O Obama, Where Art Thou?
Put forth on July 30, 2008 by XicanoPwr
Posted in Elections, Elections 2008, Texas
O Obama, why have you forsaken us here in Texas? Yesterday, it was reported that the Democratic National Committee and the Obama campaign will spend $20 million on outreach to Hispanic voters. However, Texas and other heavily Latino states are skipped (see update below).
The Democratic National Committee and the Obama campaign announced Tuesday that they will spend $20 million to on outreach to Hispanic voters. During a conference call with reporters, Obama for America National Hispanic Leadership Council Chairman Frank Sanchez and DNCVice-Chair Linda Chavez Thompson described a huge grassroots effort that will mirror Howard Dean’s 50-state strategy, but focus resources on what they called “critical” states such as New Mexico, Colorado, Nevada and Florida.
Twenty million dollars will be spent on only four states to court the Latino voter, but instead of spreading the wealth, they rather exclude Texas, Arizona, California, Illinois, New Jersey and New York. It is amazing how both the DNC and the Obama campaign can easily decide the to toss aside the top two states with largest Latino/a population, California and Texas.
As a Texan, I am tired of politicians treating this state like their personal ATM and as a Latino from Texas, I am tired of my community being ignored on initiatives like this. We demand some respect!
I guess Texas will always be a bridesmaid, never a bride on election day.
Udpate: I do have to admit I did jump to conclusions. I stand corrected, the $20 million will not be be spent only in four states, as the article states. I was tipped off of the original press release:
The unprecedented $20 million commitment to engage and mobilize Hispanics will include voter mobilization, voter registration, online organizing, community outreach and paid advertising. Part of the effort will also include “Camp Obama” trainings around the country, which will empower Hispanics with the organizing tools and information they need to engage and turn out voters in their home neighborhoods and states. Both the Obama campaign and the Democratic National Committee also have Hispanic staff involved at every level of the campaign, from field organizers to senior roles.
In other words, the $20 million will be spread through out, but those four critical – swing – states will get a little bit more. This strategy makes perfect sense, than what was alleged by the article I quote above.
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Tags: Barack Obama, Elections, Hispanic, Latinos-as, Texas | 
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This is the blog of Edmundo "XicanoPwr" Rocha, a social worker, an activist, freelance writer and founder and editor of The Sanctuary. My interests include: immigration reform, critical race theory and it's interaction with equality/inequality and freedom/oppression as they relate to the experiences of people of color in the Americas.
Para Justicia y Libertad is a Latino-centered political blog focusing on the humanistic perspective of politics, history, and society as they relate to the Latina/o community throughout Texas and the United States.
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Me parece una estrategia inteligente para Obama, hay que dedicar recursos cuidadosamente.
The key thing for us, is voter registration– we need to register Latinos and other minority voters throughout the country, at every opportunity. But especially in strategic states like New Mexico, Florida, Colorado and Nevada, as well as in big states like California and Texas and, of course, in key states for us such as Arizona. Much of the worst anti-Latino hatred has been coming from Minutemen in Arizona and people like the Maricopa County Sheriff Arpaio, and a Republican-led legislature in Arizona has also been stirring up trouble.
If we increase our voter registration and participation levels in Arizona, we can kick the Republicans out of the Arizona state legislature and bring in the Democrats. And thus defeat those who have been attacking us.
Remember, by law, ballots have to be issued in Spanish in regions with a high Latino presence– that’s been the case since the 1990’s– so we also need to ensure wide availability of ballots en español for our people. Our greatest power is at the ballot box!
Heya Xicanopwr!
You may remember me from My Left Wing, as Diane W/
I was always a huge fan of your work, and now have moved to my own blog, The Wild Wild Left… more liberal pastures so to speak.
I found you again thru Nezua’s blog, and will blogroll you.
I would be honored if you would add your voice there as well.
Thanks so much!
Diane.
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