Posted on 10/13/2002 7:17:14 AM PDT by Theodore R.
Heritage works against Sanchez in some regions
Associated Press
AUSTIN (AP) - Democratic gubernatorial candidate Tony Sanchez says being Hispanic is working against him in some regions, particularly in parts of North and West Texas.
"It's just that north part, when you get past Dallas County to those northern counties, they are just very conservative, and I think my name 'Sanchez' will have some adverse effect. I don't think I'm accepted there," Sanchez was quoted as saying in Wednesday's Austin American-Statesman.
"There are pockets of West Texas where I don't think I'm going to do well because of that," he added.
Sanchez said in some parts of the Panhandle he got warm receptions but recalled that Canyon "was sort of rough for me."
"They had a lot of demonstrators out there against me," he said. "There were two signs there, you know, 'We don't want Mexicans here,' and another sign, something about Mexicans. That's the only place in Texas I have seen that," Sanchez said.
But the managing editor of the local newspaper, the Canyon News, said there were no anti-Mexican signs during Sanchez's stop outside the Randall County Courthouse, the San Antonio Express-News reported in its online edition Wednesday.
Greg Jaklewicz, managing editor of the Canyon News, said four dozen people showed up to see Sanchez when he visited Sept. 4, and no more than six were protesters.
Jaklewicz, who recalled Sanchez getting a generally warm welcome, said he snapped a photograph of a West Texas A&M student demonstrator whose sign said: "Sanchez Is Pro-Affirmative Action!! (Anti-White!)."
The photograph, which was shown to the Express-News, shows a man with the sign and a female holding an "Abortion Kills Children" sign.
"There was nothing that said 'Mexican,"' Jaklewicz said. "I would have noticed that."
Sanchez spokesman Mark Sanders, saying he accompanied Sanchez to Canyon, insisted two protesters held anti-Mexican signs. Jaklewicz "just didn't see them," Sanders said.
Sanders said Sanchez was referring in his comments to conservative pockets in Texas where a Democrat would not fare well.
"It's been remarkable how little race has played a role in this campaign," Sanders said. "I know you'd like it to, I know the Republicans would like it to."
Ted Royer, a spokesman for the Republican Party of Texas, said in an e-mail Wednesday: "Tony Sanchez unfairly lashed out at North and West Texas voters. Can you imagine if a Republican said this same thing about the Rio Grande Valley?"
Sanchez's success depends heavily on attracting a record turnout among Hispanics. But his general election campaign has been crafted to avoid an overemphasis of ethnicity.
Ethnicity played a much larger role in the Democratic primary race between Dan Morales and Sanchez. Morales, who on Tuesday endorsed Republican Gov. Rick Perry, charged that Sanchez has highlighted his ethnicity.
"I saw last week Mr. Sanchez made a public exhortation to Hispanic voters to vote for someone who 'looks like us'," Morales said. "That is the sort of divisive appeal I very much regret my party is involved with."
Sanchez has used the "looks like us" reference in speeches to crowds that included people of various ethnicities.
It sounds like Sanchez wants to have it both ways -- it's good for Hispanic voters to vote for someone because he shares the same ethnicity, but any white who doesn't want to vote for him is racist!
You mean he's a liar?? Oh, that's right he's a Demoncrat.
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