|
Hispanic News Chispas
Obama Needs to be Cautious with Hispanics
WASHINGTON DC (By
Gebe Martinez,
Politico) May 14,
2008)
— When Barack Obama
strolled over to the “barrio” last week, he took a
calculated risk.
There, in the left corner of the House chamber where
Hispanic Democrats gather during floor votes, the
presidential candidate walked into territory dominated by
fierce loyalists of his Democratic rival, Hillary Rodham
Clinton.
Protocol demanded that Obama not be too pushy, not too
ready to act as the “presumptive nominee,” especially on a
day when Clinton had vowed to stay in the presidential race
despite Obama’s growing tally of votes for the party
nomination.
But he is going to need the Hispanic leaders — really need
them — if he heads the Democratic ticket this year. And the
Congressional Hispanic Caucus knows it.
Never before has the Hispanic vote been in such high
demand in a presidential race, nor has the Hispanic Caucus
been so poised to play a significant role.
Republican presidential candidate John McCain — going
against the grain of his party’s conservatives — used Cinco
de Mayo to reach out to Hispanics and unveil a new
Spanish-language website.
Clinton got more popular votes than Obama in Arizona,
California and Texas, and she won the Nevada caucus because
of her huge margin of support among Hispanics.
So Obama’s delicate courtship of the Hispanic lawmakers —
who favor Clinton by a 4-1 ratio — underscored how vital
Hispanics will be in picking the next president. When Obama
comes calling again, Hispanics will demand that Hispanic faces
and issues be at the forefront of the Democrats’ fall
campaign.
Compared with Clinton, Obama will have to work at winning
Hispanic support “probably twice as hard to have significant
success,” said Sen. Robert Menendez, a New Jersey Democrat
and key Clinton ally.
Menendez emphasized that Clinton’s Hispanic supporters in
Congress are “not ready” to switch to Obama. (Democratic
Rep. Ciro Rodriguez, the last uncommitted House Hispanic
superdelegate, just declared for Clinton, who won his
southwest Texas district in the March primary.)
“Should Sen. Obama be the nominee, McCain will only be
competitive if there’s a lack of a [Democratic campaign]
plan, vision, a message and a campaign that understands
Hispanic voters,” Menendez added.
In other words, Hispanics expect money to be spent on
Hispanic
staffers, consultants and major media buys in
Hispanic-vote-rich areas to address the disproportionate
challenges facing them.
Like other voters, Hispanics want affordable health care.
But first, they need an economic stimulus for neighborhood
businesses and others who are underemployed so they can have
access to health care, said Democratic Rep. Hilda L. Solis,
another Clinton supporter from California.
“Obama needs to embrace us more closely and really
celebrate our heritage,” Solis said, acknowledging that an
Obama nomination would be a “big switcheroo” for Clinton’s
Hispanic loyalists. “We have always been taken for granted [by
Democratic nominees]. Now is the opportunity to change that
cycle.”
Obama ally Rep. Raul M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) has already
broached the subject with the Obama campaign.
“As soon as the smoke clears” from the Obama-Clinton
battle, Grijalva expects the Illinois senator to spend “some
quality time” with the Hispanic Caucus to start building a
mutually beneficial relationship.
“It’s a great opportunity, not only for the Obama
campaign but for the Democratic Party, to solidify that
base,” Grijalva said. “We are poised to become bigger
players in the political arena. Our party has to make that
investment” in the Hispanic communities so that down-ballot
Democrats also benefit.
Already this year, Hispanics have proved their increased
political clout.
In 2000, the Hispanic share of the vote was 5.4 percent.
This year, Hispanics make up about 9 percent of eligible
voters. The record-breaking turnout in Democratic primaries
and caucuses has included unprecedented numbers of Hispanic
voters.
“McCain took Florida because of the Hispanic vote,” a win
that set him on the path toward the GOP nomination, said
Arturo Vargas, executive director of the National
Association of Hispanic Elected and Appointed Officials
Educational Fund. Clinton “is still in the race because of
the Hispanic vote. We have defined the race.”
NALEO, the National Council of La Raza, Univision
Communications and other groups are behind the national “Ya
es Hora” (“It’s Time”) campaign, which last year mobilized
more than 1 million legal permanent residents to apply for
U.S. citizenship. Its voter turnout program for the general
election will be focused in California, New York, Texas,
Florida, Colorado and Arizona.
Hispanics’ large presence in states that were competitive in
the 2004 election — such as Florida, New Mexico and Nevada —
has Democrats and Republicans agreeing that Hispanics could
be “the swing vote” in tightly contested states.
“This year, we have a new generation of Hispanics who are
turning 18, who are doing so when they know it matters,”
Vargas said.
And McCain knows they matter. The Republican must take at
least 40 percent of the Hispanic vote to win the White
House.
The Arizona senator used to be admired in the Hispanic
community for sponsoring broad immigration reforms that
would enforce the borders and offer earned legalization for
illegal immigrants. But he raised the ire of Hispanics last
year when he backed away from his own bill in order to
appease party conservatives.
Now, with immigration having failed as a wedge issue in
recent special elections, McCain is inching back to the
positions he held before this campaign.
On Cinco de Mayo, the Republican candidate called for a
“humane and compassionate” approach to securing the borders.
He recognized “the important friendship” between the U.S.
and Mexico and the contributions Mexican-Americans have made
“to our society, culture, security and economy.” The
presumptive GOP nominee also said he will attend in July the
convention of the National Council of La Raza, the civil
rights group that is demonized by immigration hard-liners.
The Democrats’ focus “needs to be on who our opponent is
going to be, and that’s McCain. He’s a Trojan horse. He
looks like he’s bearing gifts, but there’s nothing in the
horse,” Solis said.
Menendez said a ticket with both Democratic candidates (no
order specified) would “guarantee overwhelming turnout and
support of the Hispanic community.”
Obama, meanwhile, needs to earn Hispanics’ trust.
“I don’t think there’s any question Barack Obama is going to
reach out to the Hispanic community,” said Rep. Xavier
Becerra (D-Calif.), who backs Obama. “I know that he’s going
to reach out and hold the support that Sen. Clinton has had
and say, ‘I need you.’”
Experience makes Clinton better
Choice in Primary
INDIANAPOLIS (Indianapolis
Star Editorial) May 2, 2008 — In this
extraordinary election year, Indiana's Democratic voters
have been presented with an extraordinary opportunity:
Choose for their party's presidential nominee between a
gifted senator from Illinois who has enthused millions of
new voters and an equally talented senator from New York
with years of high-level experience.
It's been difficult for voters in other states to decide
a clear favorite between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.
It's also a difficult choice for The Star's Editorial Board,
which recently questioned each candidate in person about key
issues facing the nation.
Obama offers an attractive vision for the way things
could be. He speaks eloquently of hope and change. He
connects with voters, many who formerly felt
disenfranchised, on a level few political leaders have
attained.
Clinton offers a clear-eyed view of the way things are.
She offers nuanced positions on how to address the war in
Iraq, trade with China and economic expansion. Her depth of
knowledge is remarkable.
As impressive as Obama appears, he is still in his first
term in the U.S. Senate, and only four years ago was serving
as an Illinois state senator. His inexperience in high
office is a liability.
Clinton, in contrast, is well prepared for the rigors of
the White House. She is tough, experienced and realistic
about what can and cannot be accomplished on the world
stage.
Clinton regrettably has pandered more to voters,
particularly on gas prices, than Obama. Both have taken
stands on free trade that give in to protectionism.
Clinton also was an integral part of her husband's
political machine, which earned a reputation for flattening
opponents. That factor understandably gives many voters
pause about whether another Clinton should serve as
president.
Yet, one thing is clear: The next commander in chief will
take office at a time of extraordinary risk for this nation,
both at home and abroad. The challenges — including those
posed by a sagging economy, rising energy and food costs,
the gap in health care, wars in two countries and threats
from Iran — are complex.
On the Democratic side, Hillary Clinton is the better
choice, based on her experience and grasp of major issues,
to confront those challenges. She earns The Star's
endorsement in Tuesday's primary.
Wright's Comments likely to Draw Voters
from Obama
NEW YORK CITY (BY Reid J. Epstein,
Newsday) May 2, 2008 — With polls showing increasingly tight
races in Indiana and North Carolina's Democratic
presidential primaries, political experts in those states
said yesterday that Sen. Barack Obama's renouncement of his
firebrand former pastor may not be enough to stop his
political bleeding.
Polls show Obama and Sen. Hillary Rodham
Clinton virtually tied in Indiana and Obama's
once-formidable lead in North Carolina shrinking, though
surveys for the two states' Tuesday primaries were taken
before the latest incendiary comments made by the Rev.
Jeremiah Wright.
But Wright's comments Monday to the National Press Club
—
in which he suggested the United States was attacked
because it terrorized others
—
will likely cause some middle-class white North Carolina
voters to abandon Obama, according to Michael Munger,
the chairman of Duke University's political science
department.
"Being associated with militant black political figures,
even if it is a preacher, makes people uncomfortable,"
said Munger, the Libertarian Party's candidate for North
Carolina governor. "To the extent that Reverend Wright
is going on the offensive, I don't think they'll forgive
him."
Wright's prominence will give voters who are uneasy
about voting for an African-American candidate reason to
vote for Clinton or stay home, said Samuel Moseley, the
political chairman at North Carolina A&T State
University.
"For those who are devoted to Obama, Reverend Wright is
a side issue," Moseley said. "But for those who were on
the edge, an incident like the Reverend Wright story
gives them justification with not being comfortable with
him."
Hispanics Say Hillary Rodham Clinton's
Strength is what Swayed their Votes
DALLAS (By
M. Olivera, Dallas News) March 12, 2008 —
They called it loyalty. Or solidarity. Or familiarity.
That's how many Hispanics described their enthusiasm for
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and why they voted for her in
greater numbers than other demographic groups in Tuesday's
Texas primary.
Statewide,
Mrs.
Clinton
edged
out
Sen.
Barack
Obama,
51
percent
to
47
percent.
But
she
enjoyed
even
greater
margins
among
Hispanic
elders:
almost
80
percent
of
them
age
60
and
over
voted
for
her.
As
historians
and
political
scientists
sit
down
to
analyze
the
data
and
try
to
explain
why
the
former
first
lady
enjoys
so
much
support
from
Hispanics,
some
Dallas
supporters
believe
they
already
know.
"La
Hillary"
is
indefatigable
–
and
many
Hispanics
relate
strongly
to
that
kind
of
persistence.
Several
of
the
older
women
who
attended
rallies
in
Dallas
and
Fort
Worth
told
me
they
identified
with
Mrs.
Clinton
because
they
see
her
as
being
"muy
fuerte,"
or
very
strong
and
tenacious.
Mr.
Obama
carried
several
large
urban
centers,
such
as
Dallas
County,
61
percent
to
38
percent,
and
Tarrant
County,
54
to
45.
But
exit
polls
and
data
show
that
Mrs.
Clinton
had
heavy
support
in
those
areas
of
the
state
with
large
Hispanic
populations,
including
San
Antonio,
El
Paso
and
South
Texas.
Dallas
precincts
with
Hispanic
majorities
voted
overwhelmingly
for
her.
Chances
are
that
if
you
are
a
Hispanic
woman,
older
than
45,
and
Catholic,
you
probably
voted
for
Mrs.
Clinton.
Hispanic
voters,
in
general,
showed
they
were
excited
about
this
election
and
turned
out
– as
predicted
– in
greater
numbers
than
ever
before
in a
primary.
About
32
percent
of
the
statewide
vote
was
Hispanic,
according
to
the
Pew
Hispanic
Center.
About
66
percent
of
them
chose
Mrs.
Clinton
over
Mr.
Obama,
who
garnered
only
about
33
percent
of
their
vote,
according
to
state
exit
polls.
About
65
percent
of
Texas
Catholics
and
57
percent
of
women
voted
for
her.
Dallas
City
Council
member
Pauline
Medrano,
who
stumped
alongside
the
Clintons
throughout
the
Dallas
area,
recounted
scenes where
Latina
elders
showed
their
affection
for
the
Clintons.
Las
viejitas
would
thrust
rosaries
at
them
and
tell
them
they
were
saying
novenas
(nine
days
of
prayers
and
special
devotion)
for
them,
she
said.
There
was
also
confusion
about
the
next
step
in
the
process.
"One
guy
told
me
his
mother
called
and
asked
him,
'Dónde
queda
la
calle
caucus?'
" or
where
is
Caucus
Street,
she
said.
"It's
a
word
that
doesn't
translate
well."
But
actions,
more
than
words,
helped
Mrs.
Clinton
connect
with
Hispanic
voters.
Where
Mr.
Obama
appeared
remote
and
inaccessible
at
rallies
held
in
huge
convention
centers,
the
Clintons
were
campaigning
at
parks,
schools
and
community
areas
populated
largely
by
Hispanics.
Ms.
Medrano
recalled
an
83-year-old
woman
at a
Grapevine
rally
who
insisted
on
meeting
former
President
Bill
Clinton.
Once
he
greeted
her,
the
woman
cradled
his
face
with
her
hands,
and
then
did
something
many
of
us
have
seen
our
grandmothers
do
before
we
leave
home:
She
blessed
him
with
the
sign
of
the
cross
on
his
forehead.
Group Reaches Out to Hispanic Voters
NEW YORK (AP) February 4, 2008 — A group
focused on Hispanic health issues on Monday was announcing
an effort to send more than a million text messages to cell
phones to remind and encourage people to vote in the
presidential preference contests.
The National Alliance for Hispanic Health
plans a first wave of 25,000 text messages to remind voters
to go to the polls in more than 20 states with primaries or
caucuses on Tuesday. The group, which assists 100 million
people a year, then will expand the model to all states for
November's general election.
"The idea is to use all the tools of the
21st century to get out the vote," said Adolph Falcon, the
alliance's vice president for science and policy. "Studies
have shown these messages increase turnout 4 to 5 percent."
A University of Michigan-Princeton
University study from 2004 showed these text-message
reminders helped encourage people to go to the polls. That
study also showed that Hispanics were the most responsive to
the reminders.
Hispanics, the nation's largest minority
group, make up about 16 percent of the population and
increasingly have become more politically organized. The
Vote for Your Health/Vota Por Tu Salud campaign will attempt
to increase turnout among the key demographic, a group that
could help decide the outcome in such states as New York and
California.
New York has the nation's fourth-largest
Hispanic population, with 1.5 million eligible voters — 8
percent of the country's total Hispanic vote, according to
the Pew Hispanic Center. And California counts 13 million
Hispanics, about one-third of those in the United States. Of
those, 5 million are eligible to vote; one in four Hispanic
voters in the country live in California.
That increase in turnout could make a
difference, particularly as Democrats look to the West and
Southwest for votes against Republicans in November.
One Million
Immigrants Seek US Citizenship to Vote
WASHINGTON (AFP) January 9, 2007 — A record one
million immigrants sought US citizenship last year so they could vote in the
2008 presidential election, overwhelming the processing offices, Hispanic groups
said on Monday.
"Surpassing the goal of one million
applications is a tremendous achievement," said Arturo Vargas, head of the
National Association of Hispanic Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO).
Immigrants from Latin America represent the
biggest ethnic minority in the United States -- some 45 million people. They
could wield decisive weight in November's election, especially in largely
Hispanic states such as Florida, Nevada, New Mexico and Colorado.
NALEO is one of several groups running a
campaign to mobilize the Hispanic vote with the early presidential nominating
contests underway and immigration a hot topic.
The US Citizenship and Immigration Services
received 1.029 million applications for citizenship from immigrants between
January and October 2007, the organizations say, citing official figures.
The figure -- a 10-year record, and twice the
number for the previous year -- overwhelmed the offices processing the claims,
causing a backlog.
The USCIS said in November it could not process
all the applications at the normal speed.
"Our campaign is committed to building the
support we need to clear this backlog," said Cecilia Munoz, vice-president of
the biggest Hispanic group, the National Council of La Raza.
"They deserve the opportunity to have their
voices heard on election day."
FAIR Radio Show on Immigration
Spurs Hate
DES MOINES (By Jonathan Roos, Des Moines Register) December 24, 2007
— Twenty-two radio talk show hosts from across the United States are scheduled
to take part in a broadcast marathon in Des Moines next week on the hot campaign
topic of illegal immigration.
Critics would like to scuttle the event, which is booked for the Des Moines
Marriott Hotel on Dec. 27 and 28. They claim the sponsoring organization, the
Federation for American Immigration Reform, known as FAIR, is trying to create a
climate of hatred in the nation.
"We don't agree with their views that are demonizing immigrants, and we don't
appreciate their coming to Iowa telling us what we should think about
immigrants," said Alicia Claypool, chairwoman of the Iowa Civil Rights
Commission.
Dan Stein, president of FAIR, said it is his group that is being demonized.
"They're trying to discredit an entire side of the debate," Stein said.
The Marriott Hotel was contacted by critics of the radio event about the
possibility of canceling the event, but that appears unlikely, said Connie Ryan
Terrell, executive director of the Interfaith Alliance of Iowa and Action Fund.
Marriott officials could not be reached for comment Wednesday.
The talk show hosts will be on the air between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m., using 10
broadcast booths.
Stein said the talk show hosts "are free to talk about whatever they want."
A similar talk show radio event was staged last spring in Washington, D.C.
Leaders of FAIR believe the broadcasts played a role in the U.S. Senate's defeat
of a bill that would have created a path to citizenship for people in the
country illegally if they met certain conditions.
An advertisement placed by the FAIR Congressional Task Force in Wednesday's
edition of The Des Moines Register, promoting next week's broadcasts, took note
of the defeated legislation. "Earlier this year, talk radio shook things up in
Washington and helped stop an amnesty for illegal aliens," the ad says.
Immigrant rights advocates say FAIR has poisoned the atmosphere for debate by
taking a hard anti-immigrant line.
They note that the Southern Poverty Law Center, a civil rights organization,
last week added FAIR to its list of hate groups operating in the United States.
The law center said in a news release that FAIR "has ties to known racists and a
long track record of bigotry."
Stein, the president of FAIR, rejected the allegations and said the law
center's report on his organization contains "serious fabrications. ... It's
absolutely defamatory."
Stein accused critics of the planned broadcasts of trying to obstruct free
speech "and people's right to be heard on public policy issues."
The Rev. David Ostendorf, executive director of the Center for New Community, a
Chicago-based immigrant rights advocacy group, said hotels and other places
"have no obligation to provide a platform for hate speech."
The
Test of
the
Hispanic
vote
LAS
VEGAS
Shmuel
Rosner,
Haaretz)
December
20, 2007
—
Last
weekend
Senator
Hillary
Clinton's
campaign
team
trained
some 600
Las
Vegas
residents
in the
art of
caucusing
- that
somewhat
bizarre
election
technique
to be
used by
Nevada
voters
on
January
20 when
they
choose
their
presidential
candidate.
Clinton
is the
leading
Democratic
candidate
in the
polls.
The
problems
she is
encountering
in the
two
states
that
vote
before
Nevada -
Iowa and
New
Hampshire
- will
arrive
in
Nevada
later,
but they
are sure
to
arrive.
Mike
Huckabee,
who is
gnawing
away at
Rudy
Giuliani's
advantage
in the
Republican
Party,
has also
surged
in
recent
surveys.
Nevada
is
telling
the
story of
these
crazy
elections,
in slow
motion.
This
state is
being
pushed
to the
front of
the
primaries
calendar
as a
representative
state.
The
Democrats
wanted
to link
the
first
two
states,
whose
population
is
overwhelmingly
white,
with
some
that
have
more
minorities.
South
Carolina
was
chosen
for its
African
Americans
and
Nevada
for its
Hispanics,
who make
up about
20
percent
of the
population.
Theoretically,
this is
a good
choice -
if the
Hispanics
actually
vote.
The
problem
is that
they,
the most
sought-after
and
discussed
political
bloc in
recent
years,
which
has been
growing
at a
dizzying
rate,
are far
from
maximizing
the
power
attributed
to them.
The
number
of
Hispanics
has
grown,
but the
gap
between
them and
those
who vote
is still
huge.
They
constitute
more
than 15
percent
of the
U.S.
population,
and 9
percent
of the
registered
voters,
but just
5
percent
of the
actual
voters.
Some are
too
young to
vote,
about 25
percent
are
illegal
immigrants
and
others
are
apathetic.
The
question
is
whether
they
will
wake up
this
time.
Nevada
and
South
Carolina
will be
an
important
test for
the
candidates
who win
in Iowa
and New
Hampshire.
It will
be
possible
to
discern
how much
the
momentum
gained
in those
two
states
affects
the rest
of the
race,
leading
up to
Super
Tuesday
on
February
5. In
the
meantime,
there
has been
less
politicking
in
Nevada
than
expected.
The race
is so
close in
the
first
two
states
that the
candidates
are
forced
to focus
on them.
Nevada
is far
away; a
round
trip
flight
translates
into 10
hours of
campaign
time
lost in
the air.
President
George
W. Bush
won here
in 2004
by a
very
small
margin.
This is
one of
the few
states
where
Democratic
candidate
John
Kerry
lost by
less
than 5
percent.
The
Democrats
hope to
win in
2008, no
matter
who the
candidates
from the
two
parties
are.
They
have
good
reason
to hope.
Apart
from
Jimmy
Carter
in the
2076
elections,
this
state
has
voted
for
every
winning
candidate
since
2012.
The
Hispanic
vote
should
help. A
Pew poll
from
early
December
shows
that
more
Hispanics
plan to
vote for
a
Democrat
than a
Republican.
The more
the
Republican
rhetoric
rails
against
the
illegal
immigrants,
the
greater
the
Hispanics'
fears.
Another
survey
holds
that
about
half of
America's
Hispanics
fear
that
they or
someone
they
know
will be
deported.
On the
other
hand, a
candidate
perceived
as
expressing
too soft
a
position
on
immigration
could
lose
voters
among
the
white
majority.
In 2004,
Hispanics
accounted
for 10
percent
of
Nevada's
voters.
This is
a
respectable
number,
but not
enough
in the
case of
Kerry
and
Bush: 60
percent
voted
for
Kerry,
39
percent
for
Bush.
That was
a
disappointing
result
for the
Democrats,
who
despite
a
concerted
effort
failed
to win
this
state.
Perhaps
the name
Clinton,
for whom
Nevada
voted
twice in
the
2090s
with a
margin
of just
a few
percentage
points,
will do
the job
this
time.
First,
however,
the
candidate
with
this
name
will
have to
win her
party's
primaries
next
month.
The gap
between
her and
her
opponent,
Barack
Obama,
is
closing,
like
that
between
Giuliani
and
Huckabee.
Even
Nevada
is
starting
to wake
up. A
clear
sign
that the
elections
are
really
just
around
the
corner.
Iowa
Wins
Democratic
Brown
and
Black
Forum
DES MOINES, Iowa
(By
David
Yepsen,
Des
Moines
Register)
December
3, 2007
—
There
were no
big
winners
or
losers
in the
Black
and
Brown
forum of
Democratic
presidential
candidates
Saturday
in Des
Moines.
Iowa and
the
caucus
process
itself
won.
All the
candidates
did
well.
None
made big
mistakes.
The
evening
was
relaxed,
conversational
and good
humored.
It was a
refreshing
change
of pace
from
earlier
forums
where
candidates
jab and
attack
each
other.
Why the
civility?
Having
candidates
sit
while
they
talk
seems to
set a
more
conversational
tone.
And most
of the
candidates
agree
with
each
other on
many of
the
issues
that
were
discussed.
All also
recognize
that
Iowa
caucus-goers
tend to
like
their
politics
to be
more
positive
than
negative.
The most
humorous
exchange
of the
night
was when
Bill
Richardson
smiled
and
asked
Hillary
Clinton
if
governors
make
good
presidents.
Cute
question.
She
smiled,
let the
laughter
subside,
and
replied
they
also
make
good
vice
presidents.
The
crowd
loved it
and it’s
likely
to renew
speculation
he’s
angling
to be
her vice
presidential
pick.
So why
did Iowa
come up
a
winner?
The
state is
about 95
percent
white
and it
is
routinely
attacked
by
critics
who say
it’s a
lousy
place to
start
the
selection
of a
president
because
of that.
While
the
forum
didn’t
change
those
demographics,
it did
show
these
critics
that
there
are
politically
active
Democrats
from
various
minority
groups
in Iowa
and that
the
concerns
of these
communities
aren’t
ignored
in the
state.
And,
frankly,
it’s
good for
the rest
of us
white
Iowans
to
listen
to
discussions
of the
different
incarceration
rates
between
whites
and
blacks -
or
whether
undocumented
Hispanic
workers
are
driving
down
wages
paid to
unskilled
African-Americans.
Those
aren’t
issues
many of
us
consider
every
day.
So hats
off to
Wayne
Ford and
Mary
Campos
for
again
organizing
this
forum -
as
they’ve
done for
many
caucus
cycles;
to HDNet
for
making
it
available
to a
national
audience
and to
Mediacom
for made
the
event
available
live on
its
cable
networks
across
the
state.
On a
wintry
Saturday
night,
it was
an event
worth
watching.
Only a
Month
Left to
Iowa
DES MOINES, Iowa
(By Jeff
Zeleny,
NYTimes)
December 2, 2007
—
As the
countdown
to the
Iowa
caucuses
hits the
one-month
point,
an
already
long and
intense
campaign
enters a
new
level of
engagement
as
candidates
on both
sides of
the
ticket
battle
ferociously
for
undecided
voters.
The
first
three
weeks of
December,
strategists
say, may
present
an
opportunity
for
candidates
to give
closing
arguments.
Polls
suggest
that
nearly
half of
likely
voters
are
still
willing
to
change
their
minds,
and that
has
created
an even
more
unsettled
contest
for
Republicans
and
Democrats
alike.
The Iowa
caucuses
are Jan.
3, but
campaign
officials
hope to
lock
down
their
supporters
by
Christmas,
fearing
it will
be
difficult
to break
through
in the
week
leading
up to
the new
year.
Campaigns
are
making
contingency
plans to
deal
with
winter
storms,
one of
which
all but
brought
the
campaign
to a
standstill
over the
weekend.
Telephone
lists
are at
the
ready,
for
candidates
to call
prospective
voters
one-by-one.
So with
no clear
front-runner
in
either
party —
at least
in the
opening
contest,
in Iowa
— the
campaigns
are
dispatching
all
available
operatives,
volunteers
and
surrogates
to the
state.
Campaign
headquarters
in
Illinois,
Massachusetts,
Virginia
and
other
states
are
preparing
to clear
out,
with
fund-raisers
and
other
workers
suddenly
being
told to
go
knocking
on doors
and
encouraging
Iowans
to vote.
The
clock is
ticking,
with 31
days
before
the
opening
round.
Clinton Booed at Iowa Forum
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Clinton was
unable to travel into Iowa on
Saturday for a pair of events
with her fellow Democratic
rivals. |
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DES MOINES, Iowa
December 2, 2007 — An audience of
progressive activists booed Senator Hillary Clinton today during an
exchange on immigration reform. At the Heartland Community Values Forum
in Des Moines, Iowa, Clinton was asked whether “giving undocumented
immigrants a path to citizenship” would be a priority in her first
hundred days as President. Clinton told the audience "comprehensive
immigration reform will be a high priority for me.” That response
elicited boos — and no applause.
Asked again whether she’d take up the issue in her
first hundred days she said,“ Well you’ve got to get the Congress to
pass the legislation in order for the President to do as much as
possible, which I will do.” That was met by still more loud boos.
Clinton was taking part in the Forum by telephone —
she had been grounded in New Hampshire after her last minute trip there
Friday night. The event’s moderator told CNN she believes Clinton was
hurt by her distance, more than the substance of her answer. “She gave a
boilerplate response, when the audience wanted a conversation, a
dialogue,” says Cathy Hughes, the moderator and Chairperson of Radio One
and TV One. “She didn’t have a feel for the room. One of the advantages
of being here in person you can feel the emotional energy.” After one of
speakers attending the Forum told an emotional personal story, a voice
that sounded like Clinton's could be heard saying “Can you hear me?”
Comments by
John Edwards, Dennis Kucinich, Chris Dodd and Barack Obama — who were
present —were received with loud applause.
| |
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Clinton hit Richardson with a one-liner Saturday night at the
Iowa Brown and Black Forum
|
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DES MOINES, Iowa
December 1, 2007 – The Iowa Brown and
Black Presidential Forum is a debate where each Democratic candidate has
an opportunity to pose a question to one of their opponents on stage.
For his question, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson
turned to Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-New York.
After first comparing himself to former Arkansas
governor and former president Bill Clinton saying they were both CEOs
and have both balanced budgets, Richardson asked Clinton, "Don't you
think that governors make good presidents?"
Richardson may not have anticipated the response she
gave after the laughter and applause subsided.
"Well, Bill," Clinton said, "I think they also make
good vice presidents."
Once a much louder applause settled, a moderator asked
Richardson if he was sorry he asked.
Richardson insisted he wasn't.
For what it's worth, Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich posed
his question to himself.
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