Does Velazquez Still Think Obama Can't 'Connect' with Hispanics?
Rep. Nydia Velazquez was hardly the only Hillary Clinton supporter to do something like this, but she was certainly the most vocal among New York’s congressional delegation: As the primary season was winding down, Velazquez – in an effort to prop up Clinton’s vice-presidential prospects – went before the press and declared that Barack Obama and his campaign had "a problem of connecting with Latino voters."
Clinton would solve this problem for Obama, Velazquez said, because “the Latino community sees her as a Hispanic leader.” Not even other Hispanic leaders, like Bill Richardson, could help Obama overcome this supposed obstacle, Velazquez said.
But now we have this: a stream of polls over the last few weeks all showing that Obama’s much-ballyhooed “Hispanic problem” is a myth. Clinton may have fared better than Obama among Hispanics during the primaries, but now Obama is running much better among Hispanics than John Kerry did in ’04 and at least as well as Al Gore did in 2000. A new Gallup poll puts Obama 30 points ahead of John McCain – 59 to 29 percent – among Hispanics, a finding that is consistent with other recent polls. And he leads by similar margins in states in the Southwest where Hispanics make up a large chunk of the electorate.
I emailed Velazquez’s office earlier today and asked if the congresswoman is now satisfied that Obama does not have a problem “connecting” with Hispanics – and if, as a result, it might not be as essential that he offer his V.P. slot to Clinton. They have yet to respond.
- Poll
- Obama (D)
- McCain(R)
- Spread
- RCP Average
- 47.7
- 43.8
- Obama +3.9
- Candidate
- Favorable
- Unfavorable
- Spread
- Obama
- 54.3
- 34.4
- +19.9
- McCain
- 51.7
- 36.3
- +15.4
Who died and made Nydia Velasquez the spokes person for all Latinos.
This is good journalism. These myths keep getting repeated around the echo chamber of the media until they become conventional wisdom, but they never have any factual basis. Hopefully you can also find a way to deflate the much ballyhoed myth that Obama will have a problem winning Clinton's women voters. The media may dislike it, but voters aren't (always) the herded sheep they make us out to be.
STEVE: I AM IMPRESSED. GOOD JOB. I LOVE IT WHEN ELECTEDS ARE SHOWN FOR THEIR DOUBLE TALK, OR OUTRIGHT FABRICATIONS, LIES, DISTORTIONS OR EXAGGERATIONS.
Steve, wonderful bit of reporting, this should get more coverage. The problem I have with Velazquez is that she runs her mouth off about things that are not true or not relevant, while not doing her job in Congress. An example being is that she has been the chair of the House Committee on Small Business for a year and a half already and has yet to put forward any legislation to stop the diversion of federal small business contracts to large and multinational firms, in fact, she has put forward and pushed through several bills that will change the definition of a small business to allow large and venture capital firms to be counted as small businesses, essentially destroying federal programs designed specifically to help small businesses. Actions speak louder than words, and this is just another example that Velazquez is full of hot air.
Well, Nydia introduced legislation that would permit small businesses that receive up to 49.1% in private venture capital funding to seek government contracts. SB groups across the country have been reeling.
http://yourbiz.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/04/25/941211.aspx
"Our members and small businesses around the country are just stunned that Congresswoman Velazquez and her committee would pass legislation that will be so detrimental to small businesses,” said Lloyd Chapman, president of the American Small Business League, in a statement. “No matter what she says, the bottom line is that this bill is going to allow billionaires to take contracts away from legitimate small businesses in every state.”
Thank you very much for contacting her. Please continue to hold her accountable if she says things that are not true. I do not know about her legislation that hurts small businesses, but if that is correct, then I am appalled.
Thank you very much for contacting her. Please continue to hold her accountable if she says things that are not true. I do not know about her legislation that hurts small businesses, but if that is correct, then I am appalled.