential candidate. I apologize if it offended anyone. Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea culpa!鈥� But Cain then went on to say: 鈥淚 don鈥檛 apologize for using a combination of a fence and it might be electrified. I鈥檓 not walking away from that.鈥�

Think all this will come up at tonight鈥檚 CNN debate, which is held in Nevada - ?

Significantly, none of 颁补颈苍鈥檚 opponents have condemned his remarks. Michele Bachmann - not for advocating an electrified fence, but for joking about the issue.

鈥淭his is no laughing matter, the border fence,鈥� Bachmann said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e seen jokes made by presidential candidates about the fence. It is not a joke. This is a real issue, and this is a serious issue.鈥�

So the message to Latino/a voters is: next time you talk about an electric border fence that could kill people trying to enter this country illegally, you鈥檇 better be serious?

This all comes, of course, after last month鈥檚 back-and-forth over Rick Perry鈥檚 stance on immigration. The Texas governor was attacked by his opponents for having signed a bill allowing children of illegal immigrants to pay in-state college tuition. In a debate, Perry argued that his critics had no 鈥渉eart鈥� - a comment he quickly came to regret, as by anti-illegal-immigration protesters at campaign events. (Perry eventually apologized.)

The bottom line: If there was any question about whether the GOP primary electorate had softened its stance on illegal immigration, this campaign is quickly clearing that up. That sound you hear is Karl Rove (and other Republican strategists with their eyes on the party鈥檚 long-term demographics) banging their heads as they watch the GOP鈥檚 chances of winning the Hispanic vote circling the drain鈥�

Watch the top Republican candidates face off in the CNN Western Republican Presidential debate LIVE from Vegas! Tuesday night at 8ET on CNN. (Sponsored message.)

Want more?

• Check out the GOP鈥檚 formal Hispanic outreach outfit .
• Read by former GOP presidential candidate Pat Buchanan about 鈥渢he end of white America鈥� - and how projections that whites will become a minority by 2041 will mean 鈥渢he end of a national Republican Party that routinely gets 90 percent of its presidential votes from white America鈥� (Buchanan doesn鈥檛 see this as a good thing).
• Watch Republican Super PAC (and Karl Rove creation) American Crossroads鈥� Spanish-language advertisement 鈥淒espertarse,鈥� or 鈥淲ake Up,鈥� below.