Travellinguist's Musings

Obama's "Hispanic Problem"?

Um newsflash to the major media, Democratic primaries are different from general elections! The media are suggesting repeatedly that Barack Obama has a "Hispanic Problem" because Hispanics preferred Clinton to him... This is asinine on the face of it. Because Hispanics preferred Clinton doesn't mean they are going to automatically prefer McCain the candidate from the opposition party. In fact in many states, though sadly not all of them, the only people who got to choose between Obama and Clinton were registered Democrats which indicates a certain distrust of Republican values. I would like to suggest that Republicans, because of the very racist way which they discuss immigration issues (which could be discussed in a much more rational and less offensive way though, I guess not alarmist enough) would automatically have a "Hispanic" problem even if McCain has not stooped to the race-baiting which characterized many of his cohorts in the Republican race (Yes, I am speaking about you Tom Tancredo and Duncan Hunter).
The reality is that President Bush, early in his presidency, attempted to reach out to Hispanic voters and they rebuffed him and his party. McCain has a Hispanic problem because he is a Republican and despite Hilary outgaining Obama, Obama needs only say hello and I am not a racist SOB who wants to round you up in camps and deport you and he can lock up a big chunk of the Hispanic vote. I say big chunk and not all because of course the Cuban fanatics in Florida will never vote for Democrats who have the nerve to say that the Cuban blockade has not worked and that there are more productive ways to engage with world leaders whom we disagree with. And yes thankfully fewer and fewer Cuban Americans are fanatics, but the voting suggests a majority of them still are. It's a shame that Cubans will define their AMERICAN votes based upon whether the government hates Castro enough, but I guess there are other sub-groups obsessed with our government's love or hate for particular foreign nations.
So wake up. I am tired of stupid reporting that displays no sense of reality and even less of the way our country functions. To equate Hilary Clinton's strength with McCain's strength is the most profoundly stupid thing I have ever heard. If Clinton were just like McCain we wouldn't have heard so many Republican talking heads devising strategies specifically to defeat Clinton because they would have been at least as tolerant of Clinton as they are coming to being tolerant of McCain.
Let me say this obviousness again, Clinton doing well with Hispanics in the Democratic primaries means exactly nothing about whether Obama will win Hispanics against McCain (especially when her big win in Puerto Rico is completely meaningless because Puerto Rico residents aren't allowed to vote for president in general elections).
So let me call upon our media to pull their heads from their collective asses and see reality as reality is.

Labels: presidential politics pundits

posted by travellinguist @ 3:20 PM