Posted on 01/26/2008 11:04:09 AM PST by VU4G10
SACRAMENTO, Calif. --Bidding for Hispanic support in California's upcoming primary, Barack Obama describes himself in a Spanish-language television ad as the son of an immigrant whose success is a beacon to others.
"This is your country," a narrator says in the ad that began airing Friday in Los Angeles. "Don't let anyone or anything take away those dreams."
But it is an older, more familiar success story - that of the Clintons - that seems to be holding sway among most California Hispanics. They will play a key role in deciding the Democratic winner.
As the wife of the former president, Hillary Rodham Clinton has an almost dynastic appeal to Hispanic voters, many of whom came of voting age during the economic good times of Bill Clinton's presidency.
The New York senator leads Obama 3-to-1 among Hispanics, according to a recent survey by the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California.
"There is very much a comfort zone with the name and the family, and a very comfortable remembrance with Clinton's eight years in office," said Jaime Regalado, director of the Pat Brown Institute at California State University, Los Angeles.
By contrast, he said, most Hispanics know little about Obama, who only appeared on the national scene four years ago, when he was elected a U.S. senator from Illinois.
While Obama has come to California to raise money and hold the occasional campaign event, he has not been able to make much of an impression among rank-and-file voters, who do not tune into the race until the final weeks before an election.
Clinton, meanwhile, has been able to draw on 16 years in the national spotlight.
Earlier this week, she traveled across the country for a one-day visit to Salinas to accept the endorsement of the United Farm Workers, which was started by Cesar Chavez.
The UFW's star has dimmed since its heyday in the 1970s, and its endorsement may be more important for its symbolism than for its ability to mobilize voters, given that most farm workers are immigrants who cannot vote.
But it gave Clinton the opportunity to assert her strength among Hispanic voters, who are expected to make up as many as one in four of those casting Democratic ballots in the Feb. 5 election.
Like whites, Hispanics are somewhat split along generational lines over the Democratic race, with young voters gravitating toward the promise of Obama and older ones attracted to the experience of Clinton, according to analysts.
But some cite another possible reason for Clinton's dominance: the disinclination of some Hispanics to vote for a black candidate. Tensions between the two groups have been intensified by competition for jobs and political power as Hispanic immigrants have moved into black neighborhoods.
"Perhaps, because he's an African-American, there might be reluctance there, too," Regalado said.
In any case, Clinton's status as the early front-runner induced most of the Hispanic political establishment to hop aboard her campaign. Supporters include Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez, along with a long list of lesser-known political figures.
One political family - the Sanchez sisters, who have been elected to Congress from Southern California - split.
Rep. Loretta Sanchez, who represents Orange County, chose Clinton. Rep. Linda Sanchez, who represents communities south of Los Angeles, went with Obama.
Obama also won a key endorsement from Maria Elena Durazo, who is known among Hispanics across the country as the head of the powerful Los Angeles County Federation of Labor.
Durazo said she was taken by Obama's life story as the child of a white single mother and an African immigrant father. And she was impressed by his choice after graduating from Columbia University to work as a community organizer in Chicago, as well as his decision after being elected to the U.S. Senate to march with immigrant activists on May Day.
"I wanted to make sure that anyone I endorsed would give me the most confidence that when that person would get into the White House that we wouldn't have been treated as just a campaign stop or a campaign promise," said Durazo, who took a two-week vacation from her union duties to campaign for Obama.
She cited his position in favor of giving driver's licenses to illegal immigrants as a reason why Hispanics should consider voting for him over Clinton, who waffled on the issue before opposing it.
But, Durazo acknowledged, Obama faces an uphill climb among Hispanics in California, much to the frustration of the Hispanic activists who support him.
"I am getting so many phone calls and e-mails from Latino activists," she said. "They say we have to be out there and do something to voice our opinion to show that there is a big distinction."
“So why would any candidate running for a Federal office try to get votes from people who do not speak English unless they are encouraging those people to vote illegally. They wouldn’t be wiving for the illegal vote would they?”
Absolutely they are. Many illegals vote and have been found doing so. Many more will vote this time.
http://www.usbc.org/media/votebyaliensresponse.htm
cassandra2004.blogspot.com/2004/10/wisconsin-voter-fraud-illegal-aliens.html
Another example of Illegal Alien Voter Fraud. Venezuelans’ Abraham E. Gomez, 46, and his wife, Mayen C. Gomez, 41, had little difficulty registering to vote ...
www.ojjpac.org/election_fraud.asp
FAIR: : FAIR Testimony on Vote Fraud by Illegal Aliens
FAIR enlisted the aid of two immigration reform activists who posed as illegal aliens attempting to register to vote. They were able to register in two ...
www.fairus.org/site/PageServer?pagename=leg_testimony_june222006 - 29k - Cached - Similar pages
Drivers Licenses for Illegal Aliens: “Recipe for Voter Fraud ...
One Response to ‘ Drivers Licenses for Illegal Aliens: “Recipe for Voter Fraud” ‘. Subscribe to comments with RSS or TrackBack to ‘ Drivers Licenses for ...
conservablogs.com/.../2007/11/01/drivers-licenses-for-illegal-aliens-“recipe-for-voter-fraud”/ -
Michelle Malkin » ILLEGAL ALIEN VOTER RECRUITMENT
Flashback: “He thinks illegal aliens can vote? What an idiot” ... Who cares about voter fraud, anymore? ACORN guilty pleas ignored ...
michellemalkin.com/2006/04/10/illegal-alien-voter-recruitment/
The Donks are trading in the black vote for the hispanic vote. It seems that there isn’t enough room for them in one party.
This is a golden for opportunity for the Pubs to get the black vote to return to it’s rightful legacy party.
But of course the Pubs seem a little short sided these days. Just ask any Fredhead.
I heard Hillary doing her “Si, si Puede’” thing.
If I were Hispanic I’d be ticked off how badly she butchers their language.
Nor Cal might split from So Cal?
Hell, I might just join their side for that!
Her pantsuits are probably made in NY sweatshops by illegals.
Ask any mitten
>most hispanics I know in L.A. are not very comfortable with blacks.
Understatement of the New Year.
You could just as easily flipped your sentence over and say”Blacks are prejudiced against Latinos.Obama is a bigot”
Ironically, the slogan comes from Cesar Chavez, who spent much of his life opposing illegal immigration and actively encouraging the deportation of illegal immigrants.
bttt
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