Well, Duh.
Its not named the Obama/Kennedy immigration bill, ya know.
Posted on 06/11/2008 7:02:10 PM PDT by Jean S
Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) must commit to helping illegal immigrants achieve citizenship or else risk losing the vital Latino vote in the general election, Hispanic Democratic lawmakers are warning.
If he does not promise so-called comprehensive immigration reform, the lawmakers say, the only other way to win over Hispanic supporters of his erstwhile rival, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.), may be to pick her as his running mate.
Obama’s National Latino Vote Director, Cuauhtemoc “Temo” Figueroa, will have his first meeting in Washington Thursday with members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC).
They carefully avoided calling explicitly for Clinton’s selection as the party’s vice presidential nominee, but some indicated that her bond with Latino voters will get them to the polls in November, just as it drew them into the primaries.
“Hillary holds the entire Latino community in the palm of her hand,” said. Rep. José Serrano (D-N.Y.), whose district went heavily for Clinton.
But Sen. John McCain (Ariz.), Obama’s Republican opponent, is also liked by Latinos. He co-sponsored with Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) the immigration bill that the CHC is demanding, which would put the country’s 12 million illegal immigrants on a path to citizenship. And he did not buckle under pressure to abandon that position during the GOP primary.
Cecilia Munoz, the senior vice president of research, advocacy and legislation with the National Council of La Raza, said whether McCain can win over large enough numbers of Latino voters is “still an open question.”
“But Latinos are brand-loyal, and after the Clinton brand, the McCain brand is the second-strongest among Latinos because of his military service and his immigration record,” Munoz said.
CHC Chairman Rep. Joe Baca (D-Calif.) said that if Obama chooses someone other than Clinton, it will not be a deal-breaker for Latinos.
“But I hope he does make the right decision and picks someone who draws together our communities,” Baca said. “Is that Hillary? I think she’s certainly one of those candidates.”
While Obama won the Latino vote in his home state of Illinois and in Colorado, and stayed competitive in New Mexico and Arizona, he was walloped among Latinos — 64 percent to 24 — throughout the 24 contests making up Super Tuesday. In California, Clinton won over Latinos 67 percent to 29.
Latino voters comprised 30 percent of California Democratic primary voters, an increase of 17 percent from 2004. In Texas, the number of Latinos voting in the Democratic primary rose 8 percent, to 32 percent of the electorate, according to the Pew Hispanic Center.
In harnessing such enthusiasm, Baca also said that the CHC will be looking — but not necessarily asking — for Obama to make as strong of a pledge as Clinton did to putting comprehensive immigration reform on his “first 100 days” agenda.
“He says he wants to, but he needs to show that he’s serious about taking it up.”
Obama’s campaign coordinator for Spanish-language media, Vince Casillas, said that while Obama has promised to take up immigration reform in his first year in office, he has not yet laid out his detailed plan for comprehensive reform.
“As soon as he’s ready and has a plan in place, he’ll announce it,” Casillas said.
In the Florida Republican primary, where Latinos made up 12 percent of the total vote and where McCain edged out Romney by only 4 percentage points, the Arizona senator won 54 percent of the Latino vote compared to Romney’s 14 percent.
And many Republicans remember that it was in 2004 when 40 percent of Latino voters abandoned the Democratic presidential nominee, Sen. John Kerry (Mass.), to vote for President Bush, Munoz said.
Munoz called 2004 the Democrats’ “low-water mark” in pulling in Latino support. The “high-water mark,” she said, came in 1996, the last time a Clinton was on the ticket.
And even longtime Obama backers in the CHC — including Reps. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.) and Xavier Becerra (D-Calif.) — said that Obama has a lot of work to do in drumming up support among Latinos who are still fiercely loyal to Clinton.
“I have encouraged the [Obama] campaign for a year now that retail politics is very important to us, but they don’t yet seem to have gotten the message,” Gutierrez said. “We really need to see more of that from him.”
Becerra said that once he gets out there, Obama will be a “natural at connecting with the Latino community,” but he acknowledged that more outreach is needed.
“And first and foremost, the discussion will need to be about how to reach out to the Clinton supporters and then [get] them incorporated into his campaign.”
Baca said that if Obama fails to do that, and fails to give his “strongest types of surrogates” in the Latino community the ammunition they need to help seal support for his candidacy, the record Latino turnout that was seen in the primaries could disappear.
“We have a tendency to not go to the polls to vote,” Baca said. “[The CHC] can help get them out to vote, and it’ll make a big difference. But in the end it’s up to him.”
that’s exactly why mccccain will do nothing about immigration.
Heck. If the illegals don’t like him.
I may vote for him.
Not.
Gads! So, in the minds of Latinos, the Obama brand seems to be behind the McCain brand on the issue of 'committing to illegal immigration' [i.e. not doing a darn thing about border fence, security, etc.]? Lord help us.
The Latinos needn’t worry. All three of the candidates would gladly sell out the country and offer amnesty to buy their votes. What concerns me, is how are we going to stop the millions of Illegals from voting? They don’t bother respecting any of our other laws, and voting is one right they would love to steal as well.
They all pretty much hate him from what I've heard.
I was really surprised when a female, Hispanic co-worker asked me about Obama yesterday. She told me that she is really scared of Obama and will vote for the Republican for the first time in her life. Not "lookin' good" for Bari.
Doesn't say much for "Latinos" does it.
Latino Democrats would not give a rat’s ass about granting citizenship to illegals if the vast majority of those illegals were not hispanic (mostly Mexican). If the vast majority of illegals were from Scandinavia latino Democrats would vehemently oppose granting them citizenship, and would in all probability be calling for mass arrests and deportations. But, alas, with latinos it seems “la raza” trumps everything. I loathe identity politics. The left created identity politics in order to create division, and thus ignite the engine that they hope will destroy America.
“Doesn’t say much for ‘Latinos’ does it.”
Nope. But, then again, latinos are avid socialists, so it was a natural fit.
The one group most directly threatened by unlimited Hispanic amnesty is blacks. They are losing the competition for jobs, they are being driven out of inner city neighborhoods, they are more subject than most to gang violence, and so on.
Our very liberal senator from Vermont, Bernie Schwartz, voted against McCain-Kennedy because he said it took jobs from American workers; and he was right.
If Obama refuses to endorse amnesty, he’ll offend the Latino activists; if he agrees to endorse it, he’ll offend his core constituents: blacks.
“If Obama refuses to endorse amnesty, he’ll offend the Latino activists; if he agrees to endorse it, he’ll offend his core constituents: blacks.”
Obambi has nothing to fear from the plantation. Even if he granted all the illegals instant citizenship and gave them $10,000 apiece he would still get 95% of the black vote.
And so on, and so on, and scooby-doobie-doobie...
The same thing their parents and grandparents did to whites 30-40 years ago...
Nevertheless, you are correct. On the Hispanic end, there are complaints that black government workers/police officers treat them like sh-t and use not so nice language. Much like many poor whites, poor Hispanics like to look down on blacks as "inferior." Even Puerto Ricans and Dominicans, who are mostly mulatto, exhibit this attitude.
Outside of backward places like Philthadelphia and Bawlimer, the old, simple black/white dichotomy is gone. We shall see how America evolves as we become more multiracial, rather than a simple white majority/black minority country.
Latinos will vote for McCain.
And that is even if Richarson becomes ‘Bama’s running mate.
And that is even if Richardson becomes ‘Bama’s running mate.
Well, Duh.
Its not named the Obama/Kennedy immigration bill, ya know.
Not going to happen. Barry O needs to choose a boring white guy to balance the ticket. A Mexican/Scottish southwestern governor with a zipper problem isn’t going to cut it.
Why is my ex-girlfriend’s brother giving you the finger in that photo? ;-)
“And he did not buckle under pressure to abandon that position during the GOP primary.”
What nonsense. He lied shamelessly, declaring he “got the message” and knew the border had to be secured first.
But recently, he’s back to comprehensive reform with no mention of securing the border first. He’s just weasel politician, besides his preening self-righteousness on so many issues.
WELL, IT AIN’T BECAUSE HUSSEIN HASN’T BEEN PIMPING ILLEGAL ALIENS:
Obama’s speech to La Raza:
(La Raza (The Race), Largest Hispanic organization in the U.S.
Lobbies for racial preferences, bilingual education, stricter hate crimes laws, mass immigration, and amnesty for illegal aliens )
Obama said the recent Senate immigration debate “was both ugly and racist in a way we haven’t see since the struggle for civil rights.”...
Obama told La Raza that the mass protests lately for immigration rights of Mexicans is equal in greatness to the civil rights protest of the past!
Omama supports La Raza’s, the “DREAM Act,” which would mandate states to offer in-state tuition rates to illegal aliens — thus providing them with benefits not available to U.S. citizens from other states.
OBAMA PIMPS ILLEGAL ALIENS AT SPEECH TO LA RAZA;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEITOQfKVmo
“I walked the walk, I talked the talk. I marched with you for ‘immigrant rights’
.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/apps/...107230063/1001
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1870205/posts
http://www.miamiherald.com/campaign08/story/201957.html
http://www.examiner.com/a-534540~Can...or_Obama_.html
“I will stand with the Muslims and protect them..” Obama. Barack Obama
http://www.freedomsenemies.com/_more/obama.htm
Get the facts on the life and career of Barack Obama
that the media covers up:
http://www.freedomsenemies.com/_more/obama.htm
CHECK THIS OUT, PEOPLE:
http://immigrationcounters.com/
“WELL, IT AIN’T BECAUSE HUSSEIN HASN’T BEEN PIMPING ILLEGAL ALIENS:”
That’s true, the only hope for stopping an amnesty for 20 million is in the Congress (the same as with W). Maybe with most Republicans and the Blue Dogs it can be stopped in the Housel, and maybe they can’t muster 60 votes in the Senate.
the hispanics hate the blacks in general. In some cities out west there are constant stories of hispanics killing blacks just because.
You really don’t think it will be Richardson? I figured that Richardson might fill in the foreign affaira that ‘Bama has a dearth of knowledge about.
Yep Hispanics hate blacks, blacks hate whites, who hate themselves. Aint multiculturalism great! ;-)
They are in competition a lot for the same jobs. Then there is the inter-racial crime. You gotta wonder how so many of them stay in the same party.
Gee Hispanics might not vote for the leader of a group they see as their chief rival for “most favored minority” status?
Why WHO woulda thunk that?
You really won't find many blacks looking for labor intensive work the way you do Latinos these days.
The great society dealt a good blow to give an entitlement mentality throughout that community IMO.
Most Latinos think the Blacks are lazy as hell and in shared environments Latinos found Blacks are causing most of the violence against them. No love for Obama in any of that.
That's what I hear all the time. Doesn't make it so, but I think that is a view that is popular out there.
Lots of Latinos stay with Democrats because they are the ones who hand out the treasury.
First generations are always going to be poor for the most part and they are going to go vote for those who will easily enable them to get free this or that.
Without benefits and free stuff, the Democrat party would not exist. We all know that.
But blacks and hispanics are at each other's throats and they're not going to vote for Obama.
LOL!
Hispanics prefer Obama 3-1 over McCain. All Obama has to do is show up to La Raza next month and promise illegals amnesty via a Hillary redux. McCain can do the same thing and still not overcome the overwhelming number of hispanics ready and willing to cast their lot with Obama. La Raza, the UFW and MeCHa want their hard core marxist in power, and by God, they’re going to get him. Sorry, Juan- you’re just not quite evil enough.
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