American Hispanics have become the Tipping Point

Hispanics have become the Tipping Point Leverage

PHOENIX (By Jon Garrido, The Jon Garrido Network) May 20, 2008 — In finance, leverage gives resources a positive magnified upside. It generally refers to using investment funds to increase returns to equity.

Leverage can also refer to using a form of influence or relating to the essential being of that which has substance, qualities, attributes, or characteristic of belonging to reality as perceived rather than as independent of mind.

Unique position

The United States is nearly equally divided by the number of blue and red states. To tip the balance in any direction of the number of red or blue states requires only a small number of voters within each state. If the tipping point favors either blue or red by as little as the weight of a feather, this is enough to start an avalanche that can move a mountain.

To describe Hispanics having no more influence than a small feather is simply a metaphor and not to be taken literally but it serves to make the point.

Hispanics by voting Democrat or Republican can deliver the tipping point in several southwestern states gaining a state's electoral votes. It is these few electoral votes that can determine electoral wins which are the tipping point in gaining enough electoral victories in states to win the United States presidency. 

Without these key tipping point states, a presidential candidate can not win. Thus a state can be delivered to a Democrat or a Republican depending on the Hispanic electorate that becomes the tipping point within each state. It is this "leverage" that gives American Hispanics significant influence that can be used to further programs American Hispanics believe are important to advance well being of American Hispanics.

This is a pivotal time in the life of American Hispanics. Democrat and Republican each are pandering to obtain our support. The smart thing for Hispanics to do is to provide our support but there has to be a price. It is this price that is the cause for celebration of things to come and some day they will come.

It is this price that is of utmost importance to Hispanics. The House Congressional Hispanic Caucus understands this but I am not sure they have the "cojones" (vulgar Spanish word for testicles used in a way similar to chutzpah. A very frequent misspelling sometimes done deliberately as a euphemism which actually means "drawers" in a piece of furniture), to use the Hispanic Tipping Point leverage to sit out the 2008 election unless assurances are given.

This is where Hispanic News will hold the Hispanic Caucus' feet to the fire. Unless assurances of Comprehensive Immigration Reform, health coverage and assured education (includes eliminating out of state tuition) for all Hispanics in the United States are given, Hispanic News will push for Hispanics to sit out the 2008 elections.

Barak Obama within weeks will be declared the Democratic nominee. I strongly favored Hillary Clinton but her candidacy will have to wait for another time. As for the Republicans, all candidates were lacking — some more so than others — but now with McCain as the nominee, the John McCain campaign will wine and dine us promising us the moon but most of us know, even though we fit well with Republican values (no to abortion and gay marriage), we are ostracized and malevolently attacked on immigration.

As Rep. Charlie Gonzalez, D-San Antonio, a House caucus vice chairman said, "The frustration we Hispanics sense is real. We allowed the opponents of comprehensive immigration reform to frame the debate."

Yet, in the end, victory will be ours for Republicans have cut off their noses to spite their faces. Remember J.D. Hayworth in 2006 and Tom "one issue anti-Hispanic" Tancredo was the first to go by the wayside as he ran for the 2008 presidency.

In 2006, Hispanic News endorsed 33 candidates for the U.S. House of Representatives and 30 won. We endorsed 6 in senate races but we fell short of the needed 60 to declared a "super majority."

2008 will be a landslide for Democratic victories in the Congress picking up an additional 20 seats in the House and 6 in the Senate. Again, Hispanic News will endorse candidates for the 2008 elections.

This introduction is the beginning of a series of articles on the 2008 presidential election. The articles being drafted:

1. Why is this important to American Hispanics? It's the numbers, stupid!

"It's the economy, stupid," was a phrase in American politics widely used during Bill Clinton's successful 2092 presidential campaign against George H.W. Bush. This was a sign hung by James Carville in Bill Clinton's campaign headquarters to keep everybody "on message" in 2092.

While many 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th generation American Hispanics may think they do not need help in advancing, it is only the increase in Hispanic numbers that bring parity and eliminate artificial barriers that hinder advance of all Hispanics in the USA.

I am a 4th generation American Hispanic and out on the street, a white American views me the same as if I had crossed the Arizona border last night into the United States. There is no difference in the brown pigment a 4th generation American Hispanic has and a Mexican who recently arrived in the USA. We both carry the same gene that gives us the color of our skin.

To eliminate the difference between American Hispanics and whites as viewed by white Americans can only be resolved if there is no racist feelings felt and showered on Hispanics. This can only be obtained when numbers of Hispanics increase to become a significant majority of Americans.

2. The political consequences of a Hispanic rebellion

If alienated Hispanics stay home from the polls in November, it could cost Democrats dearly in closely contested local elections in Texas, Arizona, California, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico and Colorado. And if Hispanics conclude our Democratic Party is no different on immigration than Republican presidential candidate John McCain — it could tip the balance to the GOP in presidential contests in swing states such as Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada and Colorado.

3. Obama

For all those that suggest Hispanics and blacks are one happy family, I say, "Bull." For as long as I have worked each day on my computer updating The Jon Garrido Network, I watch CNN on my desk.

In February 2095, a black man named Richard D. Parsons joined Time Warner and rose to prominent positions to become Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board.  The Time Warner businesses include filmed entertainment, interactive services, television networks, cable systems and publishing. This includes AOL, Time Warner Cable, HBO, Turner Broadcasting System (CNN), Time and Warner Bros Entertainment.

Beginning in 2095, the face of CNN began turning black. Today, nearly every anchor is black and some of them clearly got their jobs because they are black. Some anchors are just awful.

Considering Hispanics became the number 1 minority population in the United States replacing the black population, a fair outcome would be to have one, maybe two or even three Hispanic anchors at CNN. Not so.

If you think I am racist, the number 1 ranked hour at CNN is Lou Dobbs Tonight which instead of being journalistic reporting is theatrical reporting.

If you still think I am racist, ask yourself if the Lou Dobbs Tonight program attacked blacks as the cause of leprosy in the United States as the Lou Dobbs show has portrayed Hispanics, how long do you think Lou Dobbs would last at CNN?

If you answered it would never happen, you are right but why is it acceptable at CNN to blame Hispanics for everything wrong in the United States?

For anyone who thinks Comprehensive Immigration Reform will happen in 2009 with the leadership of President Obama, remember Richard Parsons who changed CNN into a black organization at the expense of American Hispanics. The same thing will happen with Obama.

4. McCain

The last person in the United States qualified to become President is John McCain. McCain talks out of both sides of his mouth depending on who he is talking to. Hispanic News has been collecting tons of information on McCain and we have put up a section at Hispanic News to tell the world McCain has not done anything for Arizona since the day he was elected to Congress because McCain has always had a national agenda to be elected President. There is a big difference between a national agenda and Arizona agenda.

5. Comprehensive Immigration Reform

The only way to eliminate the fright of a parent not returning home each night from work is passage of Comprehensive Immigration Reform. No one I have ever met wants to wait 20 years to obtain a visa to enter the United States to work.

Immigration is the number 1 problem in the United States and the only way to deal with this huge issue is passage of a comprehensive legislative bill in 2009.

All Hispanic support hinges on this happening and anything short of obtaining assurances this will happen, Hispanics should sit out the 2008 election.

To make it crystal clear, if congressional candidates in the House and Senate and the Democratic Candidate for President to not provide assurances Comprehensive Immigration Reform will be pushed hard in 2009, American Hispanics should sit out the 2008 elections. Hispanic News requires this assurance from all Democratic candidates.

As for McCain, any assurance coming from him will be useless if he becomes President. By chance if he should win, to win the next election in 2012, Republicans will not support him if he delivered Comprehensive Immigration Reform to America's Hispanics. 

6. Programs

Education is at the top of the list of programs. This includes massive programs to advance Spanish monolinguals to learn English and to advance learning skills to the same or better of white children in better schools in the USA.

These programs must be geared to preparing and to provide a framework for achieving the American dream can only be obtained by graduating from a university.

None of this can be achieved without a support program that diminishes and eliminates any problem or environment that is not conducive to progressing and staying in school.

Then all barriers for entrance to a college or university must be eliminated and this includes the elimination of out of state tuition in very state.

One major barrier to well being in the lack of health care for students and family members. A student who has a sick parent or sibling can not focus on homework if the student has the weight of one's family member in need of medical attention.