Latinos

The Film “42” About Jackie Robinson A Brilliant Portrayal, And Reminder Of How Much Is Left To Do About Discrimination!

Ronald 2 Comments

The new film that made its debut this past Friday, “42”, about the challenge faced by the first African American player in major league baseball, Jackie Robinson, 66 years ago tomorrow, is a brilliant portrayal of the racism and prejudice faced by Robinson, and how he overcame it with brilliant performance and tremendous personal dignity.

It is a good lesson for the many people in America who have no personal memory of Jackie Robinson, with many not even knowing who he is, due to our poor education in the field of history and public affairs, causing many Americans to have no clue on the past, as well as present day issues.

We are now in the midst of another massive revolution on the issue of acceptance of sexual orientation, which has caused just as much, if not more, violence and mistreatment of gays and lesbians over many years, than even that faced by the African American, Hispanic and Latino, Asian American, Jewish, and Catholic population, as each group has struggled to be treated equally under the law.

The issue of discrimination against gays and lesbians is reaching its peak, as the Supreme Court will soon determine the issue of gay marriage rights, and at the same time, bullying and actual physical attacks on gay and lesbians has been encouraged by so called “religious” preachers who claim to be true believers, but with the reality that their ancestor preachers promoted racism and bigotry in the past generations of American history against the various ethic and religious groups mentioned above.

But the pace of progress is moving forward, as it did for other groups, and no matter what the Court decides, change is coming to America, and will not be stopped by bias, prejudice, and narrow mindedness!

And this includes the likelihood of organized sports, which took a long time to integrate, soon to see gay athletes declare themselves, and start to change the image of narrow mindedness of American sports, and the conclusion that everyone should be judged by their performance and skills, not their religion, race, ethnicity, gender, or sexual orientation!

The Republican Party Losing Its Future By Refusing To Accept Their Shortcomings And Promote Change!

Ronald 71 Comments

The Republican Party is, obviously, suicidal, as it is taking the wrong and unpopular stand on so many issues:

Refusal to back any gun regulations, even after the Newtown Massacre, alienating many mothers and parents.

Refusal to move much on illegal immigration, alienating Hispanics and Latinos, and Asian Americans.

Refusal to stop attacks on women’s rights, alienating large numbers of educated, suburban and young women.

Refusal to stop the attack on Social Security and Medicare, alienating millions of people nearing retirement, and many senior citizens.

Refusal to recognize that gay rights and gay marriage are the future, and therefore, alienating both gays and lesbians and their supportive families and friends, while at the same time, many of these Republicans have been married more than once, and have no concept of “family values”.

Refusal to cooperate on creating a budget that will pass both houses, and face the reality that taxes will have to go up, even more so now that there is growing danger of war with North Korea and/or Iran.

Refusal to repudiate their own Tea Party extremists, who will destroy the party’s future, as they will defeat responsible conservatives, but be unable to win seats in the US Senate or the White House anytime soon. As it is, the Republicans could have won Senate seats in Nevada, Colorado and Delaware in 2010, and Indiana and Missouri in 2012, but Tea Party supporters promoted lunatic nominees over responsible conservatives, and because of that, the Democrats were able to gain seats and keep the majority!

The Republican Party is living in illusion, in denial, in a time warp, in a parallel universe, and they are allowing the evangelical right wing Christians and the radio talk show hosts and Fox News Channel to steer them so far to the right that the majority of the American people will repudiate them for the long run, until they finally get the message, that the nation is a centrist nation, unwilling to cater to right wing extremists!

Quinnipiac Poll: Hillary Clinton Would Defeat Jeb Bush And Marco Rubio In Florida In 2016 Presidential Poll

Ronald 3 Comments

Bad news for the Republican Party: Two of their more viable candidates, both from the significant “swing” state of Florida, former Governor Jeb Bush, and Senator Marco Rubio, would lose big time to Hillary Clinton in their home state, an absolutely amazing result.

Clinton would defeat Bush by 51-40 and Rubio by 52-41, and former Governor Charlie Crist, who switched from Republican to Independent to Democrat, and is considering challenging Florida Governor Rick Scott for reelection in 2014, leads Scott by the massive margin of 50-34 percent.

This is far ahead, but portends bad news for Florida’s Governor next year, and for the GOP in 2016, if they cannot win Florida with candidates from Florida!

And since illegal immigration is a hot issue, and neither Bush nor Rubio nor Rand Paul nor really anyone else considering running, is unwilling to consider a pathway to citizenship for eleven million people, there is no way that, with the increasing Hispanic and Latino vote, that ANY Republican can win the White House anytime soon, not just in 2016 but beyond!

Republican National Committee Report: “Too Old, Too White, Too Insular”, But Is Change Of Tone Enough?

Ronald 86 Comments

The Republican National Committee has come up with a 100 page report, making clear that the party is in deep trouble because it is seen by the general population as “too old, too white, too insular”, and that a change of “tone” is needed!

Actually, the report does not go far enough, as the party is also seen as a party that is against women, against Hispanics and Latinos, against African Americans, against Asian Americans, against the younger generation, against gays and lesbians, against the poor, against the working class, against the middle class, against the environment, against labor unions, against science, against the environment—while being pro the top two percent, pro corporation, pro foreign policy interventions overseas, pro extreme right wing evangelical Christianity, pro gun rights, and condemning of the news media, the universities, and the entertainment industry!

The GOP has a need to change a great deal, but based on the Conservative Political Action Conference display of its motivations and statements, and the embarrassment of many of the speakers, including Sarah Palin and Michele Bachmann among many others, their road back to majority status is a very long one, and possibly will never occur!

Early Presidential Poll Shows Hillary Clinton Way Ahead Of Chris Christie, Paul Ryan, And Marco Rubio

Ronald 3 Comments

Hillary Clinton, former First Lady, New York Senator, and Secretary of State, is quietly mulling the possibility of seeking the Presidency in 2016.

At this point, in an early poll, Clinton is way ahead of three leading potential Republican opponents according to the latest Quinnipiac poll:

Against New Jersey Governor Chris Christie—8 points

Against Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan—12 points

Against Florida Senator Marco Rubio—16 points

And the indications are that Hillary Clinton could turn Texas, the second largest state in population and electoral votes, “blue” by 2016, with about 900,000 new Latino population growth, and only less than 200,00 Anglo white population growth.

And different polls show Clinton winning Wisconsin against Ryan and Governor Scott Walker, and winning Florida against Rubio and former Governor Jeb Bush.

Of course, it is much too early to have a definitive conclusion, but right now Hillary is in great shape. However, in 2006, she was also in “great shape” in polls, but still lost the nomination to Barack Obama in 2008!

Jeb Bush’s Changed Immigration Plans: Undermining Potential Presidential Candidacy In 2016!

Ronald 8 Comments

Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, thought to be a likely Presidential contender for 2016, just published a book in which he declared his opposition to promotion of a pathway to citizenship for the millions of undocumented immigrants, the vast majority being Mexican, as his wife is.

But now, 24 hours later, on MSNBC’s MORNING JOE, he backed off on this, taking a stand similar to Florida Senator Marco Rubio, Senator John McCain of Arizona, and Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina. In do doing, he has totally confused people, flip flopping more often than even Mitt Romney!

It comes down to this—the vast majority of undocumented immigrants are Mexican heritage, as are the numbers of legal Mexican Americans in the nation. Nothing that Bush, Rubio, McCain or Graham say or do is going to convince the legal citizens to vote Republican in 2016. With 71 percent support among all Hispanics and Latinos, as well as 73 percent support among Asian Americans, the Democratic Party is insured of defeating any Republican nominee for President in 2016, even if Bush or Rubio is the nominee.

And if the GOP continues to follow the Tea Party and oppose any reform on immigration, the defeat for any candidate will be a landslide of majestic proportions!

As Rosa Parks Statue Is Unveiled In The US Capitol, Voting Rights Act Comes Under Review By Supreme Court!

Ronald 7 Comments

This morning, a 9 foot statue of Rosa Parks, the “Mother” of the Civil Rights Movement, for her heroism in allowing herself to become the center of the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955-1956, was unveiled in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol Building.

This is a wonderful event to commemorate the greatest human rights movement in American history, and the excitement over how far we have come, with President Barack Obama leading in commemorating the event, and the feeling of satisfaction that we have gone far enough in the half century since 1955, that we have an African American President in his second term in office!

But at the same time, ironically, a challenge by the state of Alabama, which arrested Rosa Parks for refusing to change her seat on a bus in Montgomery, is arguing a case before the Supreme Court today, which if successful, will negate Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which requires nine Southern states and portions of seven other states, which have been shown to be discriminatory in voting regulations in their past, to have to submit any voting law changes to the Justice Department before they can be put into effect.

The argument is that the law is outmoded and no longer necessary, but that is not the case, as last year, there were attempts in many states to make it more difficult for African Americans, Hispanics and Latinos, young people, the elderly, and the poor to be able to register and or vote, plus restrictive days and hours of voting, designed to help Republicans and Mitt Romney gain an unfair advantage in the elections.

Just because Alabama claims the law is no longer needed is belied by history and recent events, and the Congress has renewed the Voting Rights Act multiple times, and it should not be the right of the Supreme Court to repeal a law in effect for nearly a half century!

But this conservative Court just might do that, which would be a miscarriage of justice, and another example of how the Court has started to get out of control of promotion of true justice! Their decision on this case, along with the move to make Citizens United just the beginning of special interest investments to fix elections, and the gay marriage case, will make the Court’s decisions in the next few months extremely significant, and worrisome for those who believe the John Roberts Court is reckless and dangerous, with its conservative majority put on it by Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, and George W. Bush!

2016 Presidential Election Could Be Decided By Texas And/Or Florida

Ronald 2 Comments

At this time, in February 2013, it seems very likely that Texas and Florida, the second and fourth largest states in population and electoral votes, will decide which party will win the White House in 2016.

The Democrats have a good chance to win Texas, as it is starting to turn “Blue”, with the growing Hispanic and Latino vote in that state with 38 electoral votes. Hillary Clinton, in particular, would have an excellent chance to win the Lone Star State if she ends up as the Democratic Presidential nominee, but even other Democrats would have a chance to win .

At the same time, with Florida (29 electoral votes) having gone to Barack Obama twice, the Democrats would have a good opportunity to win it next time as well, particularly with Hillary Clinton or Joe Biden as their nominee.

With the other large populated states in the hands of the Democrats for sure (California, New York, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan), it is these two states that will decide the election, although if the Democrats can win everything they won under Obama, they do not need Texas. But if they also win Texas, then they would have a literal landslide in the Electoral College, with 370 electoral votes!

So that is why Marco Rubio or Jeb Bush are the best nominees the GOP can run, with a good shot at winning the Sunshine State, and keeping control of Texas, with its Hispanic-Latino vote and the Bush family connection with the Lone Star State.

But again, IF the Democrats just win all the 26 states they won in 2012, or even if they lose some, they will still win the White House. But these two large states are where much of the action will likely be in 2016!

The Republican “Youth Brigade”: Unqualified For The Presidency!

Ronald 15 Comments

The Republican Party, which has usually gone to its “veterans” to find its Presidential nominee (George H. W. Bush, Bob Dole, John McCain, Mitt Romney)—the only recent exception being George W. Bush (a clear cut mistake)— is now putting forward its “youth brigade” of four political leaders born in the early 1970s, meaning they would all be between 45 and 47 when running for President in 2016.

This “youth brigade” may be appealing in appearance, and in the ability to speak well, but none of them have the vision nor the understanding of where America is moving in the second decade of the 21st century!

The four in order of birth are:

Congressman Paul Ryan of Wisconsin
Senator Ted Cruz of Texas
Senator Marco Rubio of Florida
Governor Bobby Jindal of Louisiana

Ryan had his exposure as the Vice Presidential running mate of Mitt Romney, and came up wanting in many respects, plus his destructive plan to destroy Medicare and Medicaid.

Ted Cruz has only been in the Senate for little more than a month, and already, heads are shaking and eyes rolling at his total inability to impress anyone that he has any understanding of what is happening in America.

Marco Rubio, himself the grandson of an “undocumented” immigrant, who was allowed to stay because he was Cuban, the only Hispanic group given special treatment by the US government in the 1960s and beyond, has shown that he is not aware of science, has a closed mind on many social matters involving women, is unwilling to challenge the far right of his party in any serious way, and is gaining a growing ego about his abilities, based on the attention he is receiving, including Time Magazine having a cover this week, calling him the savior of the GOP, this right before he gives the response to the State of the Union Address of Barack Obama next Tuesday evening. The burden on him to be impressive next week is now extremely heavy.

And Bobby Jindal had the chance to prove his ability, when he responded to the Obama State of the Union Address four years ago, and came across as a total failure and embarrassment.. And his lack of compassion about the poor, the sick, and the disadvantaged in his state, one of the most backward of all of the 50 states, does him no favor. Additionally, he has said the Republican Party has to stop being the “stupid” party, and then goes ahead and does “stupid ” things in his state, that make him look less than intelligent and able to handle the Presidency, and understand the life of real people, other than the wealthy!

Three of these four members of the “Youth Brigade” are “minorities”—Cruz and Rubio, both Cuban Americans, and Jindal being the son of parents from India. But to say that their ethnicity “qualifies” them to be President is preposterous—as Cuban Americans represent about THREE percent of Hispanics and Latinos, and Cubans have a heritage of totally different views and voting patterns than others who are from Latin America; and even Asian Americans, whether from India or other parts of South Asia, or those from East Asia and the Far East, also voted an even higher percentage for the Democrats than Hispanics and Latinos—73 percent, compared to 71 percent!

If the “Youth Brigade” is thought to be the hope of the GOP to turn things around for the party, the leadership will learn over the next four years that they are sadly, and tragically, misguided!

A Potential Unbeatable Democratic Ticket For 2016—Hillary Clinton And Joe Biden!

Ronald Leave a comment

It has recently been suggested by some political observers that a truly unbeatable Presidential ticket for 2016 would be Hillary Clinton for President and Joe Biden for Vice President.

Upon first thought, the idea sounds unbelievable, and many wonder if either or both will even run, but assuming they both are interested, the question arises whether they would be willing to fight each other, come into combat with each other, when both are great friends.

Both Clinton and Biden are competitive and ambitious, but to imagine the knock down, drag out fight between them, is hard to imagine.

Yes, Joe Biden wants to be President, but being already 74 in 2016, and knowing that Hillary Clinton would break a “glass ceiling”, as the first woman President finally and belatedly, it is hard to imagine him unwilling to sacrifice his ambitions to give her the chance, and to be a willing “soldier” willing to help her, and be by her side for another eight years as Vice President!

Were anything untoward to happen to Hillary, Joe would be there to take over, but even if he did not ever become President, he would have served a theoretical 16 years as Vice President, an amazing record, and be in on all the important decisions, treasured for his wisdom and counsel by both Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, and giving the nation his talents and abilities, with the recognition that he would become regarded as the most powerful, influential Vice President in American history!

And there is no ticket that the Republican Party could run, which would match the experience, the breadth of knowledge, and the talents and abilities of these two public servants, who have already had a massive effect on our country!

With the Electoral College situation as it presently is, is there anyone who can come up with a scenario where any Republican ticket could possibly gain a majority, in a nation with growing Latino-Hispanic participation, and Arizona, Texas and Georgia likely to tip “Blue” in the future?