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Salsa-music legend Willie Colón predicts GOP victory tomorrow
Primera Hora (Spanish-language article) ^ | November 1, 2010 | Hiram Guadalupe Pérez

Posted on 11/01/2010 8:21:52 AM PDT by Ebenezer

(English-language translation)

New York - Salsa artist Willie Colón's political prediction for tomorrow's congressional elections in the United States is that the Democratic Party will lose most of its seats.

He says this will be so as a consequence of the disappointment Americans, and the Hispanic community in particular, feel because Barack Obama's administration has not been capable of delivering what was promised.

"The Democrats will suffer many losses. They promised a lot and have done nothing. The economic situation is difficult, and unemployment keeps wreaking havoc," the artist stated during an interview with the Inter News (INS) agency.

To the New York City Mayor's current Tourism Advisor, the Democratic administration's Achilles' heel was having established a policy of financial assistance to banking institutions at the expense of the interests and needs of most of the population.

"They ripped us off. The solution to give more money to the banks was not correct because we had other needs," Colón told INS.

Likewise, he points out that the Obama administration conducted the public policy on oil "very poorly".

"There is where the inefficiency and disorganization of this administration could be noticed well," stressed the salsa artist, whose artistic history during the last decades has overlapped with his involvement in New York City's political life.

The veteran salsa producer's foray into the political scene has not been without criticism from his followers.

In 2001, he was subjected to attacks when he surprised his admirers by switching to the Republican Party after endorsing Michael Bloomberg for New York City Mayor.

Thus did he become the first prominent Hispanic to support the Republican tycoon who has since become an independent politician.

That endorsement, however, went beyond a mere public pronouncement. Colón wrote and produced Bloomberg's Spanish-language campaign song and accompanied him to caravans, rallies, and public appearances during the campaign, which many Democrat militants considered treason.

"I did so after Freddy Ferrer (the Democratic Party opponent) lost his candidacy," he points out.

Critics of the artist assure, however, that his affiliation with the GOP, which spearheaded Bloomberg's candidacy, was a consequence of the little support he received in his aspiration to become Public Defender in New York.

The creator of [the salsa song] "El gran varón" ("'The Great Man'") ran for that office in the 2001 Democratic primaries and got just 17% of the votes.

Since then, he left the Democratic Party and now remains active in Mayor Bloomberg's group of advisors, with whom he works as a Special Assistant and Tourism Consultant for the city.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Government; Politics/Elections; US: New York
KEYWORDS: bloomberg; congress; gop; michaelbloomberg; music; newyork; newyorkcity; puertorico; republican; republicanparty; salsa; williecolon
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1 posted on 11/01/2010 8:21:55 AM PDT by Ebenezer
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To: rrstar96

I’ve been waiting for him to check in on this!


2 posted on 11/01/2010 8:23:12 AM PDT by VanDeKoik (1 million in stimulus dollars paid for this tagline!)
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To: rrstar96

A not so simple mestizo is hard to keep on the plantation.


3 posted on 11/01/2010 8:23:46 AM PDT by Psalm 144
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To: cll
ping

One can only hope that the Democrats will get a big ol' pela in tomorrow's elections.

4 posted on 11/01/2010 8:24:22 AM PDT by Ebenezer (Strength and Honor!)
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To: rrstar96

Well it’s a done deal then.

....I’ll sleep better tonight


5 posted on 11/01/2010 8:25:04 AM PDT by peteram
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To: rrstar96

Well, that settles it then!


6 posted on 11/01/2010 8:25:48 AM PDT by VoiceOfBruck (First the good news - you're going to get a disease named after you.)
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To: rrstar96
Tell it like it is, Lo Mato!

Definitely going to listen to "Che Che Cole" today.

7 posted on 11/01/2010 8:27:05 AM PDT by wideawake
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To: VoiceOfBruck; peteram

I would like to see how the GOP will fare in Colón’s home state of New York.


8 posted on 11/01/2010 8:28:50 AM PDT by Ebenezer (Strength and Honor!)
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To: VanDeKoik

I thought he was an offensive lineman for the Pittsburgh Steelers.


9 posted on 11/01/2010 8:28:55 AM PDT by cjshapi (Proudly posting without a tagline since 2001)
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To: rrstar96

Anxiously awaiting Gheorghe Zamfir to add his two cents...


10 posted on 11/01/2010 8:29:31 AM PDT by Hatteras
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To: wideawake

If Obama has lost the Salseros, he’s lost this gringo as well. But nothing new there!


11 posted on 11/01/2010 8:30:52 AM PDT by pingman (Price is what you pay, value is what you get.)
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To: cjshapi; VanDeKoik

He is not that Willie Colón:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willie_Col%C3%B3n


12 posted on 11/01/2010 8:32:29 AM PDT by Ebenezer (Strength and Honor!)
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To: Hatteras

D’oh!

Comparing Zamfir to Colón? At least the latter hasn’t had to hawk his music albums on cable TV.


13 posted on 11/01/2010 8:34:14 AM PDT by Ebenezer (Strength and Honor!)
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To: Hatteras
Willie Colon helped create an entire genre of serious music.

He is the real deal.

Zamfir is a hacky joke.

14 posted on 11/01/2010 8:49:34 AM PDT by wideawake
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To: rrstar96

If he suppresses the dims vote I’m all for him...I suspect he is mad because the ONE didn’t go far enough!!!


15 posted on 11/01/2010 8:51:07 AM PDT by ontap
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To: rrstar96
"Comparing Zamfir to Colón?"

Musically, no, just their political expertise.

16 posted on 11/01/2010 8:52:03 AM PDT by Hatteras
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To: rrstar96

Now I know growing up in the old neighborhood in uptown manhattan why Willie Colon was a legend...


17 posted on 11/01/2010 9:03:29 AM PDT by JohnLongIsland (www.wilsonfornewyork.com)
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To: rrstar96; cll

Loved the guy. Loved his records. Still do. Would not have guessed him for a Repub.


18 posted on 11/01/2010 9:06:30 AM PDT by marron
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To: rrstar96
Salsa artist Willie Colón's

I prefer roast beef artist, with a fried chicken slant.

19 posted on 11/01/2010 9:10:43 AM PDT by dragnet2
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To: rrstar96; AuH2ORepublican; livius; adorno; wtc911; Willie Green; CGVet58; Clemenza; Narcoleptic; ...
Puerto Rico Ping! Please Freepmail me if you want on or off the list.


20 posted on 11/01/2010 9:24:18 AM PDT by cll (I am the warrant and the sanction)
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