Letters to the Editor
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I TOLD YOU - LATINOS WOULD NOT SUPPORT OBAMA AND THEY WILL NOT
The basis of his charisma, his story and his looks do NOT translate into Spanish.
It's that simple.
Latinos have their own stories of what it's like to be an American good and bad. It's absurd to think Latinos would look to or admire the "African American" experience over our own.
We respect it, sure, but we are not smitten like the liberal, white, upper income elite of this country. People who sit at their dinner table praising Obama, and talk as if he signals an end to racism, bigotry and classism as they are served by Latino maids, and their home and yard are tended to by Latinos.
Obama is unfortunately taking queues from the "self-proclaimed" leadership of Latinos, which is hardly that.
They use their claim to gain influence for themselves, but they have LITTLE influence outside of that.
Only the individual, elected Latinos can truly can say they are looked to for advice and are seen as leaders.
All the "councils, committees Etc." are powerless to influence Latino voting. They're shilling long ago discredited them in the eyes of working Latinos.
Come the general election, if he is the nominee his lack of effort in his attempts to understand the various Latino/Hispanic communities could be a fatal weakness.
McCain for all his extreme positions is a "moderate" on immigration, and has positions more in line with Latinos "SHOCK " For one simple reason. It's a position that most AMERICANS agree with is sane and sensible.
And what Obama doesn't get is Latino Voters, when they vote, see themselves as Americans first and only.
Obama and his supporters don't see this.
They make the same asinine assumption about Latinos that always turn so many of us off. They assume we are near universally sympathetic to illegal immigration. Nothing could be more wrong.
He drives Latinos/Hispanics away from him with his pandering support of illegal immigrants.
For Latinos the issue of illegal immigration is way to complex to boil down to "for or against."
In the "overall context" of the nation, and what it means to be an American, American born, VOTING Latinos OPPOSE illegal immigration, even though we may be more understanding of the reasons.
They oppose it for the same reason non-Latinos do.
They are less open about it, for the simple reason that non-Latinos are blind to the difference between an American who is Latino and an illegal immigrant.
What point is there in working with other Americans who feel free to treat us interchangeably with illegals, as if we're all one group.
What is confusing so many is the "personal aspect" that non-Latinos simply do not deal with.
For a significant # of Americans who are Latino there are illegals who are family. This is especially true for the "naturalized Latino/Hispanic" immigrants.
For relatives who are illegal, they are 100% supportive, but that support is NOT an indication of blind unwavering support of illegal immigration. It is just a desire to ensure their family members can come here. Beyond that, they'd like the borders to be sealed as tight as any other American.
On this issue, Hillary seemed to get it.
She had American Latinos in visible support. That is why she got the vote.
Obama's chose to pander to the non-existent "natural and overwhelming support of American Latinos for illegals." That is why he did not and will not get our vote.
Clinton speaks to Latinos as simply Americans with interests similar to other Americans. She made us visible, but did NOT treat us as if we have interests and goals different from other Americans.
She understands that Latinos are just as hurt if not more so than any other demographic. That's why her opposition to licenses for illegals did NOT hurt her one bit.
We are as American as any other American, and for a man whose father came from Kenya to talk to us like we aren't, when most of us have roots here going back to the time when people crossed the Bering Strait this is just unacceptable.
Oh and for the Disciples of Obama who point to Illinois as proof he can get the Latino vote, only a fool would consider 50% support for the "hometown guy" as some sort of proof of that. Considering how overwhelmingly he won the other demographics. This was the worst he did there, it is NOT a good sign at all.
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to anonymous @ 11:35
"I read these threads. I pay attention to what people say about their candidates. What I noticed was that the Obama campaign was all about youth and that his defenders could get rowdy and rude, especially they seemed to say, we can do it without the group that Hillary is drawing. We can do it without those older women."
I think that's really, really awful. You are basing your vote, your say on the future of this country, on what a few select supporters say about someone?? I'm sorry if I sound disrespectful, but that sickens me. I am an Obama supporter, and I regret that some of his other supporters may have said what you accuse them of, but I regret far more your own short sightedness in letting THEM control your decision. He has nothing to do with them, as much as you have nothing to do with the Hillary supporters who snidely accuse us of being cult followers, too stupid to understand the issues. Still and all, *I* won't let that detract from her - I will base my opinion of her on HER behavior, not the behavior of some of her errant supporters. I don't support her against Obama because she won't stand up and say waterboarding is torture. Because she sponsored flag burning legislation. Because she caved in to Bush, AGAIN, on the Iran vote last fall.
However, if she is the Democratic nominee I will vote for her. I still think she's better than most Republicans, and I won't let some of her petty or snide supporters affect my opinion of her. I think it's really weak that you are, with Obama.
~ almaas