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CommentsObama sightings in Barrio McCain
Staff
The 2008 presidential election has the makings of a fascinating face-off: age versus youth; old political blood versus new political blood; old ideas versus new ideas; Bush fatigue versus Hillary fatigue.
But is this the year the Latino vote really makes the difference?
Presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama think so. Arizona’s senior senator trekked to Mexico and Colombia to show he’s Latin America friendly. He’s also got a Web site in Spanish, and several key Latino campaign staffers.
Ditto for Obama, except he hasn’t taken his campaign to Latin America – yet.
And both genuflected before the national conference altars of NALEO (National Association of Latino Elected Officials) and NCLR (National Conference of La Raza), where both initially were treated cordially and stiffly, like distant primos who showed up uninvited and unannounced at the bautismo celebration. (Most Latinos were backing Hillary, and McCain is Republican.) You know, polite handshakes instead of back slaps. But judging by the audience applause meter, Obama seems to have left the better impression.
So in the interest of our familia of readers getting to know all about these two – one whom we will call El Presidente for the next four years – we’ll toss out what cositas politicas we’ve heard on the calle.
• How big a role will our Guv play if there’s an Obama Cabinet? Let’s just say we got a hint when Napolitano, an early and ardent backer of his presidential aspirations, was picked to chair the Democratic Party’s Platform Drafting Committee. The small but elite group is tasked with adopting a set of guiding principles ahead of the Aug. 25-28 national convention in Denver. Chances are that our Guv’s focuses on education and immigration will be priorities of the platform.
• Obama has scooped up Luis Avila, the prototype Millennial Latino joven here in Phoenix,, to head his outreach to young Latinos in New Mexico. That’s New Mexico. The local actor and DJ on El Break! radio show on bilingual Latino Vibe 95.1 will be wearing the title of Hispanic Youth Outreach Coordinator until the election. New Mexico is considered a swing vote state, as is Nevada, Colorado and Florida. Hiring Avila shows Obama is serious about luring the Latino youth vote.
• A conference call between Obama’s Communication Director Robert Gibbs and Hispanic media in July turned sour when Latino reporters charged Obama’s people weren’t returning calls in English or Spanish. That kind of disrespect can lead to disconnect of news coverage to the Latino community, they reminded Gibbs, and loss of the Latino vote. Gibbs and Hispanic Outreach Director Vince Casillas said they’d try to do better. Vamos a ver. (This is a blatant plug for getting the columns LPM has requested of both candidates.)
